“Exactly!” beamed the colonel. “I should be delighted to come out from town and see some of your contests. A friendly rivalry, Merriwell, will go far toward inculcating a different spirit between the clubs. Eh? I’m more than obliged to you for meeting my advances in the matter so agreeably. Jode is coming over here this afternoon to get an expression from you relative to a football game for to-morrow, or next day. What are the prospects?”
“Good, I should say,” said Frank. “I’ll broach the matter to Handy as soon as he gets back from up the cañon.”
“That’s the talk!” cried the colonel enthusiastically.
Merriwell was more than pleased with Colonel Hawtrey’s suggestion for a series of competitions between the two camps. Incidentally, if the contests were conducted in the right spirit, they would go far toward healing old wounds. Mainly, however, Merriwell wanted to come into closer contact with Jode Lenning, and see what he could discover, if anything, that would prove a benefit to Ellis Darrel. These proposed contests could not but help him in this desire.
The colonel, having achieved the purpose that brought him to Tinaja Wells, got up from the bench in high, good humor.
“You are really a chip of the old block, Merriwell,” he laughed, “and it’s something for you to be proud of.”
Merry thought he might take advantage of the colonel’s amiable nature at that moment and do a little something for his new chum.
“Have you any word to leave for Ellis Darrel, colonel?” he asked.
The good humor left the other’s face. He straightened his shoulders stiffly and his eyes narrowed under a black frown.
“The one word I have for Darrel,” said he harshly, “is this: that he keep away from me. If he’s got it in him, he’ll live down the past; if he hasn’t, he’ll go to the dogs. I shall be glad to learn that he’s making something of himself, but—but I never want to see him again.”