e's
no good!"

"Now there is where you make a mistake," asserted Sport Harris, quickly.
"I know Ditson has no nerve, but he hates the same fellow we hate, and
he is good to do the dirty work. We can make use of him, Hartwick."

"I don't know anything about him," confessed Harlow.

"No, he hasn't the nerve to play poker, and so you did not get
acquainted with him when you were here."

"I don't know that he hates Merriwell so much," growled Hartwick. "You
remember that Ditson blowed everything to Merriwell, and that is why I
was forced to skip. Oh, I'd like the satisfaction of punching the face
off the dirty little traitor!"

"But what caused Ditson to blow? He says you misused him."

"I choked the cad a little, that is all."

"But there was something back of that," declared Harris. "What led you
to choke him?"

"Oh, we had a little trouble. He was trying to squeeze me too hard, and
I wouldn't stand for it."

"Trying to squeeze you?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"Well, I don't mind telling you. You know I tried to mark Merriwell for
life by punching my foil through the mask that protected his face while
we were engaged in a fencing bout. I had prepared my foil for that in
advance by fixing the button so I could remove it, and by sharpening the
point of the foil. I wanted to spoil the fellow's pretty face!"

The most malignant hatred was expressed in Hartwick's words and manner.
He went on:

"I tried the trick, but did not succeed. Ditson carried off the foil,
and kept it. He would not give it up, although he promised to a hundred
times. He used it to aid in blackmailing me. When he asked me for money,
I did not feel like refusing him, for he could throw me down hard by
turning the foil over to Merriwell. But he carried the thing too far.

"One night when I was in a bad mood he tried to squeeze more money out
of me. He had been living in luxury for some time, while I was broke
almost continually. I kicked and refused to give up. Then he had the
insolence to threaten me with exposure. I lost my head and choked him.
Directly after that he turned like a viper and blowed everything to
Merriwell. That was my downfall. I had to skip. Is there any reason why
I should not hate the sneak?"

"No, I do not wonder that you are sore on him; but he did not make
anything out of the trick."

"Didn't make anything! Why, he forced me out of college!"

"That was not the main thing he was looking for."

"Then what was?"

"He h