They all regarded him in amazement, for always he had been the fiercest against Frank.
“This from you!” cried Julian Ives, smiting his bang a terrible smack with his open hand and almost staggering. “What does it mean?”
“It means that we may as well own up to the truth. He has pulled himself up to the top, and everything we or others have done or said has been fruitless in pulling him down.”
No wonder they were amazed! Skelding had been one who had often taken a hand in some daring move against Merriwell. The others to a man had lacked nerve, but Gene was reckless, and they knew it. He had never seemed to give up hope; but now, all at once, he flung up the sponge. Why shouldn’t they show consternation?
Behind his collar Tilton Hull gave a gurgling groan.
“It’s not Merriwell’s strength that has placed him on top,” he said despairingly. “He is not a strong man.”
“Not in any sense,” said Julian Ives.
“He’s strong enough in his way. No other Yale man has ever done the things he has done and kept on top. Think of him, a senior, going into the freshman boat as coxswain in place of the coxswain the sophs had stolen! The nerve of the thing is colossal. But what would have befallen any other senior who dared do such a thing? He would have got it in the neck. How about Merriwell? Why, everybody seems to think he did a clever thing in palming himself off as Earl Knight, the freshman. A man who can do a thing like that and come off all right is too strong to be thrown down. It’s no use, he is on top for good.”
“I don’t think he ith verwy thwong,” simpered Veazie. “He ith a gweat bwute! But there are otherth jutht ath thwong ath he ith. I weally believe he thinkth himthelf a Thandow.”
“I was not thinking of his physical strength,” said Skelding; “though it seems that he’s pretty nearly as strong that way as any other. You know they say he defeated that strange athlete of the scarred face.”