“Oh, come away!” begged Chickering, the professed peacemaker, tugging at Defarge’s sleeve. “We don’t care to bet about this thing, you know.”
“Put up er shut up!” bellowed Higgins; but Defarge and the Chickering set moved away.
“He shut up!” Higgins observed, grimly tucking the money back. “That’s what I intended. I dunno a durn thing what he was talkin’ ’bout, but I don’t ’low nobody to slander Merry.”
They soon discovered what Defarge had been talking about. A challenge by wire had been received by Merriwell’s polo-team from the polo-team at New London, asking Frank to set a date for a game, but insisting that the game should be played in New London. This was of interest to Starbright, for he was a member of the polo-team which Frank had organized and was training.
Defarge came back after a while, and this time he had a roll of bills which he had obtained from Dade Morgan. Roland Packard and Don Pike also appeared on the scene with goodly sums of money, which they were willing to wager that Merriwell’s team would not dare to accept the challenge of the New London men.
“Why do you want to bet against Yale?” Rupert Chickering hypocritically protested, when Gene Skelding also appeared, clothed with funds and renewed confidence. “Loyalty to Old Eli, you know!”
“Rot!” said Skelding. “It isn’t a question of Yale and Old Eli. Merriwell has organized a team of his individual friends. They represent nothing but Merriwell’s swelled head. They are trying to make themselves and every one else believe that they can wipe up the earth with everything in the polo line. We intend to prick the bubble. We’re going to show that they won’t dare to meet any team that can play.”
“You’re sure of the New London team?”
“Yes; but it isn’t the regular New London team. It’s a private team, just as Merriwell’s is; but it holds some crack players. They are willing to meet Merriwell. If he was at the head of a regular Yale team he could refuse by saying that he would only meet college teams. But as it is, he won’t have a leg to stand on if he refuses. We’re going to make him play or take water.”
That night Hodge met Merriwell in a troubled mood. He was a member of Frank’s team, and the bets that were being freely offered more than irritated him, and he did not hesitate to say so.