"Who knows it?"
"I do."
"Did you hear him?"
"I did."
"That settles it."
"Yes, that settles it!" grated Roland Ditson as he walked away. "Parker didn"t lie, and Pierson has intimated that Merriwell may be given a trial on the Varsity nine. If he is given a trial it will be his luck to succeed. He must not be given a trial. How can that be prevented?"
Then Ditson set himself to devise some scheme to prevent Frank from obtaining a trial on the regular nine. It was not an easy thing to think of a plan that would not involve himself in some way, and he felt that it must never be known that he had anything to do with such a plot.
That night Ditson might have been seen entering a certain saloon in New Haven, calling one of the barkeepers aside, and holding a brief whispered conversation with him.
"Is Professor Kelley in?" asked Roll.
"He is, sir," replied the barkeeper. "Do you wish to see him?"
"Well--ahem!--yes, if he is alone."
"I think he is alone. I do not think any of his pupils are with him at present, sir."
"Will you be kind enough to see?" asked Ditson. "This is a personal matter--something I want kept quiet."
The barkeeper disappeared into a back room, was gone a few minutes, and then returned and said:
"The professor is quite alone. Will you go up, sir?"
"Y-e-s," said Roll, glancing around, and then motioning for the barkeeper to lead the way.
He was taken into a back room and shown a flight of stairs.
"Knock at the door at the head of the flight," instructed the barkeeper, and after giving the man some money Ditson went up the stairs.
"Come in!" called a harsh voice when he knocked at the door.
Ditson found Kelley sitting with his feet on a table, while he smoked a strong-smelling cigar. There were ill.u.s.trated sporting papers on the table, crumpled and ragged.
"Well, young feller, watcher want?" demanded the man, withont removing his feet from the table or his hat from his head.
Ditson closed the door. He was very pale and somewhat agitated.
"Are we all alone?" he asked, choking a bit over the question.
"Dat"s wot we are," nodded the professor.
"Is it a sure thing that our conversation cannot be overheard?"
"Dead sure."
Ditson hesitated. He seemed to find it difficult to express himself just as he desired.
"Speak right out, chummy," said Kelley in a manner intended to be rea.s.suring. "I rudder t"inks yer wants ter lick some cove, an" yer"ve come ter me ter put yer in shape ter do der job. Well, you bet yer dough I"m der man ter do dat. How many lessons will yer have?"
"It is not that at all," declared Roll.
"Not dat?" cried Kelley in surprise. "Den wot do youse want?"
"Well, you see, it is like this--er, like this," faltered Roland.
"I--I"ve got an enemy."
"Well, ain"t dat wot I said?"
"But I don"t want to fight him."
"Oh, I sees! Yer wants some odder chap ter do de trick?"
"Yes, that is it. But I want them to more than lick him."
"More dan lick him? W"y, yer don"t want him killed, does yer?"
"No," answered Ditson, hoa.r.s.ely; "but I want his right arm broken."
"Hey?"
Down came Buster Kelley"s feet from the table, upon which his knuckles fell, and then he arose from the chair, standing in a crouching position, with his hands resting on the table, across which he glared at Roland Ditson.
"Hey?" he squawked. "Just say dat ag"in, cully."
Roll was startled, and looked as if he longed to take to his heels and get away as quickly as possible; but he did not run, and he forced himself to say:
"This is a case of business, professor. I will pay liberally to have the job done as I want it."
"An" youse wants a bloke"s arm bruck?"
"Yes."
"Well, dis is a quare deal! If yer wanted his head bruck it wouldn"t s"prise me; but ter want his arm bruck--jee!"
"I don"t care if he gets a rap on the head at the same time, but I don"t want him killed. I want his right arm broken, and that is the job I am ready to pay for."
Kelley straightened up somewhat, placed one hand on his hip, while the other rested on the table, crossed his legs, and regarded Ditson steadily with a stare that made Roll very nervous.
"I might "a" knowed yer didn"t want ter fight him yerself," the professor finally said, and Ditson did not fail to detect the contempt in his face and voice.
"No, I do not," declared Ditson, an angry flush coming to his face. "He is a sc.r.a.pper, and I do not think I am his match in a brutal fight."
"Brutal is good! An" yer wants his arm bruck? Don"t propose to give him no show at all, eh?"