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Show yB$ 1 r-J The Original i f jt Hi GUSll. O O n n CGlIb.rlP.tUa 1 ' " W WNU Servlc. B j "svxorsi" V . nd.:e vain youth of six- f fcSm ,rn,n at rBrdB,e.- he iliM , . half-blind dog and In a ; S.ntmnl. Th do's owner . 1 tM?tmn. shabby boy who sup- i lJa"'t,jwed mother, denounces t mes Bart and he slaps Tad. U IhlSrivvell an orphan of llod,:e's H - 'Aim from further molcsttnR 5- ..events " im d t come to I f sneering says they will I HK their dirterences later. He FJ -:se til had come to Fnrdale it MfS'u fcademv. While HodRe I : Fa&mls Sick driver for John f f .:bjBmT ban:c. Merrhvell. ac-fo ac-fo i'SfJ W and his dos. ShaR. ii. 'nfto Snodd's place. Present- I. I ,al ruck, with Hodse driving. ij -e Snodd trucK. Taa.s ' i0! h . room next to Merrl-0cS!Xd Merrl-0cS!Xd home is Barney Mill-ilnt5kUkes Mill-ilnt5kUkes HodRe. They become f Merrlwell offers to help i . :,rienrinto one of the academy V . ?! i" aopealtng to Professor I i friend of Merriwell'. Uncle ' ' '' . they leave the house that ' uce is talking to Inza Burrage. 1, feUnda Snodd. Later they what he had In mind would make matters worse. "When it comes to a scrap," he urged, "let Hodge start It." "Job," said Barney, "was a piker beside ye, but I'm forced to admit in me sober spells that your head's screwed on level." Hodge had saved himself the trouble trou-ble of returning to Snodd's for his belongings. Having packed up that morning, he had telephoned, while Merriwell was seeking advice from Professor Scotch, for his luggage to be delivered at Union hall; and Joe Bemis, starting out to deliver a load of grain with the farmer's truck, had killed two birds with one stone by taking Bart's things along. "I'll have Joe get your stuff right over as soon as he comes back," Snodd promised Frank and Barney. "And If I'd ever looked that newspaper news-paper over before he got out of "Just a fragile flower," said another. an-other. "No wonder he had to take to his bed after his frightful hand-to-hand battle with that horrid hungry hun-gry beast. How lucky he is always to have his trained nurse at hand to care for him when he is so frightfully fright-fully upset." Moving deliberately back to Barney, Bar-ney, Frank spoke under his breath! "Leave it to me," he said. "The last laugh may be ours." Mulloy was too choked with pent-up pent-up wrath to utter a word in reply, but Hodge was the one against whom he was inwardly raging. That fellow had done some swift sniping with the ammunition furnished by Pete Smith, and he seemed to be on his way to triumph. Bart came forward a step. "These are just some of the fellows my friend Bascomb brought In to give J you the once over, Merriwell," he M,, jnum "It's Watson SnelL Mr. Snell to you. Get me?" "You remind me of one of Tennyson's Tenny-son's poems, strange as It seems," Frank almost purred. "It runs like this, 'Blow, bugle, blowl Set the wild echoes flying.' It's very smooth stuff, sir." "Well, by gum, I guess he just don't know any better than to talk back," said a tall, lanky fellow with a New England twang. "Now If you don't mind my natural nat-ural curiosity, I'd like to know who you are," said Merriwell. "Have you a card?" "My name's Ephriam Gullup." "Gullup" Frank shook his head. "Gullup is a very pretty name for you. It tickles my ear." The small, bespectacled, short-chinned short-chinned chap who had sat on the dresser and read the newspaper aloud pushed himself forward now. r,A who now uh twiuu..-. I Rirt Hodce crashes a party I filX Snodd. Hodge sings and . ,,BS Burrage plays the piano ' I ''tfeU, seated on the porch with rincs a comic song' Ho1Re ' accusing him of Insulting She steps between them telling . tot Merriwell Is too cheap to , Ms notice. Next day Merriwell !; . iv rush to a grove on John J5 : ,rm to warn a picnic party that ':. S which Silas Gleason gave '. mad and running amuck. Hodge ;co"nce Inza that this is Just :ttf I Swell's. Inza. attempting TV ' the maddened animal. Injures "-.'S! Hodee flees In terror. Merri- 1-handed holds off the mad dog ::5lnza. John Snodd shoots the f Later, Merriwell and Mulloy professor Scotch, who says the V 4ded condition of the dormitories Unnecessary for them to share a ..nit! Bart Hodge. "I:. CHAPTER IV Continued nere, ne added, "I'd burnt that Hodge feller's ears off him. But maybe my daughter said enough to him last night She laced him handsome hand-some for taking to his heels the way he done. She's gone to see Miss Inza now to find out how bad her ankle was hurt." Walking back to the school again, Mulloy was in a calmer mood. "There's a flock of chickens in Fardale that don't admire that gay rooster as much as they did, Frank," he chuckled. Merriwell made no reply. He was thinking of Inza Burrage and wondering won-dering what she would have to say about the piece in the newspapers. Two grinning fellows, lounging on the steps of Union hall, looked the new boys over as they approached. said blandly. "They asked me to give them an eye-witness account of your noble deed, but I merely referred re-ferred them to the newspaper. But I knew you would be delighted to tell the harrowing tale yourself." Merry seemed to beam. "So thoughtful of you, Hodge, but I hope they'll spare my blushes. I'm so very shy before strangers." "Why don't you Introduce us to the modest hero, Bart?" suggested a huge chap with powerful shoulders shoul-ders and a mouth that split his grinning grin-ning face from ear to ear. "We're all quivering with eagerness to have the honor. And maybe he'll loosen up after he gets to know us." "Good idea, Hugh," chuckled Hodge. "Merriwell, this is my friend Bascomb, the best prep-school prep-school fullback in the East." "You're full of cracks, aren t you he yapped, like a Pekingese puppy. "Well, you'll have another crack from me if you get gay with my name, big boy. It's Gagg Bob Gagg. Now take It easy." Merry burst into hearty laughter. "Gagg follows Gullup," he said, "and one goes with the other, but Gagg can't be improved on. It's perfect. Aren't we having fun?" He had them stopped. Their little lit-tle plan to k;d him had been shot all to pieces. Barney Mulloy was holding a hand over his mouth, now, to keep from whooping. This was far better bet-ter than the rough stuff he had been on the verge of starting. The door swung open again to admit ad-mit a fellow who came in briskly. "Walter Burrage!" exclaimed Hodge in dismay. CHAPTER V Walter Burrage was somebody at Fardale. Not only did he stand high as a student, he was captain of the baseball team, wore a modestly mod-estly hidden society pin, commanded command-ed the respect of the faculty and was classed as an ace in the run of the pack. But of course there were fellows who secretly disliked him; for success suc-cess and popularity arouses envy and petty malice in schools, just as it does in other fields of life. Still prudence and self-interest caused those who privately hated him to sugar their tongues when they spoke of him publicly. Merriwell had never seen him before be-fore he walked into the room where the kidders collected by Hodge and Bascomb had been kidded to a full ' ;ining broadly now, he said ne i see them anon in their sar- box, and walked away as if in "V.iT" .-7 to lose their company. "-".'.7. iity-five bucks!" gulped Mul- rll'"-. , staring at Hodge's back. "It's :'.d-up! You'll be a sucker to let getaway with it, Frank." cut it's cheap when you con-u- that his coat saved me from :j bitten by that dog, Barney. pay it and smile." f jelly chowder! He'll laugh in " sleep. ' fiiilcan take it" e::'iu: rr:.ri3 say you can! But you'll pop ::ci:!r--'i: day if you're human. You j j -.'j 1 have a limit." , erl"; - e courses at Fardale were elec- :: sis to but Merriwell' s mind was not iiy '-i r- made up. Wishing to prepare Ur i' tially for Yale, he decided to advice from Professor Scotch, -j i:. '-"r-:'ale graduate who still thought -r -erii-iebest university in the country. course, was natural enough, ..-.v-; -it: Frank admired the way in -kn the professor had retained o,jthful enthusiasm. There was fcliing warm and inspiring i .til r..u Frank's eyes almost bulged as he stared as if aghast at Bascomb's vast mouth. "I'm so happy," he said, "to get this unexpected view of the Grand Canyon of the Colorado. Colo-rado. It's even wider, deeper and more tremendous than I ever imagined im-agined it could be." Bascomb's grin faded slowly, as it dawned on him. His mouth clopped together and his lips came down at the corners. He flushed to the roots of his bristling hair, and his scowl was as black as the ace of spades. "Look here," he growled, "what d'yer mean by that crack?" "I'll never forget it," said Frank in a hushed tone of awe. "I'll always remember my first view of the Grand Canyon." "Gee, he's nuts!" cried a slender boy with gimlet eyes that were set very close together. "Now if Hugh pops him gee!" "We seem to have a G-man with us," remarked Frank, turning to survey the last speaker. "I wonder how he ever got mixed up with this gang of highbinders." "Say, that's Leslie Gage, "put in stop. But of course Frank had been curious as to what sort of person the brother of Inza Burrage might be. He saw a good-looking chap with dark eyes and hair, and a mouth and chin expressive of decency and "You're Going to Let Hodge Get Away With That Lie?" )tlll MM Mulloy went back to Snodd's , .lockup, leaving Merry to wait professor's return to his after delivering a lecture. rJ- hour later, when he reached 'i-S-jim house, Frank found Bar-V'-jS to a s'ate of mind. He was JrjTr !& like a forgotten kettle on a stove- Waving a rumpled be shouted: :X3 you seen this cockeyed I 4'."V was toe city paper for nf'f-'ir-S: ; Pete Smith had reported the ''Sir-3 oter wiul the mad dog, and XJ Med half a column. : Plainly Mr. Smith had been JJgj'iiS;, aed by his failure to obtain :etview with the leading actor 2 fi5 ils- story: for, beginning with a -Z-fjpl ent by Silas Gleason that is J old dog had merely been , ad frightened," the reporter Hodge quickly, "and he s the varsity var-sity pitcher. Take care what you say, MerriwelL" "Why, I'm knocked completely cuckoo by the shock," said Merry. Mer-ry. "Such importance! Such notorious no-torious characters. You seem to be right in your element, Hodge." Bascomb reached a huge paw for Merriwell's shoulder and swung him round. "Think you're a funny bird yourself, donya?" he snarled. "Well, you'll fly right out of the window in a minute." "Now really I'm afraid I've irritated irri-tated you somehow," said Frank. "I'm a sophomore here," Bascomb Bas-comb informed him. "Say sir to me." "Sir to you," said Frank, bowing politely. "Now don't forget that any time you speak to me hereafter. Get me?" . character. There was connaence without arrogance in his bearing. He did not belong to the stocky athletic ath-letic type, but one could see at a glance that he would .strip down well. Under the modest clothes he wore was a fine body and clean, strong limbs that were not muscle bound. His eyes swept over the others in the room before coming to rest on Frank. He neither smiled nor frowned. "I was told there was a little corn roast going on here," he said, "but I was on my way to see Merriwell anyhow. You're Meniwell, aren't you" "Yes, sir," affirmed Frank. "Well, I'm glad to know you." Burrage put out his hand and Merry gave it a grip. "Has tHis hand-picked hand-picked reception committee been a little gay with you?" oil nnf n nil t.hnneh "There they are," said one to the other, "the modest hero and his trained nurse." "But they don't suspect what they're going to be up against in about a minute," tittered the other after Frank and Barney had passed on into the building. Nothing warned Frank and Barney Bar-ney of the surprise in store for them They walked into that small room like innocent lambs going to the slaughter. They walked into a haze of tobacco to-bacco smoke almost as thick as pea soup. It came from the pipes and cigarettes of a dozen boys who were sitting around on chairs, beds and any other pieces of furniture that me7 "And you better remember to say It to me, too," advised a boy with a long neck and a very large nose. "But you must tell me your name, s0 I won't forget you, sir.'' "Oh, not at all, not at all, though they have given me quite a jolly time." Frank smiled almost sweetly. sweet-ly. (TO BE CONTINUED) provided ptiu.. One was located on the top of the dresser. His chin was nothing to brag about; in fact it was hardly worth mentioning. Horn-rimmed w his short, uptilted jffl -ieci by kidding the "mod- FhU !ro Who had taken t0 his bed after-effects of the terrible V ; his system had sustained." " !tos, the report alleged, were ti- i kept away from his bedside W 'tained nurse. It was pretty ' stuff- :1 HodSe, whom Smith had VfJfi, 9with in the village, had given J;' :IS10D ot the affair. According tVfei ' he had made haste to get J&X 1 ot 'he girls out of the dog's fcV ,'Wvmg Merriwell and Mulloy 5, V' 1 are 01 Miss Burrage only. !?g' Bart had said, had ap-!: ap-!: i been fleeing in terror from k: earning boy who was pur- 'JSjfllr truth twisting larrikin!" IlTllil lv. vBarney- "why- iVs the j)7the was, himself! All you i XAy, 6"y' me lad, was help butch-A'' butch-A'' and frightened dog." tint6' Cheeks had grown hot, -ltV elUSed t0 boil als- Poesrwh ch seemed to be sniffing something very tasty. In a hushed Tw" stricken voice, he was reading through again. Bob he sa'd. .fcfntfeStarom ers stood up W the fellow on the ,dsf floor n nseaWtSPsatilir s "ng at Frank and sat stm, jf strUck -'J2 S admiration. Ml "drney. he said. "1 5 I fit ChVltalked t0 that "Porter. f 0' ' 1 Ja I e was being taken for a VU'-H' v E01ng t0 take it lying 60ing t0 let Hodge iV .1 y With that lie?" 7'" tt'tiZf get away w"h it. The W&CMlU have sent the dg's I t.?aVe his moment." .i't I lm have something else 'hZ not Paralyzed," &:f f? had t0 Put up a stiff argu-CCDVillCe argu-CCDVillCe IrISh th3t aumu win. - ontarv hush. There was a momentary gave MerriweUrne PtastanUy self together- He Lh3t th0dSBarney a swift buggy ride him and Barney j t. inSpiredebrLsHgrow 2 his feet, ting no grass grow -just a mom.eon'and throwing it movingto.wmdowandaira UbSiur nero doesn't smoke." said one of .the group. "You win, aamii -I-ve tried it, though. It maa rather sick." |