“I take a great interest in athletics and sports of all kinds,” he said, “and I could not go to college without making a try for a chance on the teams.”
“Yeou’ll git there. Why, yeou was a bird at baseball—could pitch ur ketch, ur play any other old place. And when it came to football—jeewizh! but yeou was a howler!”
At this moment a most startling thing occurred. Down on the table between them dropped a spluttering, smoking something. It sent out a spray of sparks, and it filled every one near with the utmost terror.
“Le bombe! le bombe!” was the wild cry that went up, and there was a mad scamper to get out of the way.
Men shouted hoarsely and women shrieked. Everything was cast into uproar and confusion in the twinkling of an eye.
CHAPTER XI.
PLEASURE AND PERIL.
Frank Merriwell did not lose his presence of mind. Like a flash, he caught up the thing, which was a short piece of gas pipe, and pinched off the burning fuse with his thumb and finger, burning his hand as he did so.
Placing the bomb carefully on the table, he leaped up and plunged after the crowd, having caught sight of the person who dropped the thing on the cloth before him.
It was the woman who wore the mask!