The first words that reached his ears caused Frank to stop thus suddenly.
“I tell you that you are in for it, Hodge. You knocked the cop out, and it will go hard with you if the job is fastened upon you.”
“Well, I can’t help it if it does,” said Bart, and there was a sullen sound in his voice. “I didn’t mean to hurt the little runt, but it was my confounded quick temper that caused me to fling him up against the post.”
“You made a fool of yourself,” declared Noon, with a sneering inflection.
“Well, I don’t need to have you come and tell me of it!” cried Bart, angrily.
“If it is known that you did the job, you stand a good show of being dropped from Yale with a dull thud.”
Not a sound from Hodge.
Merriwell was no eavesdropper, and he started to ascend the steps; but he dropped back and stood still, brought to a stop by Noon’s next words.
“I am the only fellow of our crowd who saw you fling the cop up against the post. The others were too busy attending to the ‘townies.’ If I keep still, you stand a good chance of escaping; but, if I tell, you are a goner. That makes it plain enough that I can wind you up in a moment if I want to.”
Frank would have given something to be able to see the expression on Bart’s face when those words were spoken, but he could not do so. Breathlessly he awaited Hodge’s retort.