“Not long,” was the doorkeeper’s response. “Fifteen or twenty minutes, perhaps.”
They were admitted, and Frank soon found himself in quite a large room, with something like a pit in the center. In this pit was a raised platform, which was surrounded by ropes. All around this platform were rows of seats, rising tier on tier, as they do in a theater.
From at least six different entrances people were streaming into that room, and already a great crowd occupied the seats. Men were smoking everywhere, but a huge fan ventilator seemed to carry off most of the smoke and keep the air fairly clear.
Frank wondered if Hodge was there. He began to look around for Bart at once.
“Come on,” urged his companion. “We must get as good a place to see as possible. Let’s get down in front.”
But Frank was not so eager to get down toward the front, for he wished to be where he could overlook the crowd of spectators. He permitted the man to go ahead, but lingered behind.
It was wonderful how swiftly those seats filled up. It was not long after Merry entered before every seat seemed taken and many were standing. Betting talk was being made on all sides. The odds seemed in favor of the “Sucker.”
Still Frank could see nothing of Hodge, and it seemed that he had surveyed the face of every person present. He began to fear that Hodge was not present and would not appear.
“If he ever dreams I have followed him he will stay away from here—he’ll get out of St. Jo.,” thought Merriwell.
Although the seats were taken, still the spectators came pouring in.