A MEAN PLOT.
“Well,” began Bob, when the three chums were ready to proceed on their
way, Ned having been brushed off, “I’d like to have Noddy for a close
friend, I don’t think! Wonder what makes him so mean?”
“Born so, I s’pose,” grunted Ned. “Any one else would have laughed over
such an accident. He seemed to think I did it on purpose.”
“He talks as though he did,” ventured Jerry. “I wonder what he’ll do to
get square?”
“Oh something sneaking, you may depend on it,” replied Bob. “That’s the
way with Noddy and his kind. He’s nothing but a big bully. Never fights
with any one but some one he’s sure he can whip. I don’t know’s I could
lick him, but I’d like to try once.”
“Me too,” said Ned, “after I get over being stiff.”
When Jack Pender, who was a toady of Noddy Nixon, called on the latter
in a sort of club-house in Nixon’s yard that night, he found the bully
in no amiable frame of mind.
“What’s the matter?” asked Jack.
“None of your business,” snapped Nixon, lighting a cigarette.
“You needn’t be so cross,” whined Jack, who was used to rather shabby
treatment from the bully, to whom he toadied in the hope of favors.
“I guess you’d be cross if you had the tumble I did to-day,” growled
Noddy.
“Somebody knock you down?” asked Pender, incautiously.
“Somebody knock me down? I’d like to see ’em try it,” boasted Noddy.
“No. I was out taking a spin, and that young cub of a Ned Slade tried
to upset me. I got even with him, though,” added Noddy, to whom telling
the truth did not come natural. “I gave his wheel a twist and sent him
flying. I guess he won’t forget his fall in a hurry. He got worse than I
did,” which was not so, though Jack did not know it.
“Serves him good and right,” chuckled the toady. “I can’t bear Ned. He’s
too uppish. Thinks because his father has a little money he’s better
than the rest of us. And I haven’t any use for his chums, Bob and Jerry.”
“Same here,” agreed Noddy, lighting another cigarette. “But I’ll get
even with ’em. My father has as much money as any of their fathers’ has.
They needn’t think they can down me.”
“Bully for you,” cried Jack, hoping to curry favor. “I’d like a chance
to get even too.”
“Maybe it will come before you think it will.”
“What do you mean?” asked Jack in a whisper.
“Never mind,” replied Noddy. “I’ll tell you when the time comes.”
For some time the two cronies sat and talked in the structure, which
Noddy had fixed up as a resort where he might smoke cigarettes, a
practice his father had forbidden him.
“Going in the club races?” asked Jack at length. “I hear there will be
some fine prizes, and a little chance to make money.”
“You mean on the winners?”
“Sure. I got the tips straight from one of the trainers. There’ll be a
pretty penny in it for us.”
“It’s worth looking into,” decided Noddy. “But about my racing. I hadn’t
thought of that. I suppose I could go in.”
After some further talk both Jack and Noddy decided they would enter
their names for several events in the bicycle class. When they parted
that night they agreed to meet the next evening to discuss details.
Not long after dusk the following night Jack and Noddy were in close
consultation in “the coop.”
“I hear Ned, Bob and Jerry are going to enter the races,” said Jack,
after a short conversation.
“Why, you’re not afraid of them, are you?” asked Jack.
“I know I can beat either Ned, Bob or Jerry. The only thing is I’m not
in good training and I can’t spare the time. I’m faster than either of
them for a short sprint,” which he was. “But in a long race they might
down me.”
Jack did not think it wise to comment on the bully’s change of ideas.
“If the races were hundred-yard dashes I wouldn’t worry a bit,” said
Noddy. “I could win hands down. But the best race is for three miles,
and that--that’s rather a long distance for me. If we could fix things--”
“How fix?” inquired Jack.
“Well,” proceeded Noddy boldly, “I mean to win that race. There’s a
first prize, worth three hundred dollars, and I want it. I’m going to
get it. That’s all. If I can’t win by fair means--”
“I see,” whispered Jack softly.
“I’m glad you do,” retorted Noddy, lighting a cigarette. “I may need
your help. We must beat them, Jack. I hate them!”
Thereupon the two cronies resumed their whisperings, talking in low
tones, for they were fearful of being overheard in their plotting.
Within the next few days arrangements for the races of the athletic club
went rapidly on. Bob, Ned and Jerry entered their names, Ned finding
that he had no permanent lameness from his “spill.” Noddy and Jack also
had their names entered. Then all the boys, including many others who
had decided to try for the prizes, began training.
There were several events on the race card. There were ten and five mile
races, but none of the boys thought of trying for them. There were also
short distance trys for girls, and also a three mile race, for boys and
young men between fourteen and nineteen years of age. The first prize
was a three hundred dollar piano, or any other article of that value,
and the second and third prizes were of one hundred and fifty and one
hundred dollars value respectively. Of course each of our heroes hoped
to win big prizes, and there was a keen but friendly rivalry among them.