me
up to Merriwell with the box of loaded shells.

"They are not all just alike, Merry!" he declared. "I have been looking
them over. See!"

He took up three of the shells and exhibited them to Frank. A casual
glance would show no difference between them and the other shells in the
box. But a close inspection showed that the brass did not go up quite so
high on the paper.

"I am sure that all the shells in the box were just alike," said Merry.
"Those were slipped in there. Keep them safe."

"But what if they blow me up?" Rattleton gasped. "I'm afraid of the
things. Some of the fellows are saying there was dynamite in the shell
that tore up the gun!"

"There is no danger, I think. Take care of them, and see that the other
boxes are not tampered with. Watch Morton Agnew."

"Let your bife I'll watch him! And he has been watching me! I caught him
at it awhile ago!"

"I think Agnew fixed up some shells to kill or maim me," said Frank. "No
doubt he would give a great deal to get the unused ones away. Look out
for him."

Then Merriwell went back to the crowd, where Badger was exhibiting his
benumbed arm and hand, and explaining how it felt to have a gun burst in
one's fingers.

"Are you ready?" he asked. "I am."

"Yes," Frank answered.

It was strange how the fellows on the shooting-grounds ranged themselves
into two companies--the supporters of Merriwell in one knot and the
supporters of the Kansan in the other. It was as if an invisible hand
had gone through the crowd and separated Merriwell's friends from his
foes. About Badger gathered Walter Gordan, Bertrand Defarge, Morton
Agnew, Gil Cowles, Mat Mullen, Lib Benson, Newt Billings, Chan Webb, and
more of the same sort, a number of them now Merriwell's pretended
friends, but all at heart his enemies. While about Merriwell swarmed his
friends tried and true, with Hodge, Browning, Diamond, Rattleton, Gamp,
Bink, and Dismal close to his person.

"Don't monkey with him," urged Bart, as Merriwell sent Danny and Bink
away for some shells and began to wipe out Bart's gun in readiness for
the shooting-contest. "Don't throw away any shots. Show those cads what
you can do. A lot of them are beginning to think that Badger is really a
better man than you are. If he defeats you----"

"He'll never defeat Merriwell!" asserted Rattleton. "Come off the dump!"

"Of course he can't!" added Diamond.

"There are no dead-sure things," droned Dismal. "I've been enticed into
s