Parker and Foote had taken their dinner together at an eating house, and, when the meal was over, they lighted cigars and walked toward the campus.
“I don’t see that you’re doing much,” sneered Parker. “You talked mighty big about your plans, and about how you were going to queer Merriwell. What have you done?”
“I’m sorry for Merriwell,” said Foote, without giving a direct reply. “He talks a lot about high standards of morality and all that sort of thing. He’s got a nice little problem on his hands now, and he’s going to decide it the way any other man would. He thinks it’s in his power to spoil the chances of two of his precious team from graduating. And he’s going to keep quiet. You mark my words. He doesn’t know, you see, that I’ve taken steps to see that the dean and others know of the evidence he’s got.
“Every one will know about it by to-morrow morning, and he’ll be sorry that he didn’t practice what he preached. He’ll find that by keeping quiet he’s just got himself into a hole without doing his friends or his team any good. And I guess that will be about the finish for Mr. Dick Merriwell’s pose of being superior to every one in Yale. But, if that isn’t enough, I’ve got another scheme that will settle it in a hurry.”
“You’re blamed mysterious,” said Parker angrily. “Why don’t you tell me what you’re doing? Hello! What’s the row about?”
They had come to the entrance to Dwight Hall, and there they found an excited crowd of students. They heard the news from half a dozen men at once.
An investigation was to be made of the senior examination in modern history, held that morning, and it was rumored that charges of cribbing had been made against Gray and Taylor. In any case, those two men were suspended from the baseball team until further notice. No reason was given for this action in the notice, signed by the dean, which had announced the suspension, but every one seemed to be able to explain it.
Foote’s jaw dropped as he turned to Parker.
“By Jove!” he cried. “He fooled me there—he’s had sense enough to save himself with the faculty. I didn’t think he’d go to the dean. However, I’ll find some way to queer him yet.”