CHAPTER XI.
NED NOON MAKES AN OFFER.
What Danny had said to Frank set the latter to thinking. Up to that time he had not been aware that any of his friends were kicking because of his being chummy with Hodge.
Had Merriwell been a sophomore and Hodge a freshman the situation would have been altered materially, for sophomores and freshmen are natural enemies, and it is regarded as a crime for a soph to be chummy with a fresh.
On the other hand, there is more or less friendliness between juniors and freshmen. Juniors do everything they can to encourage freshmen in their struggle against the sophomores, even going so far as to marshal them for their rushes and give them points to be observed in their struggles with the sophomores.
It is true that there seldom seems to be any further bond of sympathy between freshmen and juniors than the dislike of both for sophomores. The discomfiture and downfall of the freshmen arouses nothing like pity on the part of the juniors; more often it causes the latter to openly express contempt.
At first, the apparent friendliness of the juniors leads the unsophisticated freshmen to think the third year men really like them, and have sympathy for them; but it does not take long for the freshies to discover their mistake—it does not take long for them to find out they are a thing quite apart from the juniors in every conceivable manner except their mutual dislike for sophomores.
Still, it sometimes happens that a junior and a freshman may become chums, while such friendliness between afreshman and a sophomore would be regarded as a disgrace to the latter.
Frank had an independent way; he did not seem to care for traditions or precedent. He had shown that all along, but never so strongly as since becoming a junior. Almost his first act was to show friendliness toward a freshman bully, after conquering the latter in a fair struggle. This brought forth a howl from those who believed the only proper thing for him to do was to treat the bully with scorn and contempt after downing him.
But Frank kept calmly on his way, doing what he believed was right, regardless of anything that was said.
And now that Hodge was in college, he had chosen to accept Bart as a chum. If his former friends did not like it, he could not help it. He knew Bart Hodge’s nature, and he knew Hodge would need to be steadied by the hand of a friend after entering college, else he would be certain to fall under evil influences and go wrong.
Frank had used his influence to get Bart on the ’varsity nine because he believed Hodge a better backstop than any of the candidates for the position.
Yale’s catcher of the two preceding years had graduated and gone West, which left the position vacant.
Good pitchers are absolutely necessary on a good ball team, but the work of a good pitcher can be ruined by a poor catcher. The pitcher shines as the bright, particular star, but it is the work of the man behind the bat, almost as much as the pitcher’s own skill, that makes him shine.
A good catcher steadies and encourages a pitcher at all times, and particularly at such moments as the game is hanging in the balance so that a safe hit or a fumble may win it or lose it. At such a time, if the pitcher has perfect confidence in his catcher, he stands a good show of doing his level best; but if he lacks confidence, he may think thegame is lost anyway, and fail to exert himself to his utmost.
Frank had first pitched to Bart on the old Fardale Academy nine, at which time the Fardale battery was a wonder and a terror to the ball teams of the surrounding country. Fardale had never lost a game with Merriwell and Hodge as the battery.
On the sporting trip across the continent, Frank found occasion to pitch to Bart again, and he discovered that Hodge had lost none of his cunning. Merriwell’s “Yale Combine” played against the regular Fort Worth professionals, Fort Worth having the famous “Dad” Morse in the box, and beat them by the remarkable score of two to one.
In this game the throwing and batting of Hodge was a feature, and Frank Merriwell was delighted to find Hodge in old-time form. On the following day, Merriwell and Hodge had acted as battery for Fort Worth, the Texans easily defeating the Little Rocks, who were the leaders of the Southern League.
Frank had the Fort Worth papers containing records of the games, and he had placed them before the baseball committee and the captain of the ’varsity nine, calling attention to the fact that in the two games Hodge had not had a passed ball, had not made an error, had obtained seven assists, six hits and two scores. A record to be proud of, considering the fact that he was in company that was considered very fast.
But Hodge was a freshman, which counted against him in the eyes of the committee. The other candidates for the position were a sophomore, a junior and a senior. It was acknowledged that the senior had slight show of getting on. It was not his first attempt to get under the bat. He had played an outfield position one year, and had been substitute catcher one year, but this counted against him, ifanything, for he had never done anything particularly brilliant.
The other two men, however, Ned Noon, the junior, and Roger Stone, the sophomore, stood a fair chance of making the team. It was whispered about that Noon had some sort of “pull” with the committee, and he was almost sure to catch on, for all that it was thought Capt. Hardy favored Stone.
Hodge was called “Merriwell’s candidate,” and, for all of Frank’s popularity, for all of the fact that he was looked on as the mainstay of the nine that season, it was agreed that Bart did not have much show of making the nine.
Frank, however, persisted in his attempt to get Bart on. Up to the time of his talk with Griswold he had not suspected the feeling that existed in relation to Hodge. Now he saw it all, and he realized that Bart was in double danger.
“He has injured a policeman, and, should it become known, some of his enemies might hold it over him. I must have a talk with him.”
Frank started for Farnham Hall without delay.
Just outside the wide doorway, before putting his foot on the steps, he paused, brought to a sudden halt by the sound of voices within.
“Noon!” he thought.
Then he heard another voice.
“And Hodge!” he added.
The rivals were standing just within the doorway, talking earnestly. Frank could see the back of Bart’s coat.
The first words that reached his ears caused Frank to stop thus suddenly.
“I tell you that you are in for it, Hodge. You knocked the cop out, and it will go hard with you if the job is fastened upon you.”
“Well, I can’t help it if it does,” said Bart, and there was a sullen sound in his voice. “I didn’t mean to hurt the little runt, but it was my confounded quick temper that caused me to fling him up against the post.”
“You made a fool of yourself,” declared Noon, with a sneering inflection.
“Well, I don’t need to have you come and tell me of it!” cried Bart, angrily.
“If it is known that you did the job, you stand a good show of being dropped from Yale with a dull thud.”
Not a sound from Hodge.
Merriwell was no eavesdropper, and he started to ascend the steps; but he dropped back and stood still, brought to a stop by Noon’s next words.
“I am the only fellow of our crowd who saw you fling the cop up against the post. The others were too busy attending to the ‘townies.’ If I keep still, you stand a good chance of escaping; but, if I tell, you are a goner. That makes it plain enough that I can wind you up in a moment if I want to.”
Frank would have given something to be able to see the expression on Bart’s face when those words were spoken, but he could not do so. Breathlessly he awaited Hodge’s retort.
“So that is your game, is it?” grated the voice of Merry’s Fardale chum. “Well, I swear, I did not think it of you, and I haven’t liked you, either!”
“You are shooting off too soon,” hastily said Noon. “I didn’t say I had any game at all, but I wanted you to understand just where you stood. You can do me a favor. Of course, I would not be mean enough to go back on a fellow who did me a favor. Instead of that, I would protect him, if necessary, by swearing one of the ‘townies’ knocked out the cop.”
“I do not ask that much of my friends, much less ofyou!” flashed Hodge. “If you want to blow on me, go ahead. All I can say is, that I’ll punch the face off you if you do!”
“You wouldn’t get the chance,” declared Noon. “You’d be pulled for assaulting an officer in performance of his duty, and it would go hard with you.”
Again Hodge was silent.
Once more Merriwell was on the point of ascending the steps, when Noon began again:
“There is no reason why we should be enemies, Hodge. We should be friends——”
“Not by a long distance!” exclaimed Bart, contempt in his voice. “I know you now too well for that, Ned Noon! We can’t be friends.”
“Oh, have it as you like; but you’ll find it for your good not to make an enemy of me.”
Hodge uttered a scornful exclamation.
“Oh, you needn’t turn up your nose!” cried Noon; “for you’ll have to pull it down again. I see I’ve got to talk straight to you. You make me tired! For a freshman you put on too many airs. What I want to say is this: If it wasn’t for Merriwell’s influence, you would not have a ghost of a show to get on the nine. As it is, you do not stand much chance, but——”
“But you are worried,” sneered Bart. “That is remarkable.”
“You do not stand much chance,” Noon repeated; “but I shall stand a better show if you retire, for the only man against me who is at all dangerous will be Stone. It is easy enough for you to get out. You can tell Merriwell that you have decided not to play, anyhow. That will settle it, if you stick to it. If you do that, I’m ready to swear that I saw one of the ‘townies’ flop the little cop up against the post.”