Burt L. Standish

“ Frank Merriwell, senior, faced the victorious Clippings, who were lined up around Mrs. McQuade’s extended dinner table.
“I want you to know why I did this. It wasn’t to gamble, as most of you know that I don’t countenance that so-called sport for a minute. It wasn’t to fight Colonel Carson with his own weapons. That’s another thing I don’t believe in.
“But I do enjoy beating a man at his own game, when I can do it cleanly and make him learn a lesson. Now, in plain words, I knew that Colonel Carson was little short of being a crook. When he gambled, he wanted to gamble on a sure thing.” ”

“ Flaming with anger at the whole cowardly attack, he leaped forward with a cry to Clancy and Billy. Carson met him with an angry bellow.
The big fellow lacked all science, however. Already smarting under his punishment, his attack was futile. Merry’s fists beat a tattoo on his heavy face, while his own vicious blows merely beat the air. Once again Chip’s knuckles landed against his puffing eye, and he measured his length in the dust.
One of the Clippers had hurled a rock at Clancy, which had struck the red-haired chap on the shoulder and staggered him. ”

“ Merriwell! Stop the game!”
The yell rose to a roar. Men rose in the bleachers, stamping and waving their hats. Every one knew of Merriwell’s unexplained absence. Randall went white, and would have delivered the ball had not the umpire stopped him.
Across the field careered a dust-white Hornet, with three uniformed figures clinging to it. Ted Crockett turned with a wild yell as Clancy drew up behind third.
“Get in the game!” he shouted. “Merry, pitch! Take first, Clan! Catch, Billy!”
A renewed storm of yells swept the field as the sudden shift of players was comprehended. ”

“ Wild cheers went up as Craven picked a sizzler from the ground, darted to his base, and sent the ball across to third like a bullet. Just then a bat boy touched Merry’s arm.
“A man in one of the boxes wants to speak to you, Chip.”
Frank followed his guide back to the grand stand. A keen-eyed man with a long black cigar in his mouth was standing by the netting, and beckoned.
“You wanted me?”
“Yes. Say, Merriwell, do you know that fellow Green—the Clippers’ pitcher?”
“Why, no,” returned Chip, smiling. “He looks mighty good, though.” ”

“ Carson, indeed, was rising to the occasion. He had landed in the tonneau on his head and shoulders, and was squirming upright, letting out wild yells as he did so. The peace of the Sabbath was being terribly shattered.
Billy Mac saved the day by adopting Clan’s suggestion. Seizing the heavy blanket that did duty for an auto robe, he threw it over Carson’s head, managed to evade the waving fists, and plumped himself on top of the big fellow.
Carson was forced to the floor of the car, which had leaped into speed under Clancy’s touch. ”

“ As Clancy walked out, Green seemed to lose his composure for the first time.
“Wake up, you boneheads!” he shouted wrathfully at his amazed team, who were still trying to find out what had happened. “They’ve got four runs on us, with only two hits. And Merriwell got them both! Wake up and play the game!”
“Here’s where we get another hit, Southpaw Diggs,” said Clancy merrily, as he danced into the box. “Put her over, old sox!”
Green obeyed, and the ball had so much speed [300] that Clancy merely leaped backward in actual terror.
“Hey!” he cried. “You don’t need to kill a fellow!” ”

“ Bully passed him up with a scowl, and turned to the rest of the assembled Clippers.
“We hadn’t ought to let them fellers get away with it,” he declared cunningly. “They put the spurs to us right, then they beat up Squint here.”
“If you hadn’t blown up they wouldn’t have beaten us,” growled Ironton, the Clippers’ shortstop.
This criticism was quite true. But Bully Carson was loath to admit it, so he merely frowned the more.
“If we’d had a little decent support from you guys,” he snapped, “I wouldn’t have gone up. How can a pitcher do anything when he don’t get any support?” ”

“ The next moment he made out a horse and buggy standing in front of the house, in the drive. An exclamation of dismay burst from him, for he recognized it at once as the same which he had encountered at the horseshoe bend that morning.
“It isn’t possible!” he murmured. “Colonel Carson wouldn’t try such a trick!”
He approached the house, and, as he did so, his alarm increased. There was no doubt that the autocrat of Carsonville was present, and that he was extremely angry. As Merriwell sprang to the wide veranda, he clearly heard the vibrant tones. ”

“ He was the one member of the gathering who did not impress Merriwell as being especially adapted for baseball. Billy, however, reassured his friend in a whispered aside that Nippen would produce the goods.
“He doesn’t look up to much, Chip, and he lumbers around like an overgrown puppy. But when he lands on the ball, he kills it, and the way he covers center field is something wonderful to watch. You wait!”
So Merry smiled and waited. Every one present displayed inspiring eagerness to work. There was one thing, however, which troubled Merriwell. ”

“ McQuade with tales of his adventures in Arizona, and Clancy polished off the good things before him with astonishing rapidity.
“It listens good to me,” he commented, with a sigh, when, at length, he could stow no more away. “I hear at Fardale that Billy has developed into quite a backstop, eh?”
“Sure,” said Merry. “He’s a wonder, and no mistake, Clan.”
“Oh, my eye!” sniffed Billy. “Just because I happen to hold on to your double shoots, you needn’t raise my modesty like that!”
“It isn’t every one who can hang on to them,” said Clancy. “Oh, by the way, Chip, I came mighty near forgetting! ”

“ Clancy grinned.
“No, you won’t, Bully. You’re liable to get pinched yourself for what took place last night. Where’s Chip Merriwell?”
“How do I know?” demanded Carson, working himself up into a rage. “You’d better clear out, and do it quick, or I’ll smash your carrot head in about——”
“No more of that talk,” said Clancy. “You’re a coward, my friend. If you try fighting, you’ll get the worst of it by a good deal. Where’s Chip Merriwell?” ”

“ The group was just breaking up when Merriwell halted them.
“One minute, everybody. What do you say to getting a game with the Clippers this Saturday? I believe it’s an open date; I can pitch, and if you’re willing to work between now and then, we can give them a run for their money!”
“Whoop!” A yell of delight burst from every throat.
“Bully for you!” cried Spaulding, grabbing Merry’s hand and pumping it.
“No, us fer Bully!” said McCarthy. “You bet we will!”
“Can you get a team together?” asked Chip. “If you can, meet at Billy’s house to-night and talk things over.” ”

“ It became evident to Merry that the two knew each other, and that his friend cherished a thorough dislike for the bully.
“Give it to him, Bil-l-ly!” chirruped Chub, who was well out of danger by this time. It seemed impossible for the little chap to pronounce the letter “l” without spilling it out by degrees. “L-l-l-lam him for me!”
The big fellow sneered.
“I suppose you think you can run the place, Billy Mac, now that you’ve been away to school, hey? You think you are a real athlete, with them underwear things on, don’t you?” ”

“ Now listen, Bully: You work this right, and I’ll give you ten per cent of all I win on the game, see? This part of it depends on you, and you can do it fine.
“Go to Fardale and get hold of Randall. Talk to him slow and easy, and get him madder and madder. He’ll be sore about not getting elected captain, anyhow. Work on that string. Play him good and strong, and get him to promise that he’ll give the stuff to Merriwell. Then we’ve got him. He’s one o’ them fellers who’ll stick to a promise, no matter what comes. ”

“ Colonel Carson began to pull at his goatee once more, frowning at the floor. He knew that Merriwell’s success was not so much due to good luck as it was to pluck, skill, and honesty. He could not blind himself to this, but the knowledge only swerved his mind toward vindictiveness.
“No,” he replied slowly, “it isn’t all luck, son. Just the same, I’ve no fears that he’ll be able to buck Diggs. There’s no harm in making sure against all chance, however. If we could get him out of the way, Randall would pitch. ”

“ Billy Mac leaned forward earnestly. He was a staunch friend of Merriwell’s, but he had seen Bob Randall at his best, and both liked and admired the fiery, handsome Southerner.
“You’re away off. Bob Randall isn’t that sort, not by a good deal. He doesn’t like Chip particularly, but it’s an honorable, open-faced dislike, and it won’t last. If he knew anything like this was going on, he would be the first one to warn Chip. No, if there’s any one to blame, Clancy, it’s the Carsons.” ”

“ The next man up was Murray, and Chip handled him carefully, forcing him to put up an infield fly, that Villum easily absorbed. Then Green strode out, smiling.
Chip gathered every energy. He put over the double shoot, reversing from an in to an out, and Green fanned. Then, using his left hand, he reversed the shoot, and once more Green struck in vain, Ironton going down to second. Knowing that it was useless to attempt luring Green, Frank once more threw every effort into a terrifically swift, straight ball—and again Green fanned. ”

“ Colonel Carson certainly does things up brown!”
“That’s what he wants,” agreed Chip. “It’ll help his reputation with the league magnates. But if he builds his reputation on secret chicanery and dirty work, he isn’t going to get very far, and, judging from your own case, it looks as though Colonel Carson had a tricky streak right through him.”
He could not help feeling sorry for Billy Mac, even while admiring his sturdy pluck. To throw up school, athletics, and everything else in order to take up a hopeless undertaking was a stiff proposition. And Billy’s task looked hopeless. ”

“ We’re playing the Clippers, you know, not Colonel Carson himself. They could certainty raise a holler if we refused, for they’re the crack team of the Amateur League. We’ve no good reason for turning them down, except on the score of crookedness, which we can’t raise against the team as a whole. Carson’s private dirty work doesn’t blanket his whole team, remember.”
“That’s true,” said Clancy, “but the team is a bad lot, too. They tried to beat up Chip, Billy, and me down at Carsonville, after our pick-ups licked them. But you suit yourself, Merry. ”

“ It might strike you to suppose that your absence is better than your company.”
“Oh, is that so?” The big fellow clenched his fists, glaring. “Say, fer about two cents I’d take you down a peg, Slim-shanks!”
Billy Mac turned quickly.
“Look here, Chip, you butt out of this!” he demanded. “Chub Newton’s a friend of mine, and this isn’t your quarrel.”
“All right, old man,” said Merriwell, waving his hand. “I’ll gladly turn over our genial friend to you. He looks as if a dose of McQuade compound would improve his health a good deal.”
“Yah!” shrieked Chub Newton, in wild delight. ”

“ Bully desired to avoid all prominence during his stay in Fardale, and so had picked out his meekest raiment for the trip.
He found the smoking car fairly well filled, and with his mind still occupied with the subject of raising some money with which to bet for himself, he dropped into a seat beside a small, dried-up little man.
Now, there are many people who gauge other people’s importance by their clothes, and who do so without any regard for taste. Ezra Hostetter had run a laundry all his life, and he was the simplest-hearted person that ever ironed a collar. ”

“ Chub Newton snorted disgustedly, but Billy spoke up.
“Sure he can pitch, Chip. Chub has a private grouch on, that’s all. Bully isn’t any great favorite off the diamond, but he has the knack of tossing the ball, all right.” ”

“ Randall nodded. Wrapped up in his own thoughts, he did not even attempt to penetrate Bully’s sudden show of conscious virtue.
“That’s right, Carson. And I’d sure like to hand him one hot one before I leave school!”
“You’d hand it to him if you pitched against the Clippers, Bob. I’ll pass it to you on the quiet that we don’t know much about our new pitcher, and he might pan out wrong. If he does, you stand a chance o’ winning the game. Of course, I want to see the Clippers win, but if you could beat us square, I’d be satisfied. It’d make this Merriwell kid squirm ten ways from election.” ”

“ Frank fooled him once, then snapped the ball to Clancy in an endeavor to catch Ironton. The effort failed, but Squint Fletcher took a chance on reaching home.
Clancy sent in the ball far ahead of him, and Squint turned to get back to third. As he did so, Billy put the ball into McCarthy’s hand. Squint gave a yell and flung himself at Dan feet first, in an undoubted effort to spike.
A shout of anger burst from every man on the field. The lanky McCarthy was not so easily caught, however. As Squint came at him, he writhed aside and drove down his fist with the ball into Fletcher’s face. ”

“ Frank had netted two runs with that homer, but the eighth opened with the score four to three in favor of the Clippers, and Craven at bat. He grounded out to Clancy, Merrell fanned, and Runge flied to Lowe. Green again fanned three men, leaving Kess up, and the ninth inning was on.
“All right, Billy,” said Chip quietly. “Every ball a jump.”
“Hurray!” yelled Billy, in delight. “Nine balls, Merry!”
Ironton was up. Merry put the first ball down to him right in the groove, and he swung viciously at it. The ball seemed to leap over his bat into Billy’s glove. ”

“ His father smiled as he watched the lights of the train flashing up the valley.
“It’s a fact,” he went on, turning to Chip and Billy McQuade and Clancy, who had accompanied him to the train. “I’m not preaching, and you know it.”
“But Davy Crockett died in the Alamo,” interjected Clancy doubtfully.
“Sure,” flashed back Frank Merriwell, senior. “That’s why he won, that’s why he’ll live forever, Clancy. He knew he was right—get that? Defeat is no sign of failure, not a bit of it. This Colonel Carson, of Carsonville, has been winning consistently until you fellows turned the trick on him. ”

“ It was of this that the two plebes were talking in the gymnasium. They did not observe a figure which stood just around the corner, and which was that of Bob Randall. He had just emerged from the locker room, had caught their words, and was listening for the remainder.
“I’m not so sure, Chesty. Chip isn’t certain to get the place, you know.”
“I’d like to know why not!” broke out Lee Chester indignantly, glaring at his chum. “Why, he’s the best pitcher Fardale ever had, barring his father and uncle!”
“Of course,” said Garding. “Best all-around athlete, too.” ”