“Did you ever know me to lie?” he asked, sharply.
“No, but this is different, and——”
“It will not be necessary for me to lie about this in order to shield Hodge. I did not see anything. I did not see the cop injured. I can swear to that, and it’s all they’ll ever get out of me.”
After a moment of silence, Griswold said:
“We may be able to protect Hodge by keeping silent, but I want to give you some advice, Merry. I am serious now. Don’t grin at me. This is one time in my life when I am not thinking of anything funny, as the fellow said when the surgeons were getting him ready to cut off his leg. If you are wise, you’ll let up on one thing you have been trying to do.”
Frank could not help grinning when he thought of taking advice from Griswold, but he tried to look serious, and said:
“Go on.”
“You have been pushing Hodge for the nine. Is that right?”
“Well,” admitted Frank, “I have been using my influence to get him on, for I know he is a corker.”
“Drop it!” cried Danny, pulling out a package of cigarettes and extracting one. “It won’t go, and you are going to get the other candidates for the position of catcher down on you. Hodge is a very fresh freshman, and he does not stand a show of getting on the nine this year.”