CHAPTER IX.A PLOT AGAINST FRANK.
Bart, of course, had no further objection to offer to Dade Morgan as a member of the nine, and the work of choosing the players went on without any other unpleasant incidents. When the final selections were made, Frank was satisfied that the Yale team was competent to put up a good game of ball and would more than hold its own against its Southern rivals, and his judgment was confirmed on the field.
The date scheduled for the game at Charlottesville, Virginia, proved to be a beautiful, mild day, early in April. It was near noon, and among the crowd gathered to greet the players on the platform of the railroad-station were two men strikingly unlike in appearance. One was tall, raw-boned, sinewy; the other was of medium height, young, slender, and flashily dressed. The taller of the two was rough, and plainly given to dissipation. He was about forty years of age and a tough-looking customer. The other was in his early twenties, but he had the face of a youthful drinker, and there was about him an offensive air of conceit.
The elder man was Jack Cunningham, brother of Bill Cunningham, the famous Blue Ridge moonshinerand outlaw. The younger was Roland Ditson, once a student at Yale College.
Cunningham was listening to the guarded talk of his youthful companion. He had reddish hair and beard. His trousers were tucked in the tops of his boots, and he wore a woolen shirt that was open at the neck. His build was that of a man possessing great strength and endurance.
“I reckon yo’ don’t love this Frank Merriwell much,” said Cunningham.
“I hate him,” replied Ditson, who was smoking a cigarette and nervously handling his cane. The first two fingers of his right hand were stained a sickly yellow.
“What makes yo’ hate him so ver’ much?” asked Cunningham.
“I can’t tell the whole story; it’s too long.”
“Did he steal a girl away from yo’ some time?”
“No. We were at college together. He’s still going to college. He set himself up as a leader as soon as he entered.”
“An’ yo’ didn’t approve of that?”
“Well, I didn’t like it much. You can bet your life I did not bow before him, same as most of the fellows came to do.”
“Bucked agin’ him, did yo’, boy?”
“Dicidedly.”
“An’ he slammed yo’ down hard?”
“Confound him! he always had a way of coming out on top. But I’ve got a score to settle, and I’m goingto settle it! He disgraced me before the whole crowd one night, and I swore then that I’d find a way of getting even before I died. Oh, I suppose I’ve got the best reason for hating him that a fellow ever had! No matter just what it is; I don’t like to talk about that. He did me dirt, and I’m going to get back at him.”
“Yo’ say he’s comin’ here?”
“Yes. He’s the pitcher on the Yale baseball-team, which plays Virginia here this afternoon.”
“Well, what’s your game?”
“Virginia must win. I have learned that Merriwell will pitch here to-day, for Yale means to take no chances.”
“Well?”
“Virginia can’t win with Merriwell pitching for Yale.”
“Why not?”
“Because it is impossible. The fellow is one of the most remarkable twirlers who ever threw a ball. He has a curve that no batter can hit, and I understand that he is in perfect form this season. Virginia has not a ghost of a show with Merriwell pitching.”
Ditson puffed fiercely at the cigarette, blowing some of the smoke into Cunningham’s face. The giant coughed and fanned it aside with his huge paw.
“What in thunder any human being wants to smoke anything like that for is mo’ than I can understand!” he blurted, in disgust. “The smell of it would make a pig sick!”
“Excuse me,” said Ditson, who did not wish to offend the fellow.
“Why don’t yo’ be a man an’ smoke a pipe?” demanded the other. “Does this Merriwell smoke them?”
“I believe he does not smoke at all. He’s one of the goody-good kind that never does anything bad. Oh, he’s a most sickening and disgusting fellow.”
“Kind of a mammy’s boy, eh?”
“In some ways, yes; but you do not want to make a mistake by getting to think he’s weak, for he isn’t. He is one of the strongest men at Yale—he’s an athlete.”
“Haw!” blurted Cunningham, with a gesture of contempt. “I judge I know what that means. Them college athletes don’t amount to anything. The best of them would be a child in my hands.”
“Now, don’t make the mistake of underrating college athletes,” Ditson hastened to say. “Some of them are wonderfully strong and expert, and this Merriwell is a leader among such men.”
“All right; have it that way if yo’ want to. I don’t care.”
“If Merriwell does not play with the Yale team Virginia will win, for she has a good nine, and Virgil Paragon, her pitcher, is clever. I want her to win the worst way. It will make Merriwell feel mean, for he’s captain of the Yale team.”
“Well, how yo’ goin’ to do the trick?”
“That’s why I sent for you. That’s why I had you to come here with your team.”
“Yo’ ain’t made it clear yet.”
“I want you to carry this Merriwell off.”
“Is that all?”
“Don’t you know some place about two or three miles outside of town where you can take him and keep him till about six o’clock this afternoon?”
“I judge I do. I could take him out to Ben Shannon’s place.”
“That’s all right.”
“But how’m I goin’ to get him to go, suh? I can’t jest openly nab him right here befo’ everybody and carry him off without raisin’ a row.”
“I’ll fix that all right so he will go along with you without a word. When you get him out there you must take care of him and see that he doesn’t come back.”
“Oh, I can do that all right if I can get him to come along without raising a fuss. But how’m I to get him to come along, suh?”
“I’ll explain. There is a girl stopping in this town, whom he knows. Her name is Elsie Bellwood, and she is stopping out at the Parker plantation. Merriwell is more or less smashed on her, and he always stands ready to fly to her at her call.”
Cunningham rolled his quid of tobacco over his tongue, and winked at Roland, as he observed:
“I begin to see yo’ game. I’m ter tell him she wants to see him, git him inter my turnout, an’ whisk off.”
“Something like that, but I’ve prepared something that will make it dead easy to fool him. I happenedto get hold of some of her handwriting, and I’ve written a note for you to give him. I’ve imitated her writing and signed her name, and I think it will fool him. He won’t be looking out for tricks, so it will be dead easy.”
“How much money did yo’ say there was in it?”
“Fifty dollars.”
“Cash in advance?”
“Twenty-five in advance; twenty-five afterward.”
“I’ll do it. Where’s the letter an’ the money?”
“Wait. I don’t want anybody to see me give you the letter or the money. Let’s walk out here a piece where we’ll be alone.”
“All right.”
They made a strangely mated pair as they walked down the station-platform and passed round behind the freight-building.
“Here is the letter,” said Roland, as he took a square envelope from his pocket and passed it over to Cunningham.
On the envelope was written: “Mr. Frank Merriwell, kindness of Mr. Muldoon.”
“Who’s Mr. Muldoon?” demanded Cunningham.
“You’re Mr. Muldoon,” explained Ditson, with a crafty smile. “That’s so he will not get onto your real name at once. He’s posted, and he may have heard of you, or your brother. Best not to wake up his suspicions too quick.”
“S’pose that’s right,” nodded the giant, as he thrustthe letter into his pocket. “Seems to me I’ve heard of a strong man by the name of Muldoon.”
“There is such a man—William Muldoon, and he’s a wonder.”
“Then I’m his brother, an’ I can throw Willie four times out of five, with one hand tied behind me. Mr. Frank Merriwell will think so when I lay fingers on him.”
Again Roland warned the confident ruffian not to underestimate Merriwell’s prowess.
“If you do, he’ll surprise you, just as true as you live. He is a wonder.”
“That’s all right,” grinned Cunningham. “I know all about them kind of wonders. Where’s yoah money, suh?”
Ditson produced a roll of bills, the sight of which caused the eyes of the rascal to glitter and his fingers to twitch. In that moment it is likely he was tempted to snatch the whole amount, run for it, and let Frank Merriwell go his way.
“Here’s twenty-five,” said Roland, stripping off two tens and a five and handing them over. “I’ll give you the rest to-night after you have done the job. When the train comes in all you have to do is go right in among the Yale men and ask for Merriwell. They’ll point him out to you. Give him the letter and get him into your wagon as soon as you can. After that it’s for you to make sure he doesn’t show up again till after the ball-game is over.”
The train whistled in the distance.
“There she comes!” exclaimed Cunningham.
“Yes, there she comes!” palpitated Ditson. “Get back to the platform and be ready for your work. Don’t make a fizzle of it.”
“There ain’t the least danger of that, suh,” confidently declared Cunningham, as he strode away.