and it," retorted the Vermonter.

"I presume you could, Mr. Gallup. You're young and energetic, and you
may live long enough to accumulate ten thousand more dollars."

"Don't yeou fret abaout me!" snapped Gallup, in exasperation.

"You quite misunderstand," smiled Silence. "I'm not fretting about you
in the least. Far from it. I was seeking to give you a little
compliment. Better tell your friends of the great Merriwell baseball
team to do their level best to-morrow. Better tell them what it means to
you if your team loses."

"I won't tell them nuthin' of the sort!" growled Gallup. "I don't
propose to say a hanged word abaout it, and yeou'll obleege me if you
keep your mouth shet, too! If Mr. Merriwell found it aout, he'd be hot
under the collar and give me a good dressing daown."

"Oh, very well," agreed Silence, "I'll say nothing. It's a small matter
to me."

Silence, Bearover, and Priley bade Gallup good day and left for Priley's
Hotel. Ephraim watched the proprietor of the Rovers as the man sauntered
away.

"Yeou're a gol-dinged gambler, that's what yeou be!" muttered the
Vermonter. "Yeou're a man that's allus lookin' for suckers, and yeou
think yeou've ketched one naow. Waal, mebbe yeou have, but we'll see
abaout that. I kinder guess yeou're due to bunt up ag'inst a red-hot
surprise to-morrer. You won't feel so fine and sarcastic arter that
game."

Nevertheless Gallup was troubled by an unpleasant feeling that he had
been reckless and imprudent to an almost reprehensible degree. Like many
another man, he had attempted to call a bluff only to find that the
other chap was not bluffing.

With his hands thrust deep into his pockets, the down-easter stood on
the sidewalk and stared after Silence until the man turned a corner and
disappeared. He saw the baseball proprietor laughing as he talked to his
companions, every gesture and every expression indicating that Silence
was absolutely confident he would win the bet.

"A man is a blamed fool to have anything to do with critters of his
caliber," was Ephraim's decision. "I feel like I'd kinder lowered myself
somehow. Thutteration! what if we should lose that game?"

A cold chill ran over him.

"Of course it's possible," he said, "but I don't 'low it's probable.
Even Frank Merriwell can be beat sometimes. My jinks! wouldn't it be
awful if things should go wrong! Whew!"

He fished out his handkerchief and mopped his face with it.

At last Gallup was beginni