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BOOKS FOR YOUNG MEN
MERRIWELL SERIES
Stories of Frank and Dick Merriwell
=PRICE, FIFTEEN CENTS=
_=Fascinating Stories of Athletics=_
A half million enthusiastic followers of the Merriwell brothers will
attest the unfailing interest and wholesomeness of these adventures of
two lads of high ideals, who play fair with themselves, as well as with
the rest of the world.
These stories are rich in fun and thrills in all branches of sports and
athletics. They are extremely high in moral tone, and cannot fail to be
of immense benefit to every boy who reads them.
They have the splendid quality of firing a boy’s ambition to become a
good athlete, in order that he may develop into a strong, vigorous
right-thinking man.
_ALL TITLES ALWAYS IN PRINT_
1—Frank Merriwell’s School Days By Burt L. Standish
2—Frank Merriwell’s Chums By Burt L. Standish
3—Frank Merriwell’s Foes By Burt L. Standish
4—Frank Merriwell’s Trip West By Burt L. Standish
5—Frank Merriwell Down South By Burt L. Standish
6—Frank Merriwell’s Bravery By Burt L. Standish
7—Frank Merriwell’s Hunting Tour By Burt L. Standish
8—Frank Merriwell in Europe By Burt L. Standish
9—Frank Merriwell at Yale By Burt L. Standish
10—Frank Merriwell’s Sports Afield By Burt L. Standish
11—Frank Merriwell’s Races By Burt L. Standish
12—Frank Merriwell’s Party By Burt L. Standish
13—Frank Merriwell’s Bicycle Tour By Burt L. Standish
14—Frank Merriwell’s Courage By Burt L. Standish
15—Frank Merriwell’s Daring By Burt L. Standish
16—Frank Merriwell’s Alarm By Burt L. Standish
17—Frank Merriwell’s Athletes By Burt L. Standish
18—Frank Merriwell’s Skill By Burt L. Standish
19—Frank Merriwell’s Champions By Burt L. Standish
20—Frank Merriwell’s Return to Yale By Burt L. Standish
21—Frank Merriwell’s Secret By Burt L. Standish
22—Frank Merriwell’s Danger By Burt L. Standish
23—Frank Merriwell’s Loyalty By Burt L. Standish
24—Frank Merriwell in Camp By Burt L. Standish
25—Frank Merriwell’s Vacation By Burt L. Standish
26—Frank Merriwell’s Cruise By Burt L. Standish
27—Frank Merriwell’s Chase By Burt L. Standish
28—Frank Merriwell in Maine By Burt L. Standish
29—Frank Merriwell’s Struggle By Burt L. Standish
30—Frank Merriwell’s First Job By Burt L. Standish
31—Frank Merriwell’s Opportunity By Burt L. Standish
32—Frank Merriwell’s Hard Luck By Burt L. Standish
33—Frank Merriwell’s Protégé By Burt L. Standish
34—Frank Merriwell on the Road By Burt L. Standish
35—Frank Merriwell’s Own Company By Burt L. Standish
36—Frank Merriwell’s Fame By Burt L. Standish
37—Frank Merriwell’s College Chums By Burt L. Standish
38—Frank Merriwell’s Problem By Burt L. Standish
39—Frank Merriwell’s Fortune By Burt L. Standish
40—Frank Merriwell’s New Comedian By Burt L. Standish
41—Frank Merriwell’s Prosperity By Burt L. Standish
42—Frank Merriwell’s Stage Hit By Burt L. Standish
43—Frank Merriwell’s Great Scheme By Burt L. Standish
44—Frank Merriwell in England By Burt L. Standish
45—Frank Merriwell on the Boulevards By Burt L. Standish
46—Frank Merriwell’s Duel By Burt L. Standish
47—Frank Merriwell’s Double Shot By Burt L. Standish
48—Frank Merriwell’s Baseball Victories By Burt L. Standish
49—Frank Merriwell’s Confidence By Burt L. Standish
Dick Merriwell’s Assurance
OR,
IN HIS BROTHER’S FOOTSTEPS
BY
BURT L. STANDISH
Author of the famous MERRIWELL STORIES.
[Illustration]
STREET & SMITH CORPORATION
PUBLISHERS
79-89 Seventh Avenue, New York
Copyright, 1904
By STREET & SMITH
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Dick Merriwell’s Assurance
(Printed in the United States of America)
All rights reserved, including that of translation into foreign
languages, including the Scandinavian.
DICK MERRIWELL’S ASSURANCE.
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CHAPTER I.
ARLINGTON GETS THE CHANCE.
When the Fardale Military Academy arranged to play a baseball game with
the Great Northern A. A. it was generally believed that the cadets would
be “snowed under.” The Great Northern was a semi-professional
organization, and it had been necessary to give the team a large
guarantee in order to bring it to Fardale.
Captain Merriwell, of the Fardales, had taken no part in the
arrangements for this game. He had advised neither for nor against it.
The success of the Fardale team had been such that the athletic
committee of the school, on receiving the proposition from the Great
Northern, had decided to make the game, even though it was known that
the schoolboys would be pitted against semi-professionals who were much
older and many of whom made a regular business of baseball. It was
generally believed among the cadets that their team had risen superior
to the school nines with which they were scheduled to play.
This being the case, there was a great rejoicing at the academy when it
was known that the Great Northern A. A. would appear there. There were a
few who predicted overwhelming defeat for Fardale. These, however, were
greatly in the minority; the main body of cadets were confident of
victory.
When Captain Merriwell’s opinion was sought in advance, he simply
declared that Fardale was going to capture the game if possible. On
being asked if he did not consider it almost a sure thing, he replied
that no baseball game could be a sure thing unless one team greatly
outclassed the other, for that element called “luck” often decided the
result of a contest on the diamond.
Brad Buckhart, Merriwell’s chum and roommate, was the only one who knew
Dick was in no condition to pitch his best. Dick’s side had been injured
by an assault upon him in a billiard room, when he had been thrown
against a table. It had not recovered, and if he went into the box with
the idea of pitching nine innings when the Great Northern appeared, it
was quite likely he would retard his recovery to such an extent that he
might remain out of condition for the rest of the spring season. It was
Brad who urged Dick to let some one else pitch against the athletic
organization. The Texan chose the opportunity to do this privately in
their room.
“If you get knocked out for fair and can’t pitch any more this season, I
certain see where we land in the ditch,” said Brad; “this yere game
don’t amount to such a lot, pard; what if we do lose it? It won’t hurt
our standing any at all in the school series, and it certain will be the
natural thing any man with a good nut on him will expect. What if you
did go in against these Great Northern chaps and win, but knocked
yourself out so you had to stay on the bench and see Fairport,
Rivermouth, Hudsonville, Springvale, and the rest of them eat us up?
Wouldn’t that be fine! Wouldn’t that make you tired! You didn’t have
anything to do with arranging for this game, and so there’s no
responsibility on your shoulders.”
Dick shook his head.
“I have little to do with arranging any of the games,” he said; “but I
feel just as much responsible, Buckhart. Every one knows this is going
to be a tough old struggle. If I put some one else in to pitch they will
have the impression that I was afraid to go against the Great Northern.”
“What do you care! You’re a whole lot independent, and I certain never
knew you to mind what any one thought, as long as you believed you were
right.”
“It’s not that, Brad. I can’t afford to lose the confidence of the team.
As long as the fellows behind me believe in me implicitly, they play
better baseball. Let them lose confidence in me, in even a small degree,
and it will affect their playing.”
“Then it’s up to you to let them know your condition. It’s up to you to
keep it secret no longer that your side is hurt. Pard, you’re a plenty
queer. Why, some pitchers squeal and say they have lame arms, or
something, every time there is a tough game in sight. But you never want
to let any one know you are in bad shape, no matter what the
circumstances may be. Tell you what, partner, if you don’t explain about
your side so it will be understood, I sure am going to do it myself.”
“You will do nothing of the sort, Buckhart; when I get ready to tell,
I’ll tell. If you stop to think a moment you will see the bad effect of
putting another man into the box. It will look as if I felt shaky about
going against these fellows, and put some one else in to take chances
and suffer blame and defeat if we are beaten.”
“Oh, rot! Any one who knows you well knows you better than that. And
there is Chet Arlington. He is just seething to pitch a game.”
Dick smiled.
“You can see yourself how it would seem if I should ask Arlington to
pitch this game. He wanted to pitch against Hilsboro, and was not given
the chance. He felt that he might win that game. If I should put him in
now, and Fardale lost the game, which it is quite possible she may,
there would be many who would fancy I had not given him a fair show. He
might think so himself. You can see that, old man.”
“Well, I suppose that’s so,” admitted the Texan. “Never thought of it
that way. No, pard, you can’t ask him to pitch; but, all the same, you
can’t pitch yourself. What are you going to do?”
“It’s a problem I can’t answer now,” said Dick.
Arlington was the one who settled the problem. That very day he stopped
Merriwell on the parade ground, drew him aside, and said:
“See here, Captain Merriwell, I am going to ask you just one more favor.
If you don’t grant it, this will be the last time I’ll ever ask anything
of you.”
“What is it?” demanded Dick.
“I want to pitch Saturday.”
“Do you?”
“Sure thing. May I?”
“Do you realize what you are asking?”
“You bet I do!” warmly retorted Chet. “You turned me down the last time
I asked such a favor, and I thought I’d never ask another.”
“I didn’t turn you down. I thought seriously of using you against
Hilsboro, but you went round telling that I had promised to put you into
that game when I had done nothing of the sort. You knew I had done
nothing of the sort, but you tried to force me into it by circulating
the report that I had. This is true, Arlington, and you cannot deny it.”
“Well, maybe that’s right,” confessed Chester. “I did wrong about that,
Merriwell. I am willing to acknowledge it to any one.”
Instantly Dick’s face cleared.
“Now that you have acknowledged it to me you don’t have to say anything
more about it,” he nodded. “We’ll let it drop. But I want you to think
this matter over before you plunge. You know the kind of a team we have
to meet Saturday. Those fellows are professionals. Our chance of beating
them is a small one. I don’t want you to go around telling that I said
this, but you should understand the facts. If you pitch that game you
may lose it. If I put you in, there will be many ready to say I did it
because I didn’t dare pitch myself.”
“Any one who says such a thing is a chump!” exclaimed Chester. “You
don’t have to pay any attention to such talk.”
“But you know it will be said.”
“Put me in and I will tell everybody the truth-that I begged you to do
so. Why should you pitch this game, anyhow? It’s not a school game, and
it will be no disgrace to lose it. If I pitch, I am going to do my
utmost to win. You know what it will mean to me if I do win. It will put
me on my feet here. It will give me a reputation. The actual fact is
that by letting me pitch you will be doing a great favor to one who has
done you no favors.”
“Is that the way you look at it, Arlington? Tell me the truth. Is that
the way you look at it?”
“I swear that’s the way I look at it.”
“Then say nothing and get into the best condition possible for that
game.”
Chester’s face brightened.
“Now, that’s great stuff, Captain Merriwell!” he said. “I won’t forget
this of you, and you see if I don’t work like a dog to take that game!”
“I hope you take it,” said Dick.