"Why, this is one of the Tottenville team, isn"t it?"
"Mr. Morton, Captain Jarvis, of the Tottenville High School team,"
replied d.i.c.k, and the two shook hands.
Then d.i.c.k drew the typewritten doc.u.ment from his pocket. They could talk here, for Mr. Pollock had been the only other occupant of the room, and that editor has just stepped out to the composing room.
"Captain Jarvis received this in the mail this morning, sir,"
announced Prescott, in a voice that quivered with emotion.
Coach glanced through the paper, his face showing plainly what he felt. Then d.i.c.k took the paper and pa.s.sed it to Dave Darrin, who sat consumed by curiosity.
"The abominable traitor---whoever he is!" cried Dave, rising as though he found his chair red hot. "And I think I can come pretty near putting the tag on the sneak!"
CHAPTER IV
The Traitor Gets His Deserts
Mr. Morton hesitated a moment, ere he trusted himself to speak.
"Yes," he murmured. "I fear we all suspect the same young man."
"Phin Drayne!" cried Dave, in a voice quivering with anger.
"I didn"t intend to name him," resumed the coach. "It"s a serious thing to do."
"To sell out one"s school---I should say "yes"!" choked Darrin.
"No; I meant that it is a fearful thing to accuse anyone until we have proof that can"t be disputed," added Mr. Morton gravely, though his muscles were twitching as though he had been stricken by palsy.
"Listen," begged d.i.c.k, "while Mr. Jarvis tells you all he knows of this dastardly business."
The Tottenville captain repeated his short tale. Then Coach Morton asked several rapid questions. But there was no more to be told than d.i.c.k Prescott already knew.
"I"m tremendously sorry about that envelope," protested Jarvis.
"I"d give anything to be able to hand that envelope over to you, but I"m afraid I"ll never see it again."
"We appreciate your anxiety to help, Mr. Jarvis, as deeply as we appreciate your manliness in coming to us without an instant"s delay," replied Mr. Morton, earnestly.
At this moment the office boy entered with the mail sack.
"Mr. Pollock!" he bellowed, tossing the sack down on the editor"s desk. Then the office boy hurried to the rear of the building, intent on other duties.
Mr. Pollock returned to his desk, opening the mail. The football folks in the further corner lowered their voices almost to whispers.
"Letter for you, d.i.c.k," called Mr. Pollock, tossing aside an envelope.
Excusing himself, d.i.c.k darted over to get his mail. In an instant he came back, with a flushed face.
"Here"s something that may interest you all," whispered d.i.c.k, shaking as though fever had seized him.
Mr. Morton took the sheet of paper, from which he read:
_"Dear Old Gridleyites: If the enclosed is a fake, it won"t work.
If there"s really a traitor in your camp you ought to know it.
Milton High School doesn"t take any games except by the use of its own fair fighting devices.
Decker, Captain, Milton High School Football Team."_
"And here"s a duplicate set of our signals, returned by our Milton friends," went on d.i.c.k, with almost a sob in his voice. "Fortunately, Mr. Decker thought to preserve the envelope that contained our signal code. Here is the envelope, addressed in some person"s handwriting."
Coach Morton seized the envelope, staring at it hard. He studied it with the practiced eye of a school teacher accustomed to overlooking examination papers in all styles of handwriting.
"The writer has tried to conceal his handwriting," murmured the coach, rather brokenly. "Yet I think we may succeed in tracing it back and fixing it on the sender."
"Oh!" growled Dave Darrin savagely. "I believe I know on whom to fasten this handwriting right now."
"I have a possible offender in mind," replied Mr. Morton more evenly. "In a case of this kind we must proceed with such absolute caution and reserve that we will not be obliged to retract afterwards in deep shame and humiliation."
"I think I"ve done all that I can, gentlemen," broke in Mr. Jarvis.
"I think it is my place, now, to draw out of this painful business, and leave it to you whom it most concerns. But I am happy in the thought that I have been able to be of some service to you.
I will now state that I am authorized to offer to postpone Sat.u.r.day"s game, if you wish, so that you may have time in, which to train up under changed signals."
"If you consent, sir," proposed d.i.c.k, turning to the coach, "we"ll go on with Sat.u.r.day"s game just the same. There has been a big sale of tickets, the band has been engaged, and a good many arrangements made that will be expensive to cancel."
"Can you do it?" asked Mr. Morton, looking doubtfully at thee young captain of the team. "It"s Thursday afternoon, now."
"I feel that we"ve got to do it, sir," d.i.c.k replied doggedly.
"Yes, sir; we"ll make it, somehow."
So the matter was arranged. The Gridleyites followed Jarvis out to the sidewalk, where they renewed their a.s.surances of regard for the att.i.tude taken by Tottenville High School. Then Jarvis hurried away to catch a train home.
"Now, young gentlemen," proposed Mr. Morton, "we"ll go home and see whether we can engender the idea of eating any lunch, after this unmasking of villainy in our own crowd. But at half past two promptly to the minute, meet me at the High School. Remember, we"ve practice on for half past three."
"Of all the mean, contemptible-----" began Darrin, after the submaster had left them.
"Stop right there, Dave!" begged his chum. "This is the most fearful thing we"ve ever met, and we both want to think carefully before we trust ourselves to say another word on the shameful subject."
So the two chums walked along in silence, soon parting to take their different ways home.
At half-past two both chums met Mr. Morton at the High School.
The submaster led the way to the office, producing his keys and unlocking the door. They had moved in silence so far.
"Take seats, please," requested Mr. Morton, in a low voice. "I"ll be with you in a moment."
The submaster then stepped over to a huge filing cabinet. Unlocking one of the sections, he looked busily through, then came back with a paper in his hand.