The plot had been hatched, and Darrel had gone actively to work to carry it out. Were they right or wrong in taking the stand they had done? Merry fretted over that part of it for a little while, and came to the conclusion that if Darrel, the captain of the Gold Hill team, thought the proceeding was justified, then no one else had any reason to complain.
Half an hour later, as Merriwell crawled into bed, he was taking an optimistic view of events to come. The disappointment that had come to him with Burke’s message would be obliterated by the success of Darrel in carrying out their plot. And, somehow or other, he had a feeling that Darrel was going to be successful.
CHAPTER XXXII.
THE DAY OF THE GAME.
The whole of Saturday, Frank and his chums had planned to devote to that contest with Gold Hill. Morning dawned bright and cloudless; but that is not saying much, for bright and cloudless mornings prevail in southern Arizona for three hundred and sixty days out of every year.
This was a land in which summer sports were to be enjoyed the whole year round. For those who liked that sort of thing the climate had its appeal, but Merriwell and his friends were beginning to think that the rigor of frost and snow, at the usual time, would form a pleasant change in that monotonous round of balmy weather.
Saturday was free from the grind which, for five days in the week, the professor insisted on during the hours from eight to twelve. Nearly the whole forenoon, therefore, Merriwell was free to spend on the clubhouse grounds.
All his players had presented themselves, with the exception of Mexican Joe. It was around Joe that the plot which concerned Lenning was to revolve, and the absence of the catcher caused Frank some apprehension.
There was a little practice on the diamond, but not enough to tire the players, and some time before noon Merry, Clancy, and Ballard were back at the hotel. Already people were beginning to arrive in town for the game. They came afoot, on horseback, and in buckboards and mountain wagons.
There were miners and ranchers, Indians, Mexicans, and Chinamen. The Bar Z Ranch, where Blunt worked, sent a big delegation of cowboys—and they were all there to root for Barzy.