"That’s what you’re all working for!" flung back Uric. "But you won’t succeed in getting me out."
"You’ll succeed in getting yourself out if you keep on," declared Hugh, resuming his work of putting the room in order.
All this simply served to make Scudder more malicious than ever. While he feared Dick Merriwell, he continued to seek to devise some means of hurting the popular young plebe, for Dick was becoming popular.
It was Dick’s work on the football-field that was fast making him popular, something Scudder well understood. If Merriwell could keep at it as he had begun, he would make such a record at football as few of his years ever accomplish.
So Uric desired to injure Dick somehow in the way of football. Fardale was to play Hudsonville at Fardale the following Saturday, and on Friday morning Jack Glennon, of the Hudsonville team, received the following letter:
"Mr. Jack Glennon.
"Dear Sir: If you will meet me in Fardale at half-past nine o’clock Saturday morning, I will tell you how to defeat the Fardale Academy team. I have particular reasons for wishing Fardale to lose, and I believe you are the one who can fix it so that Hudsonville will surely win if you follow my tip. By Saturday I expect to know all about the new plays Fardale is learning in secret practise. You can reach Fardale on the nine A. M. train, and I will be at the post-office at half-past nine. I know you by sight, and will speak to you. I will not sign my name to this, as it might fall into hands for which it is not intended. Be sure to meet me in Fardale as directed."
Now, Glennon was the big center-rush of the Hudsonville team, and his record was none too clean. His playing the previous season had caused vigorous protests from many of the teams encountered by Hudsonville, and Scudder had picked him out as a fellow who would do pretty nearly anything to win a game, hence the letter.
Glennon quickly decided to meet the writer in Fardale and find out what it all meant. Therefore, he reached the academy town ahead of the Hudsonville team on Saturday, and hung about the post-office. But nine-thirty came and passed, and Glennon began to think the whole business was a hoax.
"I’ve been fooled!" he muttered, in disgust. "Bet a dollar some of the Fardale gang are around laughing at me this minute."