“ He, also, had learned that Dick Merriwell had a most wonderful faculty of turning enemies into friends without at all seeming to wish such a thing.
“The fellows here who pretend to be his enemies to-day may be fawning around him to-morrow,” Arlington had decided. “I must be careful and trust no one. I will fool them all.”
Be careful, Chester! There is such a thing as over-playing a part. You may fool many of them, but you will have to be very clever if you fool Dick Merriwell. ”

“ Truly, it was astonishing that a boy of Chester’s years could have so much money to fling about without thought or reason.
“That’s the explanation,” nodded Arlington. “I must get on my feet somehow.”
“I don’t see how you expect to do it by——”
“This time I’ll back Fardale.”
“Why, you can’t find any one to bet on New Era.”
“Oh, yes, I can! Those New Era fellows have sent some chaps into town looking for bets.”
“Why, great Scott! we downed the Trojans, and the Trojans buried New Era!” ”

“ Already by way of punishment you have been compelled to seek a favor of the lad you hate so bitterly—have been compelled to humble yourself to him.
The plotting, crafty, wicked fellow may seem to succeed for a time. His plans may seem to go right, and his prosperity may cause those who know of his crookedness to wonder; but surely the day comes when he finds his plotting has brought about his undoing, when he realizes that at last his scheming has wrought disaster and disgrace for him. But Chester Arlington was young, and he had not learned this great lesson of life. ”

“ When he reached the hotel he found a crowd gathered there. Chester Arlington, pale as a ghost and covered with dirt, was sitting on the steps.
The Fardale crowd was on hand to cheer Dick, but he called on them to be quiet.
“This horse is nervous enough now,” he said. “Do you want to start him off again?”
“He’d be all right with you behind him,” declared Joe Savage.
“That’s Dick Merriwell!” piped a small boy, bursting with enthusiastic admiration. “Ain’t he jest a peacherino!”
“Boy, it’s marvelous!” declared a man. “You deserve great credit. It may be that you saved this girl’s life! ”

“ In that hush and pause Dick Merriwell’s keen ears seemed to catch the sound of faint, muffled shouts coming from the direction of the gymnasium, and he smiled grimly.
Fardale went into the game with a whirl and a rush that almost swept Uniontown off her feet. The home team had snap, ginger, vim, and go to it. Every man was in the game. They played together, and they were out for victory. Getting the ball, Fardale began hammering against the enemy, at their thirty-yard line. The funnel-play was tried, and Singleton hit the left wing of the enemy, going through for five yards. ”

“ Professor Gunn might be easy with them; not so Professor Gooch. He demanded their attendance and attention in the class-room. He was opposed to athletics of all sorts, and he took delight in detaining members of the football-team to listen to some dry-as-dust talk of his when they felt that they should be out on the field getting in some practise.
As Professor Gooch, his spectacles on his nose, droned away one day about the Punic Wars, and Hannibal, and Rome, and the destruction of Carthage, Ted Smart noticed that Billy Bradley, who sat next to him, was napping. ”

“ It was Sammy—Sammy of Hudsonville, on a brand-new wheel! Sammy was laughing as he jumped off.
“I wanted you to see the wheel Mr. Arlington sent me in place of the old one,” he said. “I’ve ridden over here on it to thank Miss Arlington and to see the football-game. I’m going to root for you in the game. Say, ain’t this wheel a peach?”
“It is very handsome,” said Dick. “It seems to be quite as good as your other one.”
“Oh, it’s better! A machinist over in our town says it’s the best he ever saw, and he knows a good one when he sees it.” ”

“ Arlington was defying his former companion and tool, but no one knew better than he how dangerous Miguel Bunol was, and he was keenly on the alert for anything.
“I never be thrown over like this!” asserted the Spaniard. “I ruin you.”
“You will ruin yourself, that is all.”
“You say that. Ha! How we come to be friends in first place? I tell that! I will!”
“You wouldn’t dare!” exclaimed Chester, turning pale.
“You think that? You wait—you see! I tell how you have boy you hate, how you pay me to push him off bridge, how he sink, he drown! Ha!” ”

“ Chester Arlington was shaking with excitement. He had shouted until his voice was a husky whisper.
“Keep it up!” he croaked. “One more touch-down! One more goal! We’ll win!”
But the time was short, and, for all of her success, Fardale’s chances seemed small. Dick urged his men to do their best, and they responded after the manner of true Fardale boys.
Getting the ball, New Era attempted to keep it in her possession and kill time, knowing that would enable her to win. But Fardale was fierce, and a fumble gave Ted Smart his chance. He dropped on the ball, with six or seven fellows on top of him. ”

“ Dick remembered that the Trojans had been battered into a state of amazed decency.
Chester Arlington’s interest in the football-team seemed very keen. He was out every day to watch practise, and he cheered and encouraged the boys like a most loyal supporter of the eleven. He even went further than that. Darrell’s shoulder had been injured, and Chester declared he knew just how to massage the muscles to bring it back into perfect condition. He peeled off his coat, to the surprise of all, and gave Hal’s shoulder a rubbing after practise each day. ”

“ Hickman pretended to be surprised and astonished.
“Professionals?” he exclaimed. “Ringers? Why, what do you mean? It can’t be that you accuse us of having such men on our team?”
“I have information that leads me to believe you have,” said Dick grimly.
“It’s not true!” retorted the captain of the Franklin team hotly.
“It’s a lie!” said a yellow-haired chap, rising behind Hickman, and stepping forward.
“That’s exactly what it is!” agreed the third fellow, as he also rose and joined the others.
“Here’s where we get into a scrimmage!” thought Buckhart, with a glow of genuine satisfaction. ”

“ But, to their wonderment, Arlington betrayed no great desire to even up the score. They fancied he would do this at once, but he ignored them. For a day or two he wore a handkerchief bound about his head, explaining that he had slipped and fallen on the stone steps of the academy, cutting his scalp. Chester was not one given to hesitation when a falsehood served his purpose better than the truth.
It was Saturday morning of the day that Fardale was to meet Springvale that Miguel Bunol slipped like a phantom into Dick Merriwell’s room. ”

“ Chester Arlington sat up, looking dazed and frightened.
“Stop that horse!” he cried, in genuine alarm. “A hundred dollars to the man who stops that horse!”
Even as he uttered the words, Dick Merriwell caught a bicycle from the hands of a boy who had ridden up and was standing beside his machine. On to the bicycle leaped the captain of the eleven, alighting in the saddle and catching the pedals instantly with his feet. Away he went after the runaway, somewhat slowly at first, but with swiftly increasing speed.
“Hi! hi! Runaway! Runaway!” ”

“ In spite of the bright sunshine, in spite of the satisfaction in his heart, he felt vaguely the sadness of autumn, as if the world itself were fading and growing old and feeble, like a man that has passed the prime of life and is hurrying down the hill that leads to decrepit old age and death. Always the autumn impressed Dick thus. ”

“ You think Chester Arlington change to be your friend, eh? Ha! Don’t fool yourself some like that! He stay your enemy forever. He make believe he become your friend. That is done to fool you.”
Dick smiled quietly, but the smile was followed by a frown.
“Go!” he exclaimed, pointing toward the door. “I want nothing to do with you.”
“I come to tell you something you better hear. Look, you; yesterday this room was entered and some papers were stolen from you. How do I know? I know. I find out. I know who come here. I know Chester Arlington he do that. Why should he come? You have a locket. ”

“ She understood that her brother and Dick Merriwell were persistent and unrelenting enemies.
“I was so glad to see you win the game to-day,” she said, seeming to wish to change the subject.
“Yes, the boys did splendidly.”
“They did very well, but you—you were the one who really won the game.”
“In football every man is dependent on the others engaged in the game. Without their assistance he would be powerless to win.”
“Oh, if you put it that way, of course no fellow could stand up alone against eleven others and win a game. ”

“ Franklin had a lot of ringers, for I have learned beyond a doubt that their man Gray, as he was called, was Plover, the professional. The Trojan A. A. tried to defeat us by roughing it, and we have been up against that kind of business generally. It would be a pleasure to play one good, clean game with a school team in our class. It is this slugging, kicking, and general rough-house playing that makes so many persons down on football. At best, it is not a ladies’ game, but it is not brutal when properly played. ”

“ It’s no more than fair. Vote for Arlington. Here you go!”
In fact, it seemed that fellows with Arlington votes were everywhere, and these votes they urged on every one. Those who favored Hardy were not as well prepared with votes, and Buckhart grew uneasy as he sat and watched the workers for Chester Arlington getting rid of their ballots.
“If that galoot is elected, Dick can blame himself,” thought the Texan. “He might have crushed Chester Arlington with a word, but he would not say that word.” ”

“ Dick was right. And it is “staying power” that counts in the great game of life, just the same as in football. A fellow may have ability and be brilliant in his accomplishments, but if he has not “staying power” he will be beaten out every time by the tireless, persistent, dogged plodder.
The boys were not able to bathe and be rubbed down there, so they hustled on their clothes and prepared to make for the hotel, where they might cleanse and refresh themselves after their successful struggle. ”

“ Kent went down before it, and Clark sat on him, while the tide rolled over them, the ball being carried to the forty-yard line. Kent was angry when he got up. Clark had fouled him, but the umpire had not seen it. Clark grinned into Don’s face.
“Wait! Wait!” said Don. “My turn will come.”
Springvale had Fardale going, and it kept the work up until the home team was pushed to its own twenty-yard line.
Dick was desperate.
“The Spaniard told the truth!” he kept repeating to himself. “Chester Arlington has betrayed us again! I was a fool to think he might be decent! It isn’t in him!” ”

“ Twice Fardale had the ball down close to the visitors’ line, but both times a touch-down was missed by a fluke or a fumble. It was disheartening, but Dick managed to keep the courage of the boys up, and they continued the work up to the moment when the whistle blew.
As he was leaving the field with his dirty, sweat-stained comrades, Dick saw Miguel Bunol hastening toward him.
“What you think now?” asked the Spaniard triumphantly. “You see they know every play. I tell you truth. What you do? You fail to expose Chester Arlington?” ”

“ Dick shook his head.
“He send them to captain of Springvale football team. To-day you see. To-day Springvale beat you. Springvale know all your signals—all your plays. Chester Arlington he get even with you ’cause you make him resign from committee.”
There seemed some reason in Bunol’s talk, and Dick wondered if the fellow did not speak the truth.
“How much you give me to trap him?” asked Miguel craftily, “I know how to do it. He lie to you. He make you think he is to you a friend now, when he is more your enemy than before. He play you false. ”

“ Bunol is my enemy. He is a treacherous, dangerous fellow. You are not my friend.”
Arlington began to feel desperate.
“I have not been,” he said; “but it might be different in the future.”
“No!” exclaimed Dick. “I do not believe it possible that you and I can ever become friends. There is nothing in common between us.”
Chester was surprised at this, for he had fancied that by his actions within the last few days he had led Dick into thinking him a friend at last. Now he realized that he had not deceived Merriwell in the least. ”

“ The cheering of the cadets at the finish of the game had drowned all other sounds, but Dick pricked up his ear as they drew near the gym. He expected to hear a racket coming from within the building. It was silent as the members of the victorious team entered. Dick wondered if Arlington and Warne had found some method of escaping, but he discovered that the door of the bathroom was still closed. He walked straight over to it and flung it open. The captives walked out, Warne pale with rage, while Arlington’s eyes gleamed vindictively. ”

“ I was one who counted the votes. I could have prevented you from winning then without making a move. I did not suppose you would find a way to sway the whole committee if you got on, and I thought it might deepen your interest in the welfare of the team if you got on. I cannot understand a fellow who will let his personal feelings lead him into working for or even desiring the defeat of his school team in order to humiliate an enemy.”
“Oh, you’re such a wonderfully upright and honest fellow!” sneered Arlington. “You make me sick!” ”

“ As Dick was entering the gymnasium, Elbert Bradbury, a Fardale lawyer, spoke to him. Dick paused, and Bradbury said something that caused him to show great interest.
“All right,” said young Merriwell. “Just as soon as I can take a shower and get into my clothes.” Then he disappeared into the gym.
When he came out he saw Bradbury again, and this time Louis Thor, the yellow-headed captain of the visiting team, was with the lawyer.
“I congratulate you, Merriwell,” said Thor, putting out a large hand. “I thought we had you fellows, but you won out in the end, a trick Fardale generally does.” ”