“How’s everything, Chip?” “Great, Mr. Trayne! We’re going to do some topside playing this afternoon!”
“Glad to hear it,” said the coach, with a smile. “Have you decided to keep Kess at second?”
“If you approve, sir. Lowe at third, Harker at short, and O’Day in Villum’s place in right. It’s a new line-up, but I think it’s tremendously strengthened.”
Coach Trayne nodded quick assent.
“You’ve done wonders with those chaps already, Chip! Crockett was a dandy captain, but he seemed content to keep the men in their old positions. This change of yours is going to give the fans a big surprise.”
“And a pleasant one, I hope.” Merry’s smile suddenly died away. “Only I’m not quite certain about the pitching end.”
“What!” Coach Trayne’s face expressed sudden concern. “Aren’t you going in?”
“I hope so. But I was thinking what would happen if anything went wrong with me, or if I got pounded badly. You see, Randall is our best substitute man, and he’s been acting badly lately. He refused to come out to practice the last two[244] days, and virtually announced that he was through with baseball.”
“I know,” and the coach looked worried. “Personally, I’d like to kick him around the block, Chip! But for the school’s sake we ought to try to placate him.”
It was late Saturday morning, the day of the game with the Carsonville Clippers. Everything looked bright for Fardale. The Clippers were due to arrive on the noon train, and, as their reputation was great, a record crowd was expected. Word had spread around that this might be Chip Merriwell’s last game for the season, and excitement was intense.
“I wouldn’t worry, though,” advised the coach. “You’re all right, old man, and those Clippers will never get to you. We won’t need Randall.”
“I don’t know, Mr. Trayne. The Clippers are amateurs, but they’re crack players. Still, I wasn’t thinking of the game alone. I may go away next week, and if Randall can only be brought into a right frame of mind, he’d make a great captain.”
Trayne flung him a keen look.
“Do you mean it? After the way he’s acted toward you——”
“Yes,” said Chip soberly, “I think that he’s merely viewed things wrongly, and I feel now that he’d make the best captain of any one on the team. I think I’ll run up to his room right[245] now, Mr. Trayne. I’ll have a frank talk with him, and it may be that I can win him around.”
“That’s not a bad idea, Merriwell. If you can do so, it’ll surely be a great good thing for Fardale. We can’t afford to have a man of his caliber brooding over his imagined wrongs. Good luck to you, and let me know how he shows up.”
“I will,” said Chip, and he turned away toward the barracks.
As regarded his leaving Fardale, Chip himself knew very little. He had heard from his father that they were going West, together with Dick Merriwell, and that he must hold himself in readiness to leave when his father sent for him at a moment’s notice. Therefore, it was possible that this was his last diamond work for Fardale.
The cause of this summons was a mystery to him, but he knew that he would find out in due course. In fact, he was looking forward to the trip with no little anticipation. Frank Merriwell, junior, was a chip of the old block in nickname and in fact, and he knew that with his father and his Uncle Dick he was apt to experience a lively time.
He quickly made his way to the room in barracks occupied by Bob Randall. At his knock, the Southerner’s voice called “Come in!” and Frank entered.
“You!”
Randall came to his feet, fists clenched and eyes[246] flashing. He had been sitting beside a table, on which lay a pitcher of water and some books. Evidently he had been trying to get through some study.
“I’d like a talk with you, Bob,” said Merry quietly. He took no heed of the other’s constrained attitude.
“Sit down,” said Randall, his innate hospitality showing through his anger. “I’m rather surprised to find you coming here, Merriwell.”
“I thought you would be,” and Frank coolly plunged into the discussion, without any false premises. “I’ve observed that you’re worked up over something, Randall. More than one fellow has told me that you’re sore at me over my getting elected captain, and I wanted to straighten things out with you if I could.”
Randall trembled with anger, and seemed on the point of a violent outburst. Then he made an effort and curbed himself. Forcing his voice down, he spoke slowly and with apparent calmness, which did not deceive Frank.
“That’s quite right, Merriwell. You fooled me at the time, but I’ve been thinking it over since then, and I’ve seen how you jockeyed me out of that election. Naturally, it looked like anything but gentleman’s work.”
Chip flushed a little.
“I think you’ve made a big mistake, old man,” he returned. “I thought you understood me better[247] than that, and I can’t see how you imagine that I didn’t play fair.”
“Perhaps you did, from your viewpoint. You kept Clancy and Billy Mac out of the game and smashed up the team. Then, when I was beaten, yo............