SNELL'S HATRED.
Smack!
The blow sounded sharp and clear, and Snell quickly found himself
stretched on the gravel walk. He looked up in a dazed way, to see
Hodge standing near at hand, regarding him with withering scorn.
"You'll pay dearly for this!" gasped Snell, lifting himself to his
elbow and glaring at Bart.
"All right," was the hot retort. "I am willing to pay for it. You may
have taken me for a thief, but I rather think you have discovered your
mistake."
"You weren't so honest once on a time, not so very long----"
"What's that?" cried Bart, taking a threatening step toward the fellow.
"I was never a thief, no matter what my other failings may have been;
and if you dare insinuate such a thing, I will ram the words down your
throat!"
"That's all right--that's all right!" muttered Wat, scrambling up and
getting out of reach. "I will report this assault."
"Report it, and be hanged! The fellows in this academy admire a
tattler! You will have a very pleasant time if you report it!"
"It was seen. Somebody will tell Professor Gunn."
"Perhaps so; but it isn't best that you are the one."
"I'll--I'll get even!"
"Go ahead. I'd like the satisfaction of fighting you to a finish."
"I will not fight with my fists," blustered Wat, trying to appear very
fierce. "There are more deadly weapons."
"Name any weapon you choose. I will be only too glad to meet you. I
am a good pistol shot, and Professor Rhynas says I handle the foils
fairly well."
"Oh, you're a regular ruffian!" cried Snell, his chin beginning to
quiver and his voice choking with anger that brought tears to his eyes.
"I will not fight you in any way! I do not pretend to be a match for a
ruffian of your sort. But I will get square just the same."
"I presume you will try to square the account in some sneaking manner.
Well, I warn you now and here that it will not be healthy if you try
any dirty tricks on me. If anything underhand happens to me, I'll know
who was the originator of it, and I'll settle with you. That is
business!"
With this, Bart turned to walk away, noting that a great many of the
cadets were peering from the windows, some of them grinning with
delight.
Snell shook his fist at Hodge's back, blustering:
"This is all right--all right, sir! It is not necessary for me to
fight you; you are not on the same level with me."
"No," muttered the dark-haired boy, grimly, "I have never sunk as low
as that."
The room occupied by Merriwell and Hodge was not on that side of the
building, so Frank, who was studying, had not witnessed the encounter
between his roommate and Snell.
Fortunately, also, the blow had not been seen by any one but cadets, so
it was not liable to come to Professor Gunn's knowledge, unless Wat
told of it himself.
Bart found Frank in their room, and Merriwell looked up as the
dark-haired boy entered with a quick, nervous step.
"Hello!" he cried, in surprise. "What's happened? Your face is dark
as a thunder-cloud, and you look as if you could eat iron."
"Well, I feel as if I wouldn't have any trouble in chewing up a few
pounds of iron," replied Bart. "By Jove! old man, I never realized
till a few minutes ago how narrow was my escape from being a most
contemptible scoundrel!"
"How is that?"
"I was taken for a thief!" grated Bart, his white teeth clicking.
"Yes, sir, taken for a thief!"
"It must have been by somebody who does not know you very well."
"That's where you are wrong. It was by somebody who knows me far too
well. That is why I feel that my escape from being a scoundrel was a
narrow one."
Had he not seen that Bart was so serious and thoroughly in earnest,
Frank must have smiled.
"Give us the particulars," he urged. "What did you do when you were
taken for a thief?"
"Knocked the cad down!" snarled Bart, smashing his clinched right hand
into the open palm of his left.
"That was very proper," assured Merriwell. "You did nicely, my son."
"But I do not feel any the less humiliated. If I had not given him
reason to approach me in such a manner, he would not have ventured."
Then Bart related the particulars of his adventure with Snell.
"So, so!" muttered Frank. "That rascal is in this affair. The man in
black has chosen a good tool."
"That man is determined to have your ring."
"I should say so. He has been to Professor Gunn and represented that
the ring belonged to him." And then Frank took his turn to tell what
he had learned from the head professor.
"Well, I never!" cried Bart, as Frank finished. "Why, the scoundrel
has the cheek of a brass monkey! He is dangerous, Frank."
"I believe you."
"If I were in your place, I would swear out a warrant for his arrest,
and send an officer after him."
"I may be forced to do so."
"And I advise you to keep your eye on Wat Snell."
"I will do that."
"In the meantime, let me take the ring long enough to make an enlarged
drawing of those lines, so that you will have the map, if it is a map,
even if you lose the ring. You know my ability to copy with pen and
ink anything I see. My father wants me to become a civil engineer, and
so I am taking a course to suit him; but, when I leave Fardale, I mean
to go to an art school, and find out if I am not cut out for an artist."
"How can you make a drawing of the lines?"
"Why, I will place the ring under a microscope, and then it will not be
difficult. You know I can be very accurate when I try."
"Yes, I know it, and I will think of your plan. I am inclined to
believe it is a good one. Whether I should lose the ring or not, I'd
like to have a copy of that map to study."
"I'll find time to do the job to-morrow, if Old Gunn will permit us to
use the microscope again."
On the following day, however, Bart found no opportunity to make the
drawing.
Frank watched for the man in black, who had said he would call on
Professor Gunn again; but the mysterious man did not put in an
appearance, and Merriwell waited his time.
Wat Snell was forced to endure no end of ridicule from his companions,
as it was the rule at Fardale that a student who had received a blow or
an insult must challenge the one who gave it. If he did not do so, he
was regarded as a coward, and his life in school from that time was
certain to be far from pleasant.
In his heart Snell was an arrant coward, and he knew that Hodge was
really longing for a challenge. Wat felt sure that he would receive a
severe drubbing at the hands of the dark-haired boy whom he had
angered, and the thoughts of such punishment filled his soul with
horror.
"I can't fight him--it's no use, I can't!" he told himself over and
over. "He is a turn-coat, anyway! He did not pretend to be so
conscientious till after he got thick with Merriwell. Oh, Merriwell is
really the one who is at the bottom of all the trouble I have had in
this school, and I hate him worse than I do Hodge.
"I'd like to get hold of that ring. Jupiter! seventy-five dollars is a
price to pay for an old ring like that, but it's what that strange man
in black offered me to secure it for him. There's something mighty
mysterious about that ring. I wish I knew what the mystery is. I am
going to ask the man when I see him this evening."
That night Snell escaped from the building and the grounds without
obtaining leave. He was going to keep an appointment with the man in
black.