CHAPTER XVII--DICK CONQUERS HIS ENEMY
Dick rapped sharply on the door of Chester Arlington's room. There was astir within, a pause, and then----
"Come in," called a voice.
Dick entered.
Chester had risen and was standing at attention. When he saw Dick helooked surprised and disgusted.
"I thought it an inspector," he growled sullenly, a frown coming to hishaughty face, then he flung himself loungingly upon a comfortable chair,drew forth a cigarette-case, took out a paper-covered cigarette, androlled it between his fingers.
There was smoke in the room.
"If I were an inspector," thought Dick, who had closed the door behindhim, "I see where you would get pulled over the coals."
"What in thunder do you want here?" asked Arlington sneeringly, as hestruck a match and lighted his cigarette.
He was not a little surprised by Dick's boldness in entering that room,and yet he suspected what had brought his unwelcome visitor.
"I have a little business to transact with you, Arlington," saidMerriwell, with a quiet, determined manner that irritated Chester stillfurther.
"Well, I don't care to have dealings of any sort with you," declaredArlington, "and I will inform you at once that you are not wanted here.This is my room, and you had better get out."
Dick did not show any inclination to mind this indirect command.
"You may be sure, Arlington," he returned, "that I am not dealing withyou from choice. Circumstances have made it necessary."
"Well, I refuse to have anything at all to do with you, so get out!"
Instead of obeying, Dick came a little nearer.
"You'll not refuse," he asserted.
"Oh, yes, I will!"
"Oh, no, you won't!"
"I'd like to know why not?"
"Because you dare not."
"Dare not?"
"Exactly. If you refuse, you will be called before the faculty to-morrowmorning to answer to several grave charges."
It seemed that Chester turned a trifle pale, but he snapped his fingers,stained yellow by cigarettes.
"A threat!" he exclaimed. "But I do not mind your threats, fellow!"
"You will mind this one, for it will be mighty unhealthy for you."
"You're a bully!" cried Arlington, springing up. "But you can't bully mein my own room! There's the door!"
He pointed with his finger, but Dick did not look; instead, he kept hisdark eyes fixed on those of his enemy, and there was something in thatsteady look that held Chester in check.
"When I am through," he said, in the same manner of quiet assurance, "Ishall lose no time in getting out by that door."
"I won't disgrace myself by getting into a row with you," sneered theother.
"You have disgraced yourself enough already. I advise you to go slow."
"I want no advice from you!"
"In your heart you know well enough one reason why I am here."
"Really, I haven't the least idea," said Arlington, as he again satdown, a bored expression driving the look of anger from his face.
Dick, however, knew Chester was not bored, knew he was shamming, knew hewas nervous and apprehensive.
"It will not take me long to tell you why I am here. For one thing, Iwant you to resign immediately from the athletic committee."
Chester laughed,
"You--you want me to! Well, what you want is nothing to me. What youwant and what I'll do are two entirely different things."
"You will resign," declared Dick, with positive assurance.
"Not much!"
"You will resign."
"Why? Because you order it? Because you want to run the football-team,the committee, and everything connected with Fardale athletics? Well,you'll find that you can't have everything your own way!"
"If you do not resign," said Dick, "I shall immediately take steps tocompel you to do so."
"You compel me?"
"I shall."
"Why, you crazy idiot! You conceited duffer! You swell-headed----"
"That will do!" came sternly from Dick's lips. "I know you would like toprovoke me into attacking you here, in order that you might claim I cameto your room and assaulted you. I shall not touch you in this room, butif you continue your insulting epithets I shall call you to accountelsewhere the first opportunity that presents."
"Bully! But you can't frighten me. My father is D. Roscoe Arlington,and----"
"That is something you have told everybody in this school a dozen times,or more; but I should fancy you ought to see by this time that it failsto make an impression."
Dick spoke like one who felt himself entire master of the situation, andthat was one thing that infuriated Arlington, although he could not helpbeing impressed by it. It was this air of perfect assurance of hisposition that marked Dick as one different from most lads and gave himinfluence and power to a degree. He was also magnetic, and those wholearned to admire him as a friend grew soon to swear by him ineverything and believe he could not make a mistake.
"I am not going to be dictated to by you! Put that in your pipe andsmoke it! You can't order me about. I was elected to the committee tofill the place made vacant by the resignation of Warwick, and on thatcommittee I'll stay."
"You will not be on that committee to-morrow night. I give you yourchoice, you may resign or be fired off. But you had better resign, foryou may be fired out of the school if you are fired off the committee."
"Bah!"
"The charges that will be preferred against you on the committee arecertain to leak out, and a call before the faculty must follow."
"What are you talking about, anyhow? What charges will be preferred?"
"You will be accused of having dealings with Fred Kennedy, a gambler, ofgiving him money to bet against Fardale, and of being a gambleryourself. Thus you, one of the athletic committee, therefore deeplyinterested in the success of the football-team, are plainly a traitorworking against your own school."
"That's fine!" sneered Chester. "It's easy to make such a charge, buthow are you going to prove it?"
"I have proof enough."
"What proof?"
"You were heard in Murphy's saloon at The Harbor dealing with Kennedy."
"By whom?"
"Myself."
"Ha, ha!" laughed Chester. "And do you think that proof enough? I thinkmy word is as good as yours."
"I was not the only one there. Brad Buckhart was with me outside thewindow, which was broken, and he heard your talk."
"Anybody knows he would lie for you."
"Joe Savage saw you in that room, where he went to have some dealingswith you. He was attacked, struck with a bottle, and seriously injured.He will appear against you."
"He'd better not!" grated Arlington fiercely. "If he does, he'll go outof Fardale, too!"
"He'll appear, though. You failed to keep your promise to him, andso----"
"What promise?"
"Your promise to give up his I O U's, won from him at the poker-table."
"So that's his story, eh? Ha, ha! Do you fancy he'll be fool enough toget up before the committee and tell that he gambled with me? Why, he'dbe in trouble at once! Gambling is not allowed here. And he doesn't wanthis mother to know that he played for money."
"You're right about that, but you have driven him to the limit. The wormhas turned. Arlington, I am holding him in check now. But for me hewould have gone to Professor Gunn with the whole story."
"I don't believe it!"
"Believe it or not, as you like."
"Why should you hold him in check--you? You are my enemy, and I amyours. You'd not do such a thing for me."
"No."
"Then----"
"For your sister."
"My sister! Confound you! how dare you speak of her! She is nothing toyou!"
"She is a splendid girl, and it is a shame she has such a scoundrel fora brother."
Chester leaped up, seizing a paper-weight from the table, and swung
itbackward to hurl it at Dick.
"You won't throw it," said Merriwell, with the utmost coolness, makingno move to dodge or to protect himself, but looking his enemy straightin the eyes.
Chester was quivering with excitement, and his lips were drawn back fromhis handsome white teeth.
"Blazes take you, Merriwell!" panted Chester. "Some time I'll kill you!"
"Perhaps you may try it. It would be like you. Put down thatpaper-weight."
Dick was watching his enemy so closely that he did not see the slightmovement of some curtains which hid an alcove, did not see them slightlyparted, and did not observe a pair of beady black eyes that peered outat him. Some one besides Arlington and Merriwell was in that room andhad been there all the time.
Chester hesitated, but Dick's dark eyes seemed to have some magneticpower over him, for he suddenly lowered his hand and tossed thepaper-weight with a thud upon the table.
"Better not mention my sister further," he said huskily, shrugging hisshoulders. "You touch me on a sore spot. I can't bear to think of herhaving anything at all to do with you--even speaking to you."
"You asked me a question, and I answered it truthfully. You are herbrother, and she worries over you. It would hurt her to have youexpelled from Fardale."
"Expelled?"
"That is just what will happen to you if I cease to hold Joe Savage incheck. That is what is almost certain to happen to you if I go beforethe athletic committee and tell what I know."
"Hang you! You are bound to get me off that committee. You tried to keepme from getting on it."
"I should have done so, but I did not. That was where I made a mistake.But I had promised your mother not to interfere with your ambitions, andI----"
"Bah! What did you care about such a promise to my mother?"
"My friends urged me to work against you and keep you from getting onthe committee. I know you are a fellow who does not hesitate to break apromise, and so you cannot understand why I should desire to keep thepromise I foolishly gave your mother. I refused to interfere in any way.Seeing that, many of the fellows who would have voted against you had Iused my influence declined to vote at all. Some even voted for you,thinking it might be well to have a plebe on the committee. I was onewho counted the votes. I could have prevented you from winning thenwithout making a move. I did not suppose you would find a way to swaythe whole committee if you got on, and I thought it might deepen yourinterest in the welfare of the team if you got on. I cannot understand afellow who will let his personal feelings lead him into working for oreven desiring the defeat of his school team in order to humiliate anenemy."
"Oh, you're such a wonderfully upright and honest fellow!" sneeredArlington. "You make me sick!"
"I shall not waste further words with you. I want your promise before Ileave this room to resign from the committee, or I shall expose you."
Arlington felt that he was cornered, but he hated to give in to the ladhe detested.
"All right!" he finally exclaimed. "I'll resign."
"Then that point is settled."
"But don't think for a minute that you are done with me! I am still yourenemy, and you will find Chester Arlington relentless! I have power,too. The Arlingtons refuse to be beaten, and you can't beat me."
"That's all right. If you resign, you'll be wise. But I have one thingmore to demand."
Chester gasped.
"Something else? Confound you! that's too much! You have driven me justas fast as you can!"
"I want the I O U's you hold against Savage," said Dick, in the sameself-possessed, confident manner.
"You want them? Ha, ha!"
"Yes; you will give them to me."
"If I do----"
"Don't be too hasty. What do you expect to do with them?"
"I won them. He owes me almost fifty dollars."
"Which he cannot pay."
"That's not my fault. He'll have to pay, or----"
"You wish revenge against Savage. It won't work. I am satisfied that youwon from him crookedly."
"He thinks he's pretty slick with cards," said Chester; "but he gotbitten, that's all."
Dick knew Joe Savage had not been above winning money in questionableways at one time, but Savage had reformed, and he seemed sincere, sothat Merriwell was satisfied that he had been led into gambling again,not that he had chosen it of his own inclination.
Arlington's words were a practical confession that he had "skinned"Savage, and Dick had no further hesitation about carrying out hisoriginal plan.
"You agreed to give up those I O U's if Savage would withdraw as acandidate for the athletic committee and ask that all votes cast for himbe thrown for you on the next balloting."
"Well?" said Chester defiantly, "what of it?"
"You failed to keep your agreement with him."
"Well, you're taking a lot of interest in this fellow who went againstwhat he knew was your desire in that meeting! What are you after? Areyou working to get him in your power? That's it! You have no right todemand those I O U's, and I shall not give them up to you."
"Then you will be summoned before the faculty to-morrow."
Arlington was desperate. It was difficult for him to control the rage hefelt.
"So you'll ruin Savage here just to get a blow at me!" he cried harshly."That shows how much of a friend you are to him!"
"I am doing this with the full knowledge and consent of Joe Savage."
"Then he's a fool!"
"Call him that to his face when he recovers from the treacherous blow hereceived."
"Oh, I'd willingly do it! I have no fear of him--nor of you!"
But Chester was beginning to fear Merriwell, as well as hate him. Whywas it Dick always accomplished anything he set about doing?
Dick turned toward the door.
"If you choose to sacrifice yourself for those worthless bits of paper,"he said, "go ahead. I have told you what I shall do, and you know Inever fail to keep my word."
He was going, and Arlington wavered. It was the bitterness of gall tosurrender, but he felt that it was better than the disgrace ofexpulsion.
"Hold on!" he said. "I don't want the old papers, anyhow! Here!" He tooksome slips from his pocket. "Here they are. Take them. I meant to givethem to Savage."
Dick stepped back quietly, with no expression of satisfaction ortriumph, and took the slips from Chester's hand. Quietly he ran themover, glancing at each one. Arlington longed intensely to strike him,but experience had taught him that he had better not do so.
"These are right," nodded Dick, coolly putting the slips into hispocket.
Again he turned and walked toward the door. Just as he put out his handto open the door, something whizzed past his head. Thud!--it struck thedoor and stuck there, quivering. It was a knife!