“It won’t do you any good to slur Ben Stone, and I don’t think you’d better call him names before me. Of course I wouldn’t put a hand on you here in your own home, but——”
“Great Cæsar! you’re threatening me, Eliot.”
“Stone will remain on the team, Hayden; you may as well make up your mind to that. If you haven’t manhood enough to come back and work for the team, you’re not worthy to be on it. You’re going to find it a losing fight, my boy; you may hurt me, but you’ll hurt yourself far more. The poorer record the team makes without you and your friends, the more you’ll be blamed when the season is ended. Think that over. It’s all I have to say.”
Without even adding good night, Roger left the room, descended the stairs and passed out of the house.
CHAPTER XVI.
STONE’S DEFIANCE.
It is almost impossible to describe the mental condition of Bernard Hayden immediately after Roger’s departure. Resentful wrath nearly choked him, and for a few moments he raged against Eliot like a lunatic. Even when he grew calmer outwardly, the fierce tumult in his heart continued.
“How dare that fellow come here and talk to me in such a fashion!” he snarled, pacing the floor of his room; “how dare he! So he’s going to stand by Stone at any cost! Judging by what I’ve heard about him, he’s just mule enough to do it, too. I presume he’s right in believing he has pull enough with the fellows to carry the thing through. I’ve got to down Stone, and I will; but I can’t afford to hurt myself while I’m about it, and, with Eliot taking the stand he vows he will take, it will be necessary for me to try other tactics. I hate to give in a whit, and I’ll only seem to do so, in order that I may adopt some other plan—some plan that can’t possibly fail. Perhaps you think you have me nipped, Mr. Eliot, but at any cost I’ll win eventually.”
The following morning, watched by Jimmy, Stone was mending a broken swing in the orchard behind Mrs. Jones’ house when, looking up, he discovered Bern Hayden standing not twenty feet away. Their glances met and clashed, and, startled by the strange look on Ben’s face, Jimmy glanced round, discovering the frowning, dark-faced intruder.