“Got a dollar, Guff?” inquired Lenning.
“Here’s a half, Len,” answered the coach, dipping into his pocket.
The coin was sent spinning into the air, and, when it fell, it was almost at Merriwell’s feet.
Lenning won, and naturally he chose the goal that had the wind in its favor. The players scattered out on the field, and Merry was left staring at Guffey—startled so that he scarcely realized what was going on around him.
The coin which Guffey had furnished for the toss was the plugged half dollar, Merry’s pocket piece, and the one that had vanished with the rest of the money from Merry’s coat. Frank had had a good look at the coin, and could not be mistaken.
[CHAPTER XLVI.]
THE GAME.
Merriwell’s interest in that game was naturally intense; and yet, it was not so intense as it was in that affair of Darrel’s. The colonel had hinted that Darrel was to be benefited by Merriwell’s watching Guffey. Keeping an eye on the other coach had started something, right at the very beginning of the game.
Like lightning Merry’s mind marshaled a few facts and evolved a startling theory. Hawtrey had said that Guffey had seen the game on the preceding Saturday. Merriwell’s thirty dollars had vanished during that game. Now Guffey had produced some of the loose change that had formed part of the “thirty.” It was money that could not readily be passed, so here was a possible reason for Guffey’s keeping it by him.
The pockets of the coat were emptied while the garment lay on the grand-stand benches. Instantly Merriwell thought of the dressing rooms under the stand, and of their possibilities as a point of observation. He thought, too, how easy it would be for a thief to reach out and draw the coat through between the seats, go into the garment at his leisure, and then replace it where it had been left by its owner.