“Perhaps I’m tired of this foolishness,” said Chester.
“What foolishness?”
“Trying to injure Merriwell.”
“What?” gasped Crauthers. “You? Why, he has insulted you in a dozen ways, and you are the last man to——”
“Oh, I’ve forced it on him, and you know that Merriwell is not such a bad fellow after all.”
Crauthers seemed to be choking.
“Well,” he growled, “I’m blowed if I didn’t think all along that there was something of the squealer about you! You blowed too much about your father being the great D. Roscoe Arlington, and——”
“That will do for you!” said Chester, with a pleasant smile. “It is just about the limit.”
“The limit! Why, you haven’t backbone enough to——”
“If you think so,” said Arlington, “just walk down behind the cedars with me.”