Snell was quite a different sort of bad boy. He regarded Gage as his superior, and he was ready to do almost anything for the fellow, but he could not imitate Leslie"s daring, and he kept his own vileness so much concealed that many square, honest lads believed he was a really good fellow. Bart Hodge had begun to think Snell was a sneak and bad, but he had no proof of it, and so he kept still.
Wat was in anything but a pleasant mood the day after the game of cards. He flung things round the room in a way that caused Gage to regard him with wonder, as it was so much unlike the usual quiet, crafty roommate he knew.
"What"s the matter with you, Wat?" he asked, in surprise. "You must be ill. Go directly and place those things where they belong, for we never know when one of those blooming inspectors will pop in. I am room orderly this week, and am going to have things kept straight, for I can"t afford to take any more demerit. My record is bad enough as it stands."
So, with a little grumbling, Wat went about and restored to order the things he had disarranged, but he could not help thinking how often, when he was room orderly, he had been obliged to follow Gage about, and gather up things he had displaced.
"What"s the matter?" repeated Leslie, who suspected the truth. "You don"t seem to feel well, old boy."
"Oh, it"s nothing," replied Wat. "I was thinking of last night."
"And raising all this row because you happened to drop a dollar. Why, that"s the run of the cards."
"Oh, it wasn"t what I lost that made me mad."
"Then what was it?"
"Why, I was thinking that that fellow Merriwell won."
"And I presume you were thinking how he won the last pot, eh?"
"Yes"--sullenly.
"You don"t love Merriwell a great deal?"
"I should say not! I despise the fellow!"
"And you"d like to get square?"
"Wouldn"t I!"
"I suppose you mean to do so?"
"If I ever get the chance--yes."
"I fancy you are aware that I am not dead stuck on Merriwell myself?"
"Yes, I know."
"I have an old score to settle with him, and I will settle it some way.
I failed in one or two attempts to do him up, for----"
"You were altogether too bold, partner mine; and it"s a wonder you were not expelled from the academy. You would have been if Merriwell had blowed on you."
"That"s right, and he would have done so if he had known what was good for him. He is soft!"
"In some things he may be soft, but you must acknowledge he is hard enough in others. He has a way of coming on top in almost everything."
Gage could not deny this, and it made him angry to think of it.
"You are right," he said, fiercely. "I suppose I was foolish to fight him in the way I did. That big bully Bas...o...b..got a hold on me, and he has been blackmailing me ever since. Hang that fellow! I"ll choke the wind out of him yet!"
A crafty look came to Snell"s face, and he said:
"There are ways to down a fellow without showing your hand."
"I suppose so; but it usually takes too long to suit me. I like to jump on an enemy at once, and do him up."
"Well, I hope you are satisfied that Merriwell is the kind of a fellow who will not be jumped on that way?"
"It seems so."
"Then it is possible you are ready to try some other method?"
Their eyes met, and Wat grinned significantly.
"How do you mean?" asked Leslie, eagerly. "You have some kind of a scheme?"
"That fellow won some money off me, and I refused to take it back. He must show up again, and give me a chance to square the score. He is bound in honor not to refuse to do so."
"That"s right," nodded Gage.
"Well, you are rather handy with the cards, and I reckon you will not find it hard to fleece him."
"Oh, I can beat him out of his money, but that is poor satisfaction when you want to disgrace a fellow and drive him out of the school."
"We"ll find a way for that, if we can get him to following the game."
"I don"t know as I see how."
"His parents are dead."
"Well?"
"He is supported by a rich uncle, who sent him here to this school."
"What of that?"
"His uncle gives him a regular allowance. If Merriwell exceeds that allowance, there will be inquiries as to what he has done with his money."
"I begin to see."
"This uncle is a stern, crusty old fellow, and he would be furious if he should accidentally find out that his nephew is gambling. The chances are about ten to one that he would take him out of Fardale and turn him adrift to hustle for himself."
Gage"s eyes began to glitter, and the smile about his mouth was most unpleasant to see.
"Snell," he said, "you have a head on your shoulders! You are a dandy schemer! But how will this uncle find out that Merriwell has been gambling?"
"There are several ways for him to find it out. If we can get hold of a few of Merriwell"s IOU"s, they might be sent to the uncle for collection."