CHAPTER X.
FRANK SPRINGS A SURPRISE.
When Frank and the Wee One knocked on Dixon's door that night in thesecond entry, first floor of Russell Hall, it must be confessed thatthey were not as brave as they had felt themselves to be earlier inthe evening when the plan of campaign had been decided. Frank feltthat he had been at Queen's too short a time to be taking the highhand with the quarterback of the eleven, and he was uncertain as tohow it would affect his standing in the school.
"I tell you, Willie, I wish there was some other way to get at this,"Frank said as they cut across the broad walk under the elms.
"Have you some other plan under your bonnet?"
"No, that's the worst of it. I don't like the idea of being put inthe position of forcing Jimmy on the eleven."
"Oh, what are you sticking at? If you don't do it the force will beon Jimmy to keep him off. It may be too late even now, for Jimmy hadhis chance, and to most of those who saw the game the indicationswere that he is not to be trusted with the ball in a tight place. Weknow better because we were suspicious of Chip and had a guess as towhat he might be up to."
"All right," said Frank, "but just the same I wish we could get at itin a different way. Probably all on account of me, Jimmy will now getin bad with the Gamma crowd. I wish I hadn't come to school at all."
"Oh, come, if you are getting chills in your pedal extremities wewill go back and put you to bed and warm you up with a hot waterbottle. But if you are looking for victory, as Napoleon said, 'followme into the breach.'"
"Don't you worry about my feet, Wee One, they're all right. I wasthinking of Jimmy only; I want to help him, not hurt him."
By the time the boys had finished their discussion they had reachedthe entry.
"Do you know his room?" inquired Frank.
"Yes, second floor right," said the Wee One as he began to climb."Rooms with Hillard, as you probably know. Hope Hillard isn't in. Ifhe is it will make it harder to get to the subject, because Hillardwould be displaced by Jimmy if he were found good enough to make theteam. Here we are."
The Wee One's sturdy knock drew a loud response from within: "Comein." It was Chip's voice, and the tone did not sound pleasant.
Patterson pushed open the door and stalked into the room, as brave asa lion. Frank followed on his heels.
"Came to see you on a little business, Dixon," volunteered the WeeOne, as he took a seat over by the fireplace.
"Indeed! You came at a bad time. I'm trying to get back work done."
"Sorry we disturb you, but it's important. This is my friend, FrankArmstrong."
Chip nodded curtly. "Yes, I've seen him before. He hasn't been herevery long, has he? Quite an infant, so to speak," and a sneer playedon his face.
"No, he hasn't been here very long, but he's going to stay a longwhile, and may grow up to quarterback of the School eleven orsomething like that, or make something better," retorted the WeeOne, who now that the battle was in sight was rather enjoying thepreliminary skirmishes.
"Well, what's your business?" said Chip, roughly. "I don't want toappear rude, but I've got a lot of work to do before I go to bed.Football takes most all a fellow's time just about now."
"It was about football that we came over to see you," said Frank,speaking now for the first time.
"Is that so? It's a little late to be going out for the squad," saidDixon, "and, besides that, I'm not the captain."
"I'm aware of that," retorted Frank, "and I'm not going out for thesquad this year. We are interested in a fellow who is now on thesquad."
"What do you think of Jimmy Turner, that young Freshman who has beenshowing up so well lately?" broke in the Wee One.
"He'll be good by-and-by, but he is punk now on handling the ball. Itwas his fumble to-day when we had a chance to score on Barrows thatupset the team."
"It wasn't his fumble, and you know that as well as any one," andFreshman though he was, Frank looked the quarterback of the elevenstraight in the eye. That individual had started back at thecontradiction, but now recovered himself and, shutting up his fist,he took a step in Frank's direction.
"What do you mean, you little pup? Didn't Turner drop the ball? Hecould have scored easily if he'd had the gumption to hang onto it."
"He dropped the ball all right, but he dropped it because you didn'tgive him a chance to get it," said Frank, his fighting blood mountingto his cheeks.
For a moment it looked as if there was to be a scrap right on thespot. At the first accusation Chip rushed over to Frank with hiseyes blazing and fists clinched. Frank held his ground, and he wasreinforced in an instant by the Wee One, who jumped the moment Chipmade his rush. Perhaps the consciousness that he was in the wrong andthat the accusation was true withheld the blows that Chip appearedready to rain upon his visitor.
"Come on, Dixon, let's talk it over," said the Wee One. "Put your badtemper in your pocket, and we will get down to business."
"All right, go ahead, but I don't want any one to come to my roomand tell me that I chucked the game this afternoon."
"But supposing it was true."
Chip blazed out again. "I've a notion to chuck you both out of theroom by the way of the window."
"That's neither hospitable nor kind. What we came here to find outis, are you willing to give young Turner a fair chance to make theeleven if he is good enough?" said the Wee One.
"What are you driving at, anyway? I'm neither the captain nor thecoach."
"Of course you are not, fortunately, but you're the quarter, and assuch you can make or break a halfback that is trying for a place onthe team. At present your room-mate, Hillard, is playing at righthalf, and, naturally, since he is a fraternity brother of yours, youwant him to stay there. And you don't want any one else, even thoughsome one else might improve the eleven, to win his place. Isn't thatso?"
Chip sat glowering at the speaker, but did not answer.
"All right. There's an old saying I've seen somewhere, and I guessit's true, that 'silence gives consent.' You admit what I've said?"
"I don't admit anything of the kind," snapped Chip. "Hillard is abetter back than this fellow Turner will ever be."
"Since," went on the Wee One, as cool as a cucumber, and paying noattention to Chip's interruption, "since you agreed that what I sayis true, I want to know if you will play square with Turner. Goodnessknows this eleven has been messed up by you and your friends in GammaTau pretty badly, and if there's the smallest little bit of a chanceto improve it, and let us have an opportunity to pull out the Warwickgame, you ought to be willing for the sake of yourself, if not forthe school, to drop the favorites."
Chip was showing evidences of the greatest difficulty to keep frombringing the matter then and there to blows. He was opening andshutting his hands and gritting his teeth. Finally he burst forth:
"I don't know what you duffers are here for, trying some kind ofbullyragging on me. It's you fellows who are playing favorites, notme. Now I want you both to get out of this room and stay out. I'llplay just whoever I wish on that eleven."
"Oh, so you are the captain, after all--I thought you said youweren't."
Chip could have bitten his tongue out for the admission, but it wastoo late now to change it, and, having made the statement, he wenton: "I've got enough of a say to keep Turner on the side line. He'sonly a Freshman," he said contemptuously. "If he's good enough he canmake the team some other year. He can't make it this one, not as longas I'm quarterback."
"Oh, very well, Mr. Dixon, if that's the way you feel about itthere's no use in our staying here and keeping you from gettingthat lesson," said the Wee One, "but getting it will be a waste oftime because you will not have a chance to use it. We only wanted apromise from you to let Turner alone, and not to hinder him in anydevelopment he may make. Since you are not willing, we have a littlestory for the Doctor in the morning. If he hears it, you might aswell pack your pajamas, and buy your ticket for New York. Good night,Mr. Dixon," said the Wee One, making a sweeping
bow. "Come on, Frank,it's no use, the quarterback has a severe case of astigmatism."
Frank rose and the two headed for the door. But Chip's curiosity wasaroused. He followed them to the entry. "May I ask what you have thatyou think the Doctor will be interested to hear?"
"Oh, no," said the Wee One, "we don't want to take your time. Itwouldn't help our case any. We must be hurrying along."
"But I insist on knowing," said Chip, following to the head of thestairs. "If you are going to tell the Doctor something about me Ihave a right to know. What is it?" Alarm began to show in his bearing.
"Well, if you are dying to know about it, it is just this. We havepretty good evidence that you were one of the bunch that hazed Frankhere, the night he came to school."
Chip gave a sneering laugh. "Oh, that's it, is it? I guess you won'tbe able to prove that. And that's what you've been taking up my timefor? You are a pretty pair of young sleuths, ha, ha, ha, ha!" Chipthrew his head back and laughed long and noisily.
The Wee One waited till Chip had laughed himself out and then said,very quietly: "Well, maybe we can't prove it, and perhaps we werewasting your time and our own. Good night."
Chip stood grinning as the boys took a couple of steps down thestairs. Suddenly the Wee One stopped, put his hand in his pocket,and pulled out the leather wristlet. "Oh, by the way, Chip, is thisyours?" he asked, holding it up so that Chip could see it plainly.
"Sure, it's mine," said Chip. "Where did you find it----" and therehe stopped as a grin spread over the faces of the two boys who werewatching him intently. "No, I guess it isn't, after all; it lookedlike one I lost," he added, seeing that he had made a slip.
"Well, I'm sure it is yours. There's a very pretty little bunch ofinitials inside, and they look remarkably like C. D. And how aboutthis perfectly good little strap?" holding up the strap that Frankhad picked up on the playground the morning after the hazing. "Thishas the legend 'C. Dixon' printed very plainly on it. You make verypretty letters, Chip. You will make a fortune as a painter of windowsigns when you grow up and finish your education." The Wee One'stone was smooth, but irritating, and Chip was ready to fight, but hesaw at once that he was powerless, and he knew very well what theDoctor's attitude would be. The proof was before him.
"Come back into the room," he said, and when they were inside thedoor, "What do you want me to do?"
"All we want to have you do is to give Jimmy Turner a fair chance. Ifhe is good enough to make the team we don't want you to put anythingin his way," said Frank. "In return for this we agree to say nothingabout the hazing."
"It's a bargain," said Chip. "Now give me the straps."
"Oh, dear, no," said the Wee One, "we will return those when theseason is over. But for the present I think I'll hang onto them,thank you. Good night, Mr. Dixon." The Wee One put the emphasis alittle on the Mister. Chip did not answer, but stood with his backtowards them, looking out of the window.
"Well, I guess that will hold him for a while," said the Wee One asthey left the building. "And now it is up to young Freshman Turnerhimself."