LITMIR.BIZ

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hinted; you said as much; you did speak of it! Never mind. I thought you did the job: I've thought so ever since till lately."

      "Lately?"

      "I found out. They were telling how they had attempted to do me when I was loaded, and how you chipped in and put 'em to the stampede."

      "That was easy."

      "But you might have stood still and had the satisfaction of seeing me done up by some fellows I'd associated With."

      "I assure you it would have been no satisfaction."

      "It would have been to some fellows. They said you got me into my room without being seen by the proctor and put me to bed."

      "I did, Badger."

      "And you never told about it!"

      "What was there to tell?"

      "Some fellows would have blowed it all over in less than twenty- four hours."

      "It seems pretty hard for you to get it through your head that I'm not to be classed with 'some fellows.'"

      "Still, I reckon you allowed it would all come out in time. You allowed it'd make me feel all the cheaper to know I'd been wrong all along."

      "Is that what you think?"

      "Yes."

      "Well, think so."

      "But there is one thing I don't understand."

      "There are several, Badger-several."

      Without heeding this, Buck went on:

      "You did have a chance to queer me with Winnie Lee."

      "Perhaps."

      "She told me so. She told me that she sent for you and asked you about me."

      "Girls always tell such things."

      "If you had done that, I'd never known it, as she had thrown me down already. They say you don't drink, and I've heard that you have a poor opinion of any fellow who does. You had seen me loaded, and you might have told her of that."

      "Well?"

      "You didn't. You even told her that you were sure I had no hand in tampering with your automobile that time when it ran away with you."

      "Which was true."

      "Still, without saying so direct, you might have thrown suspicion on me so that I could never have shaken it."

      "Possibly."

      "I know it. What you said to her fixed it so I was able to patch it up with her. I owe all that to you."

      "Forget it."

      "It is that one thing that has made me feel cheap."

      Frank uttered all exclamation of surprise.

      "You feel cheap!" he gasped. "I didn't suppose anything--"

      "Don't say it. I can't understand why you did it."

      "To tell you the truth, Badger," said Frank, "I can't tell myself. More than that, it has worried me some. I was not sure then, and I'm not sure now, that you are a suitable fellow to associate with Winnie Lee."

      "Blazes!" grated the Kansan, looking as if he longed to jump at Frank.

      "But I saw that she liked you very much," Merry went on, with perfect calmness, "and there was a chance of making a mistake the other way."

      "How?"

      "I might have queered you, made her miserable, and afterwards found out that I had done wrong, I've worried over it, for Winnie Lee is a fine girl, Badger. She has made up with you, and she is happy. Now, sir, see that you treat her right! If you do not, by Jupiter, I'll make you sorry you ever met her!"

      Badger had his hands on his hips as Merriwell rose up before him and looked straight into his eyes. They stood there, silent, for some seconds.

      "You don't have to threaten any whatever, Merriwell," said Badger, after a time, "There is not the least danger that I'll ever use her otherwise than is a gentleman uses a lady."

      Frank saw that the Westerner was sincere, and he felt relieved.

      "Then, no matter what may happen between us, Badger, I shall not be sorry that I did not queer you with her. That's all."

      Frank sat down again.

      CHAPTER V.

       HODGE AND BADGER.

       Table of Contents

      Badger was not satisfied. He had started out to say something very stiff to Merriwell, and he realized that he had not accomplished his purpose. Somehow, even though he did it voluntarily, he felt as if Merry had forced a pledge from him. He realized that he had confessed himself in the wrong, or very nearly that, and he had meant to confess nothing of the sort. He had thought to demonstrate that Frank's apparent generosity was no more than a crafty manner of making an enemy appear at a disadvantage, and he had failed in that. Taken altogether, the Kansan was intensely displeased with himself, and not at all pacified toward Merriwell.

      "I'm going," he said, "but let us have a complete understanding before I leave."

      "Do," sighed Frank, and then he covered his month to conceal a yawn.

      "I came to your dawn party because Winnie Lee wished me to."

      "What's the rise to go back to that. You said so before."

      "I tried to behave like a gentleman here."

      "I've made no complaint."

      "But I was insulted!"

      "What?" Frank was surprised.

      "Just that," nodded Badger; showing his broad white teeth.

      "By me?"

      "No. I'm willing to try to steer clear of you in the future, but your particular set of friends are different. Now, there's that fellow Hodge-he tries to get a fling at me every chance he can. He spoke about a fellow kicking another when he was down, and he meant me. He has used his mouth freely on other occasions about me, and the limit is reached."

      "You're right, Badger, the limit is reached, and I think it is time to call a halt. You have not been any too careful about what you have said, and I fail to see that you have any right to make a kick if other have talked about you. I have not taken the trouble to remember the nasty things you have said about me, as I have not considered it worth while; but you know you have said nasty things, and you cannot deny it. Do you fancy that others have no limit, but that your dignity and your feelings must be respected?"

      Badger was silent, and Frank went on:

      "You know what I think of you, or you ought to know. But there are a lot of puppies who copy after you, and they are the ones who have overstepped the limit. I have disregarded them in the past, but patience has ceased to be a virtue. In the future, I propose to bring some of them up with a round turn." Buck made a gesture.

      "I don't care what you do with them," he said. "I am talking about myself. I'm going to settle with this fellow Hodge."

      "You are?"

      "I reckon."

      Again Frank got upon his feet, showing impatience.

      "I have a few final words to say to you, sir," he coldly remarked. "Hodge is my friend. When you strike him, you hit me. Understand?"

      "Oh, I reckon! You mean that you'll chip into any quarrel between Hodge and myself. If you do, the old fight will be on between us,"

      "Then you can reckon again, and this time you may be sure of you ground. You can't bully Hodge."

      "As if I wanted to bully him! But he'll have to keep his mouth closed!"

      "Between you and Hodge,"

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