In a moment, he found Tad Horner at his elbow. Where Tad had come from and how he happened to be there Tom could not conceive. But Tad was on hand, and he whispered:
"Take him up, old man--take him up! He is a regular fire-eater--in his mind. He thinks you will squeal. If he finds you will fight, he is sure to back out. He hasn"t any real nerve. If he does fight, I"ll fix it all right, for I will see that the pistols are loaded with blank cartridges.
After the first shot, I will demand that the duel cease. Thus you will get the reputation of having fought a duel, without incurring any danger to yourself."
Thornton was pleased with the scheme. He wished to be considered a dare-devil sort of fellow, and he felt that it would give him a great reputation if he fought a real duel.
"Sir," he said, turning to Diamond, "I accept your challenge, and I shall do my best to shoot you through the heart!"
Five minutes later came the question:
"Gentlemen, are you ready?"
"All ready," answered both Diamond and Thornton.
"I will count three, and then give the word," said Frank Merriwell, distinctly. "One!"
Despite himself, Willis Paulding felt his flesh creep and heard his teeth chatter.
Thornton was shaking, even though he had been a.s.sured by Tad Horner that there were no bullets in the pistols.
Diamond was cool as an iceberg. The bright moonlight seemed to show a look of deadly determination on his face.
"Confound him!" thought Thornton, quaking. "He"d as lief fight a duel as eat! Hang those Southerners! They do not know what it is to be afraid!"
"Two!" counted Merriwell.
The duelists raised their weapons and seemed to take careful aim.
"Three--fire!"
At that instant there was a scream, and a female figure sprang out from the shadows and rushed before Jack just as Thornton pulled the trigger.
There was a single report, and the female figure dropped to the ground, although Diamond tried to catch her in his arms.
Thornton, the smoking pistol in his hand, stood staring, as if turned to stone.
"Good gracious!" gasped Willis Paulding. "You have shot somebody, Thornton, deah boy!"
"There must have been some mistake," said Tad Horner. "It seems that there was a bullet in your pistol, Tom!"
Thornton hurried forward and looked down at the fallen girl, whose eyes were closed, and whose face seemed ghastly pale in the white moonlight.
"It is Miss Darling!" came hoa.r.s.ely from Tom. "I have killed her!"
"Don"t let the murderer escape!" cried Diamond, sternly. "Seize him and his second! They are both guilty!"
"Excuse me!" fluttered Willis Paulding. "I think I will go right away, don"t yer "now!"
Then he took to his heels, and ran, as if pursued by a hundred officers of the law.
Thornton was scarcely less terrified, and he slipped away into the shadows while the others were gathered around the fallen girl.
When both Willis and Tom were gone, the girl suddenly sat up, and burst into a peal of boyish laughter.
"There!" cried the voice of Danny Griswold; "didn"t I do that all right?
I wouldn"t be surprised if Thornton"s hair turned gray. But I"m going to get out of this rig as soon as possible. These corsets are killing me. I can"t get a full breath."
"You little rascal!" laughed Frank Merriwell, as he gave Griswold a shake. "You are a born actor, and you have given Tom Thornton a shock that he will not get over for some time--to say nothing of Willis Paulding."
"If it cures Thornton of bragging about his mashes I"ll be satisfied,"
said Tad Horner. "But I"m afraid he"ll never forgive me. I"ll have to make a hustle and find him before he does something desperate. I"ll tell him Miss Darling simply fainted, and was not injured at all. Good-night, fellows. See you later."
Then he hastened away.
"Well, Jack," said Frank, addressing Diamond, "it strikes me that you and I are more than square with Mr. Flemming and Mr. Thornton."
"I think that is right," admitted the Virginian, with a grim smile.
CHAPTER XVII.
PURE GRIT.
All other college sports seem to grow dim in comparison with the great spring race. It is the crowning athletic event of the season. The vast gathering of people at New London occurs but once a year, and the only event to be compared with it is the annual football game in New York.
New London for a week before the race is filled with "old grads,"
fathers of Yale men who are interested in boating, college lads, mothers of students, sisters and sweethearts.
At Eastern Point the Fort Griswold House is thronged with persons of this sort. The Pequod is overflowing. On the broad piazzas old cla.s.smates meet and talk over former victories and defeats. There they watch the thronging craft upon the river.
Every one talks boating, whether he knows anything about it or not.
"Willie off the yacht" is there, togged in flannels and making a desperate struggle to roll in his gait. For a week, at least, he is a waterman, with the salt flavor in everything he says or does.
And the girls--the girls! They, too, dress in flannels and yachting caps, and they try to talk knowingly about "strokes," "oars" and "the crew." But they are charming--every one of them!
Yale and Harvard"s quarters are on the left bank near Gale"s Ferry. Many of the "old oars" are permitted to visit the crew. The great coachers are there. They are regarded with awe and respect, for surely they know everything there is to know about racing!
The race comes off at five in the afternoon. By midday the town is full, and every train brings fresh throngs of laughing girls and boisterous students. All are decorated with the blue or the crimson. Flags are everywhere, and there are horns in abundance.
At the docks the great Sound steamers are moored, and they are packed with sight-seers. There are numberless yachts on the river, all decorated with gay colors and thronged with gay parties.
Within the boathouse, preparations were being made for the race.
Collingwood was giving final instructions to his men. Bastow, an old coach, was surveying each and every one in the most critical manner possible.
They were handsome fellows, these men of the crew. Their flesh was brown and firm, and their eyes were bright. They had broad backs and powerful shoulders.