“About Merriwell,” Bully stated calmly. “Of course, he’s got you slated to pitch against the Clippers Saturday?”
“Yes he has—not!” Randall lost his temper, and slipped into his Southern dialect as usual when he became excited.
“I wouldn’t pitch if he did! I’ve had enough of these heah Yankee ways! I’m goin’ to leave Fahdale, Cahson, for wheah a man doesn’t hog it all because his fatheh is a big athlete! I cain’t swallow it and I won’t!”
“Good for you!” said Bully approvingly. “He has certainly treated you mis’ably, old hoss. You ought to be captain of the Fardale team right now! It ain’t fair treatment, I say.”
“I reckon not! These low-down Yankees truckle to him abjectly, Cahson. You-all haven’t any idea of what goes on heah! When we played Franklin last Satuhday, that fellow held out the best men on the team until I was beaten. Then he showed up, put ’em in, and managed to win with luck.”
Randall leaned back, trying to collect himself. Bully chuckled quietly. It was evident that his cousin had worked himself up into a riotous state of mind.
Randall was honestly convinced that his version of the Franklin game was the true one. Had he pitched and won, he would have been elected captain. He pitched, and was being knocked out of the box when Merry arrived in the ninth inning and saved the game.
All Fardale knew that Merriwell had been held prisoner, and that Clancy and Billy Mac had rescued him, all three appearing in the nick of time. Yet Randall only accepted that as a story put forth by Merry.
He had brooded by himself, had pointedly avoided Chip on the baseball field, and gradually managed to get himself into a badly overwrought condition. Twisting every little incident, seeing everything in the light of his jealousy and bitterness, it was not hard for him to convince himself that he was the victim of a cleverly executed plot.
His state of mind was a bad one, and would require some severe and sharp correction before his angle of vision could be straightened. Fortunately for himself, he had not attempted to convince any one else on the subject.