SPREADING THE SNARE.
The plot was laid, the snare was set, but the game seemed wary. For
some time Frank Merriwell remained away from those midnight gatherings
in the room of the student who had committed suicide.
"Hang the luck!" exclaimed Gage. "Is he going to keep away right
along?"
"He must not be allowed to do so," said Leslie. "He must be shamed
into coming."
"That may not be easy."
"It should not be difficult with a fellow like Merriwell. He must give
me a chance to get even."
"Hodge doesn't try to get Merriwell out again."
"No. He says he will not influence him to attend the gatherings."
"What's the matter with Hodge?"
"I don't know. He is ready enough to come himself."
It was true that Bart had positively refused to use his influence to
induce Merriwell to attend again one of the secret parties. He had
been greatly moved by Frank's revelation, and he had resolved not to
lead Frank into the path that was so fascinating and so dangerous for
him. He did not know that the evil was already done--the fever was
burning in Merriwell's veins.
Frank had been waiting an opportunity to speak with Snell in private,
and it came one day when he met the fellow on the grounds outside the
academy.
"Hello, Snell," he saluted. "I have been looking for you."
"And I have been looking for you," said Wat, meaningly. "Why haven't
you ever come round since that night? Aren't you going to give a
fellow a show to get square?"
"I am not going to play cards any more!"
"What?" cried Wat, in apparent astonishment. "That beats anything I
ever heard! You have beaten me out of a good roll, and now----"
"I have been looking for you that I might return every cent you lost
that night, so you cannot consider me mean if I do not give you a
chance to get even over the table. If you will tell me just how much
you dropped, I'll make it good now."
An eager look came to Wat's face, but it quickly vanished, for he
realized that he would defeat himself if he accepted the money.
"What do you take me for!" he cried, with apparent indignation. "I am
not that kind of a fellow!"
"You need never fear that I will say anything about it, for I pledge
you my word of honor to say nothing. All I want is to make sure you do
not feel that I have any money that belongs to you."
"I don't care whether you say anything about it or not, Merriwell.
That does not keep me from accepting the money. I tell you I am not
that kind of a fellow. You won it, and you will keep it, unless you
have nerve enough to give me an opportunity to win it back."
This did not suit Frank at all, for the money had lain like a load on
his conscience. He had sworn not to gamble again, and he had broken
his oath. But, what was worse, so long as he kept that money, he felt
that he really ought to give Snell a chance to get square. There
seemed but one way to get out of playing again, and that was to make
Snell take back the money.
But it was useless for him to urge Wat; not a dollar would the fellow
accept.
"You can't give me back anything," declared Snell. "You won that money
by having the most nerve--at that time. But you can't repeat the
trick, old man," he added, jovially. "Come around to-night, and see if
you can."
Frank shook his head.
"No," he declared, "I shall not come."
"Oh, what's the use, Merriwell! We want you to come, and all the
fellows are saying it is not like you to win a few dollars and then
stay away. I have told them over and over that I do not believe you
are staying away because you are afraid I will win the money back.
You're not that kind of a fellow."
At that moment Snell seemed very sincere, and Frank said:
"Thank you. I am glad to know you do not believe such a thing possible
of me. Still, I shall not come."
"Oh, yes you will!" laughed Wat. "It can't be that you're afraid of
being caught. If anybody says so, I'll swear I know better. You have
nerve enough not to care for that. Come around to-night. We'll look
for you."
Snell hurried away, knowing full well that he had said things which
must worry Merriwell, if they did not drive him into coming to the
midnight card parties.
Wat was right. Frank was worried not a little, for he could not bear
to fancy that some of the boys thought him mean in staying away. Hodge
saw Merriwell was troubled, but the dark-haired boy remained silent.
In the meantime, finding Hodge would do nothing to bring Merriwell
round. Gage and Snell tried their best to make friends with Hans
Dunnerwust and Barney Mulloy, as these boys were particular friends of
Merriwell's, and might be induced to use some influence over him.
Barney, however, was wary. He did not fancy either Gage or Snell, and
he repulsed their advances.
To Hans, the temptation of a midnight supper on cakes and pies was too
much to resist, and he was added to the circle that gathered in the
room of the suicide.
Hans could play poker, and the game being made small enough to suit
him, he came in and won about two dollars, which made him swell up like
a toad, and declared:
"Uf you poys know some games vot I can play petter as dot boker, shust
you name him, und I vill do you at dot. Oh, I vose a dandy on trucks,
ain'd it? Shust keep your eye on me, und I vill learn some tricks vot
you don'd know alretty yet."
Snell did his best to make Hans believe he was a great favorite, and
then he told him how Frank had won the only time he had appeared in the
game, and had never come around since.
"Some of the fellows seem to think he is afraid I will win the money
back," said Wat; "but I don't take any stock in that, for Merriwell's
not that kind of a fellow. Still, I don't like to have such ideas
concerning him get into circulation."
"Dot vos vere I vos righdt," nodded Hans. "He don't peen dot kindt uf
a feller ad all, you pet me my shirt! Dot Vrankie Merrivell vos a
taisy, undt he don'd peen afrait a show to gif anypody. You vait till
I tell him vot dose fellers say. I pet me your life he vill gome
aroundt bretty kuveek righdt avay."
"Oh, don't say anything about it!" exclaimed Snell, as if he really
wished Hans to keep silent. "Merriwell knows his business. His
friends will stand up for him, no matter what others may say."
"Vell, I vos going to toldt him dot shust der same. Uf he don'd peen
aroundt here der next dime, I don'd know der kindt uv a feller vot he
vos peen yet avile."
"Well, don't mention that I said anything. He might fancy I thought
him afraid to come round."
"I don'd call your name at all, don'd you let me vorry apout dot."
Snell knew the Dutch boy would lose little time in communicating with
Frank, and he was right. Hans did not see that Frank was little like
his usual jovial self, and he did not know in what a turbulent state of
mind the unfortunate plebe was left.
Bart was not a little worried over Frank, for he saw how the lad had
changed in a short time, but he hoped that Merriwell would come round
in time, and be his old jolly self.
That evening, a short while before taps, Frank asked:
"I suppose it is another card party to-night?"
"Yes," replied Bart, "a few of us are going to get together."
"Will Snell be there?"
"I presume so."
No more was said. Bart rose and slipped out of the room at the usual
time, thinking Frank was asleep.
But Frank was not asleep, and Hodge was scarcely gone when he, too,
arose and began to arrange a dummy in his bed.