re of ther profits come in?"

"You shall have your share, don't you worry. We'll have that all
arranged in advance."

"Then that goes! I am with yer, gents."

"What are the rest of us to do?" asked Harris.

"There will be something for all of us to do. Ditson must continue to
play the spy on Merriwell."

"And that's the most dangerous job of all!" cried Roll. "You know what
came near happening to me the night I found out Merriwell intended to
put Nemo in the Mystic Park races. I was nearly chewed up by Diamond's
dog."

"But you escaped with your life," said Harris.

"Because I took that cane with the loaded end. If it hadn't been for
that the infernal dog would have eaten me. I hit him an awful blow. It
would have killed any other dog."

"Well," said Harlow, "we'll strike a different kind of a blow
directly--one that will do more than lay out a dog."

CHAPTER VIII.

TAKING CHANCES.

It was the day of the spring races at Mystic Park, and Bethany was
filled with strangers. Horsemen, sporting men, sightseers, touts,
race-track gamblers, women in gay attire, and all the different kinds of
persons usually seen at a country horse race in the State of Connecticut
were on hand.

A number of Yale lads had come up to Bethany to attend the races. The
most of them were friends of Frank Merriwell. Some of his enemies were
there, also.

Frank had brought Nemo up himself, and he scarcely slept the night
before the races. He felt that there was danger in the air.

Nemo had been entered in the "free for all," and his name was on the
bills. Frank had been informed that he would be given odds that his
horse did not take a purse. He had received an anonymous letter
ridiculing him for thinking of entering such a horse. He had been
taunted and told that he dared not stake money on Nemo.

Merriwell knew well enough that there was a plot afloat, and it seemed
that the scheme was to make him lose money on his horse. If he had been
timid he would have hesitated about backing Nemo for anything; but the
ones who had been taunting him had reckoned well on his mettle, and they
had succeeded in pricking his pride and arousing him.

Frank had seen Nemo work on a track with Toots in the saddle. He had
timed the horse repeatedly, and he felt confident that Nemo could not
fail to take a position if he were in proper form when he entered the
race.

Frank sent for money. He demanded it. His guardian did not feel like
refusin