SPURNING A BRIBE.
"I would like to speak with you."
Frank felt a touch on his shoulder, and the words sounded in his ear. He
turned quickly and found himself face to face with the mysterious
stranger.
It happened that at that moment they were alone, nearly all the throng
having gathered about three fellows who, with banjo, mandolin and
zither, were making some lively music.
"What do you want?" asked Frank, rather suspiciously.
The man beckoned for him to come aside.
"I have something I wish to say to you, and I do not care to be
overheard by others," he declared.
"Well, I wonder what sort of a snap this is?" thought Merriwell.
He hesitated a moment, and then curiosity to know what the stranger had
to say overcame him, and he followed the man to a corner of the room.
The stranger was very mysterious in his manner.
"You are a likely sort of youngster," he said, in a rather noncommittal
way.
"Is that what you wish to tell me?" asked Frank, sharply.
"Steady, young colt! Don't be in too much of a hurry. It doesn't pay to
be in a hurry--none whatever."
Frank's impatience increased. He did not like the stranger's manner, for
there was something crafty and insinuating about it.
"If any one were watching us, he'd be sure to think we were putting up
some sort of a crooked game," thought Merriwell.
"My time is valuable," he said aloud.
"Then you can't make more out of it than you can by spending it gabbling
with the crowd."
The man's manner was offensive, but Frank's curiosity caused him to hold
himself in check and listen to what the stranger should say.
"You are interested in other sports besides rowing, I reckon?" said the
unknown, inquiringly.
"Yes."
"Baseball?"
"Yes."
"I have heard that you pitch on the 'varsity nine."
"That is right."
The man assumed a more cautious air than ever, and lowered his voice
still more.
"I allow that the man who pitches can throw a game, if he wants to?"
Frank's dislike for the stranger increased rapidly.
"He can throw a game if he is crooked and dirty enough to do such a mean
thing!" came with spirit from the lad.
"That is putting it a heap rough," deprecatingly declared the man.
"Every galoot is out for the dust. It is the way of the old world, as
you will find before you have hoofed it much farther along the trail of
life."
"Well, what are you driving at?"
"Yale won the race to-day, and I reckon she's got glory enough to last
her a while."
"Go on."
"The last ball game of the series between Yale and Harvard comes off
next week?"
"It does."
"Yale has won one, and Harvard one."
"That is right."
"Yale stands a right good chance of winning the deciding game?"
"She is pretty sure of winning."
"And I have a pot of dust on Harvard. I can get odds that Yale will win,
so I can stake more money."
Frank fancied that he saw the stranger's game, and he felt his anger
rising rapidly; but, with a great effort, he held himself in control,
and pretended that he did not understand.
The boy looked the man over from head to heels. He was making a study of
the unknown. Already he had decided by the man's appearance and language
that he was a Westerner, or wished to be considered such. Frank was not
absolutely certain that the fellow was not masquerading as a man from
the West.
As Merriwell remained silent after the stranger's last statement, he
went on:
"If there is any way of knowing as how Harvard will win, I can stake my
rocks on her, and pull off a good thing."
Still Frank was silent.
"You can see that plain enough, can't you, youngster?" demanded the man,
seeming to grow impatient and restless before the lad's steady, piercing
gaze.
"Any one should be able to see that," was the cold answer.
"Then all I've got to do in order to make a stake is to fix it so that
Harvard is dead sure of winning."
"How can you fix it?"
"I don't see but one way."
"How is that?"
"Make it worth something to the Yale team to throw the game to Harvard.
I can afford to do that, I reckon; but I've got to find the right man to
do the trick."
Frank's jaws seemed to grow square and hard, and there was a dangerous
fire in his eyes. The stranger did not appear to discern this, however,
for he went on:
"It rather strikes me that the pitcher has the best chance to do the
little turn I want done, and that's why I've come to you. Now, don't go
off half-cocked! Hold hard, and hear me chirp. Every young fellow at
college needs money, and they need a right good bit of it, too. I don't
allow that you are any exception. Now, I reckon I can show you how you
can make a smart bit of a pile and do it dead easy. Nobody but you and
me will ever know you did it at all, and there isn't any danger that
we'll preach about it--none whatever."
"Make a square statement as to what you want," commanded Frank, finding
it difficult to keep his voice from quivering, and feeling that his
cheeks were burning with the angry blood that had surged into them.
"That's what I'll do, youngster. If you will pitch that game so Harvard
will win, I'll give you a thousand dollars in cold cash. Now I reckon
you understand me."
"I think I do," came icily from Frank. "You want me to sell the game for
a thousand dollars! You put a small price on my honor, sir!"
"A small price! You talk as if a thousand were nothing! Hang me if I
ever saw a youngster of your caliber! Perhaps you think I'm fooling?
Perhaps you think I won't pay? Look here! I'll make it two thousand
dollars, and I'll give you a thousand in advance. That is a square deal,
as you must allow."
Then he took a huge roll of bank notes from his pocket. Some were new
bills, while some were worn and soiled. He rapidly counted off a
thousand dollars in ten, twenty, fifty and one hundred dollar bills.
This money he thrust into Merriwell's hands, saying:
"There you have it, and that binds the bargain between us. I'll give you
the other thousand directly Harvard wins and I collect my wagers. I'm a
man of my word. I reckon it is settled?"
Frank looked at the money, making sure it was genuine. He quickly
satisfied himself on that point. It was all right.
Never before had such a bribe been offered Merriwell, and, for some
seconds, he stood with the money in his unbandaged hand, feeling
somewhat dazed and doubtful.
"Put it out of sight!" whispered the stranger. "Don't let 'em see you
have it. Give me your promise that you will throw the game to Harvard."
"I shall not pitch that game," said Frank.
"No?"
"No, sir."
"Why not?"
"My hand will not be in condition, as you should know. True it is my
left hand, but I'll not be able to bat with it, even if I could pitch."
"But you would throw the game if you could pitch?"
"No!" cried Merriwell, fiercely, letting his outraged indignation flame
forth. "What do you take me for? I am no sneak and traitor, and not for
ten thousand dollars--not for a hundred thousand dollars--not to save my
very life would I do such a dastardly thing! You have made a mistake in
your man! Take back your dirty money! I would not touch a dollar of it
for the world! It would contaminate me!"
Then he flung the roll of bills straight into the face of the astonished
man.
As the man stooped to pick up the money, which had fallen at his feet,
Frank caught him by the collar with his well hand, yanked him up, and
started him on a run for an open window.
Clinging to the money, the stranger uttered a protest at such rude
treatment, but he was unable to turn about or break away, although he
tried to do so.
Headlong through the window Frank pitched the fellow, giving him a
powerful kick to help him along.
There was a cry of pain and rage, and the man disappeared.
This act of Frank's had been noted by the others within the boathouse,
and it created no little wonder and excitement.
Harry Rattleton came running up, spluttering:
"Hello, Frank! mut's the whatter--I mean what's the matter?"
"Oh, nothing in particular," answered Merriwell, quietly. "I simply
fired a scoundrel, that's all."
"What was he up to, old man?" demanded Bob Collingwood, in a tone that
indicated that he was sorry not to have taken a hand in the little
fracas. "Did he try to do you?"
"No; but he is trying to do Yale."
"How is that?"
Frank explained, briefly telling of the bribe offered by the mysterious
stranger.
A circle of lads had gathered about Merriwell, and they listened with
rising anger to his words. Cries of astonishment and rage broke from
their lips when Frank told of the truly astonishing bribe which the
unknown had offered.
"My only regret," concluded Frank, "was that I did not have two good
hands with which to handle the rascal."
"And my regret is that I was not there to handle him for you!" cried
Jack Diamond.
"I wonder how the fellow got in here?" exclaimed Collingwood. "I'll have
to inquire into that."
"He can't be far away," cried one of the angry lads. "Let's get out and
nab him!"
"Come on! come on!" was the general cry, and there was a rush for the
door.
But the unknown had not lingered in the vicinity of the boathouse. He
was not found, which made it plain that he had taken to his heels as
soon as he landed outside the window.
"Too bad!" growled Collingwood. "A good soak in the river is what he'd
got, if we'd caught him."