Tip JOP WEEKLY “An ideal publication for the American Youth Issued weekly By Subscription, $2.50 per year. Entered as Second Crass Matier at the N. Y. Post Ofice by StREET & SMITH No. 245. Price, Five Cents. RANK FFERRIWEIES ENTERTAINMENTS orCELEBRATING THE VICTORIES OF OLD YALE ge | S Se = Se aia FRANK, BROWNING AND HODGE, THE GREAT TRIO OF THE VICTORIOUS YALE TEAM. ss ial ae i al — TT ae ar eae, Te so ad tng Issued Weekly—By Subscription $2.50 per year. Entered as Second Class Matter at the N. Y. Post Office, by STREET & SMITH, 288 William St., N. Y. Entered According to Act of Congress,in the year 1900 in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, Washington, D. C. hn ee — TID TOD WEEKLY _AN IDEAL PUBLICATION Eat eee YOUTH ERE’ EATERTNRETS: CELEBRATING THE VICTORIES OF OLD YALE. By BURT L. CHAPTER I. cs THE GIANT OF THE WHEEL. In its various forms, it was an -old' trick, and it ought not to have worked on Starbright, who had come from the famous preparatory college at Andover. But by some chance, Dick had never heard of it, and the sophomores, discovering this, pre- pared to ‘‘work”’ him with it. — It was a principle with the lordly sopho- motes to annoy freshmen, and the tower- ing young giant, who had already made~ himself so famous at Yale, suffered as” : face cat their Hately as seas noted mortals, . STANDISH. There is a streak in human nature which causes those who have been ‘‘through the mill’? to want to put others through. This spirit accounts for ‘‘haz- ing,’’ in all its forms. But it is not con- fined to college students. Never a tyro goes into a country printing office asa ‘“devil’? but the compositors begin to.set +, him impossible and meaningless tasks; sending him to other offices for heavy loads of slugs and. worthless type, for ~ ‘italic spaces’? which exist only in their own ie ee and ee him to + TIP TOP WEEKLY. Squeezing the type suddenly together and sending the dirty water up into his face and eyes. Sailors ask the green hand before the mast to ‘‘splice the jibboom,’’ and to ‘‘reef the standing rigging;’’ the round- house men at the railroad yards require the new man to sort over and move great ‘ heaps of worthless scrap iron, until his brain reels, his hands blister and his spinal column seems tied in a hard knot; the farmer boy sends out the new chap from the city, who wants a taste of farm life, to hoe the wheat or the oats, and the city boy—what is it the city boy does not do to the green lad from the country ? Jack Ready started it by offering to bet Dick Starbright ten dollars that he could not ride a bicycle from New Hayen to Guilford and back, a round trip of thirty- two miles, in three hours. Starbright ‘snapped him up quicker ‘than a wink, for though there were many things he could do better than bicycling, Dick knew that he could do this, and the trip to Guilford, along the pleasant shores for a great part of the way, was an attrac- tive one, The bet was made one Wednesday evening, and Dick was to do the riding the next Saturday afternoon. Starbright told his friend Dashleigh about it. ey 3 “Of course you can do it!’ Bert de- clared. ‘‘Dead easy! Why, I could do that trip in two hours, even if the roads are sandy. But three! I don’t “know what Ready is thinking about. He must fancy that I can’t ride a wheel. Perhaps it is because i started in to take part in the relay race and Merriwell pulled me out of it and put me at other work. But that was only ‘because you are a faster rider than I am, _.and my size and strength made me a promising candidate for the shot-putting and hammer-throwing.”’ Bingham. ‘‘And you did your part well, old man, You covered yourself with glory !”’ ‘‘And Ill show these duffers that I can ride a wheel. I?ll see how quickly I can do the trip, and I’ll make their eyes bulge out when they see me back.’’ _ Dick did not get an opportunity to see Merriwell, but he told Browning; and Browning, who had been ‘‘iet in on the ground floor,’’ assured Dick that he could make it ‘‘dead easy,’’ and that Jack Ready was a fool for offering such a bet. ‘It will be a good way to open up Merriwell’s entertaiments,’’ said Ralph Bingham, when Starbright chanced to speak to him about it. ‘‘I’d doit, if I were you.”’ Bingham was a sophomore, but Dick did not think of that. Carker, alone of the sophomores, ob- jected, urging that he disliked to see so good a fellow as Starbright toyed with in that way. ‘‘Well, you aren’t going to chip into the ~ thing and spoil the fun, just because it doesn’t suit you, are you?’’ demanded ‘‘We sophomores must hang together. Ready is an especial friend of youts, and he is managing the thing. Don’t you think it would be rather a scaly trick to give the snap away?” “Tf Merriwell should hear of it??? ‘‘Ffe’ll not hear of it. He has his hands full of other matters just now. And he wouldn’t interfere, anyway, for he’s. no milk-and-water kid. He had to go through the mill when he was a fresh- man, just as we did, and it did him good. I like Starbright. He’s a fine fellow. But he’s a freshman, and he’s in great danger of coming to think that he is ‘it’! He has boomed right up, and he’il be wear- ing frills of great importance round the gray matter of his thinking machine the. very first thing we know. Already he be- lieves that he’s better than any sophomore that ever trod the campus or sat on the fence. This thing won’t hurt him. It Se freshmen. will do him good, and tend to makea man of him.’’ This sort of logic, directed to a fellow classman, was irresistible. Ready was not at all sure that Merri- well would interfere; but, fearing that he might, for Dick: was recognized as his protégé, the clever fellow contrived. to keep the two apart most of the time, man- aging to be with one or the other when- ever they met and to so skillfully direct the conversation that no opportunity pre- sented for a discussion of Dick’s proposed ride. As for the other students of all classes, they shut up mum on the subject when- ever Frank came into their midst. There was a lowering gray sky and a hint of a change in the weather on that Saturday afternoon, when Dick wheeled up in front of the New Haven House for his start. , He rode a very high frame to accommo- date his great height. It was a. heavy roadster, not adapted to racing, but Dick had been able to crack it up for good speed on more than one occasion. As for his attire, Dick was comfortably clothed in a woolen bicycle suit some- what the worse for wear, and wore a visored cap. Like most Yale men, the cut and quality of his clothing were of second- ary consideration, his only demand being that it would suit his needs and be com- fortable. Jack Ready was there, to lead the cheer with which Dick’s departure was greeted, swinging his cap and yelling, after a pre- liminary offer to double his bet, which offer Dick would not accept. He was sure he would win Ready’s money, and for that reason he did not want the bet raised. Dashleigh was there, too, and other There were some juniors and seniors, also. But the larger number gath- ered in front of the hotel were sopho- ‘mores. » Starbright liked a bicycle, though he a9 TIP TOP WEEKLY. Cad vu was too large and heavy to become a crack rider. He was a good wheeliman, though, and he swung away with cheerfulness through the level streets of the college city and out toward the road that leads close along the shore of the sound, follow- ing as closely as he could the railway line. He found the wind heavy as he began to wheel over the Sound route The breeze was off the water and he was forced to bore into it quarteringly, which, with the character of the road, made the wheel- ing rather too heavy for pure pleasure. Nevertheless, Starbright “hit it up’? at a good gait, bending forward over the handle bars and thrusting his visored cap into the wind like the sharp prow of a racing yacht. Now and then a farmer stared curiously at him as he slipped by. This grew so frequent as he neared the first of the half-abandoned summer resorts of that part of the sound that he dis- mounted from his wheel, feeling that something in his personal appearance caused these men of the hoe to inspect him in that way. Having looked his wheel over and found it all right, Dick took off his coat’ and inspected that. pinned or chalked on its back, and nothing about him which could draw so much at- tention. “The fellows act as if they had never seen a bicycle!’’ he grumbled, as he re- placed his coat and remounted for the continuance of his journey. Yet that this could not be so seemed to be proved by the proximity.of the sum- mer resort hotels, which poured out scores of wheelmen for these roads every season, to make no mentiow of the bicyclists of New Haven. . On reaching the first of the summer resorts, Dick was surprised still further to find a number of men and women, chiefly composed of the class who get their living in the winter from the waters of the sound | € There was no legend ¥ or by taking care of the abandoned catavansaries, standing grouped on a cor- ner as if awaiting his coming, and staring at him with undisguised curiosity as he wheeled by. Don’t think much o’ yer wheel!’’ one of then shouted. Then added: ‘‘No; I don’t think I'll buy one of ‘em next suminer!”’ Stopping by aspring for a drink, he leaned the wheel against a fence, and a country youth came forward to look it over. Dick would have thought nothing of this if the young fellow had not asked him if he thought he received enough pay for that kind of work. ‘‘Not doing it for pay,’’ said Dick. ‘*VY’ain’t racin’ ag’in time, then ?’’ was the bland question. ‘*Not exactly.”’ ‘Can't say that I want to buy the ee -¢ wheel!” = “T haven’t any notion of selling it.’’ Then the countryman stared at him. “You ain’t Jimmy Michael?” ‘‘Timmy Michael, the famous bicyclist ? No. What made you think so?” ‘“‘And ain’t you advertisin’ a new kind of wheel that’s a world corker?’’ ; “Nothing of the kind.” /The country Jad flushed and moved away without explanation. ‘“What’s the matter with the fellow?’ Starbright thought. ‘‘Jimmy Michael? Nobody could mistake me for aanmy Michael !”’ Still the farmers stared at him as he him coming, they came close-down to the road, often the whole family, and stared — him as he passed on. "+. Once’ a young woman waved a hand- A earhied roguishly at him froma kitchen “window. | Se Dick began to feel red and uncom forta- “- a 4 _ TIP TOP WEEKLY. wheeled by. Sometimes, when they beheld inspect its fine points. ‘‘Looks like you’ve _ rid it a lot. apparently gathered to see him, what the make of his wheel was and if it was to be sold cheaper than other. makes of good wheels, he inquired why the question was asked. For answer the man pointed to a large placard on a wall: THE GIANT OF THE WHEEL. RICHARD STARBRIGHT, the World-Famous ie GIANT OF THE WHEEL, He Will this afternoon make a race against time from New Haven to Guilford and return for the purpose ae of advertising our new make of RECORD-BEATER *ROADSTERS. » Starbright has beaten the record of JIMMY MICHAEL, and OUR WHEELS BEAT THE WORLD. He has Circled the Globe in the Interest of Our Wheels. WAIT FOR HIM! YOU CANNOT AFFORD TO MISS é SEEING HIM! “Vou look a good deal like a Yale guy, but yer size made usthink mebbe you was the man,’’ the citizen explained. ‘‘Ves, Iam the man!’’ said Dick, hotly flushing. ‘I’m a guy all right, too!” ‘““What’s the make o’ the wheel?’ another queried, walking round as if to I should think they’d have sent you out on a shinin’ new one?”? re its countries. have oN, tidden TIP through ?’’ queried a vinegary woman in spectacles. ‘“‘I do hope you’ve been through Thibet. But if you have, the na- tives didn’t treat ye as bad as they do some folks. I’ve got some real good but- termilk, and if you’d like to drop into my house a minute to rest and tell me about Thibet I’d take it kindly. I’m so inter- ested readin’ *bout ‘Thibet that I can’t hardly sleep o’ night sometimes. It’s the first house on the corner as you go down —a little white house with green winder blinds.” Starbright was in a profuse perspira- tion. “Thank you!’ he said. ‘‘You’re very kind. But I must really hurry on. I’ve stopped too long uow.”’ Then, feeling that the only way to get away from these people was to mount his wheel, he hopped on it and fled through the village, giving a glance at the little white house with the green blinds as he swept by, and thinking that perhaps the proper thing would have been to stop there and talk Thibet to the inquisitive spectacled lady and sip her buttermilk while he thought out some plan for out- witting his tormentors. ‘“This is Ready’s work!’ he panted, as he wheeled down the road. ‘‘I’ll have to murder that fellow! I see there is no help for it! Ishall have to take him between my two thumbs and squash his life out as I would any common bug!’ - He tried to smile when the village was yehind him. “It’s a good joke, anyway, and it’s on your Uncle Richard! Of course, the whole college knows of it now, and New Haven will know it before night. Heavens! If it should get into the newspapers!’’ CHAPTER II. HIS FURTHER ADVENTURES. Dick wheeled on so fast, hardly know- ‘ing now shat: he ‘was eS that fie, TOP WEEKLY. found himself approaching the next little village almost before he thought it pos- sible. He saw the inevitable crowd gathered on the principal corner of the street, through which he must pass unless he elected to make a wide detour and avoid the village altogether. Some boys raised a cheer as he drew — near, swinging their hats with an urchin’s delight. “I'll not stop!’’ Dick grunted, shrink- ing from the thought of again encounter- ing some one who would ask him about his world-wide travels. ‘‘She’ll want to know if I’ve been in China, likely, and if I’ve fought the Boxers, and how many I’ve killed!’ So he put on extra speed, lowered his visored cap, bent over the handle bars and went through the street like a streak of lightning. The boys yelled and whooped, and he could not help hearing one citizen remark that ‘“‘Jimmy Michael ain’t in it with that feller!’ ‘‘Here comes the bikeist!’’*a boy was shouting to another group at the lower corner. *‘Come quick, Sammy, er ye’ll be too late!’’ ‘‘Geewhiskers! ain’t he a snorter?’’ another boy yelled. The group ~broke into a wild cheer as. Dick swept past pedaling as if he were racing for life, When he had escaped from these inno- cent tormentors, he began to think over the situation and to ask himself if he ~ should go on to Guilford or stop where he was and retrace his way to New Haver by another route. . : To do that would be to lose ‘his bet, Not that he cared so much for the money i or for the mere winning, but that would give Ready and the sophomores 4 perhaps coveted opportunity to guy him for cowardice. wi eaetes a N 0, he was into it, and there. seemed. to 6 ae ee be no way out but to make the ride ac- cording to plans’ and schedule and win out, so far as that part was concerned. So he rode on, wondering if theré were no means by which he could yet defeat the sophomores. ‘‘Ves, this is the beginning of Frank Merriwell’s entertaininents!’’ he rather grimly thought. ‘“‘I didn’t know that I would be chosen to open the show in this way, though! Merry doesn’t know any- thing about it, I’m sure.’’ Merriwell was planning some festivities of an athletic character with which he and his friends and other students were to celebrate the many victories won by Yale that season. Yale had beet wonderfully fortunate and triumphant on the gridiron, not hav- ing lost asingle game during the entire season. Never hada Yale teain equaled the performance of the football eleven of that year under the leadership of the. redoubtable senior. And not only in foot- ball, but in many other ways had Yale won honor with the victorious teains Merriwell*had trained and led. There was a grim humor in Starbright which made him appreciate the situation in which he found himself, even though he was the victim. At first he had paid no heed to any- thing placarded on the walls, but now, looking out for those glaring signs, he soon found one stuck against the side of a barn. It was on the side of the barn that was invisible to him as he came toward it. So this had been Ready’s plan! These glittering advertisements of the perform- ance of the ‘‘Giant of the Wheel,’’ pro- duced, no doubt, by some New Haven printing press, had been skillfully plas- tered up along the roadside and in the villages in such a way that the wheelman approaching them could not see them. And the chances were small that he would - look back and discover them after he had _ whirled by. This accounted for the fact , f gi WEEKLY. that Dick had not for a time observed the notices which drew out the curious villagers and farmers, 7 In the next village, which was also of the summer hotel variety, though there was a substantial element of people who resided there the year round, a larger crowd than ever stood in the street to await his coming. The crowd broke into a cheer as he came in sight and wheeled up to the cor- ner. He had resolved to ask some questions. Then something like the following was heard: ‘When were these placards stuck up?’’ ‘‘Visterday. Say, mister. when’s yer book comin’ out?”? ‘*What book ?’’ “Why, the feller that come along yis- terday stickin’ up the bills said that you was about to put out a book tellin’ about yer wonderful adventures with the Toltecs while you was coastin’ down one of them old Peruvian roads in South Ameriky.’’ ‘‘What sort of looking fellow was he?’’ ‘*Well, about so high and so wide. He was a sort of stocky chap with bright eyes and red cheeks. Come to think of it, when he got off his wheel to stick up the sign, I noticed that he toed in with one foot.”’ ‘‘That was Jack Ready.”’ Was it? I didn’t know! I believe he did say somethin’ ’bout bein’ always Ready.’’ ‘Aw! that feller’s a Yale man!’ a boy was heard to sneer. ‘‘He ain’t never been in South Ameriky ner nothin’. I know them fellers soon’s I see ’em.”’ “Be you a Yale man?’ an old man growled, not relishing the idea of being drawn out and fooled in that way by a mere college student. He had walked neatly a mile to see the ‘‘Giant of the Wheel’’ go by, and he wanted his money’s ; worth. | Dick .was saved from answering this Kio eee ee [ee ~ PR) eee Pad ¢ i q x 7 A eee Oe PET ee eee . with a disconcerting question by a young man pale face and large nose, who crowded forward to inspect the wheel, saying that he.intended to purchase a bicycle the coming season. *‘T thought, mebbe, when I heard that feller talkin’ yesterday, that it was one of them headless wheels made in Indianapo- lis. D’y’ever see one of ’em? You sort of set in the handle bars as if they was the arms of a rockin’ chair. I didn’t know but I’d like to have one of ’em. the feller said somethin’ ’bout headless!’’ Dick thought it quite likely that the irrepressible Ready had referred to the rider of the wheel as ‘‘headless, ’’ or some- thing of like character, indicating that he was ‘‘easy.”? ‘‘Well, perhaps I am easy,’’ he thought, I’m sure as he wheeled on, glad to be past another - inquisitive village. Branford Point, a favorite watering place, turned out a good-sized crowd to see the ‘‘Giant of the Wheel,’’ but Dick concluded that he did not care to ask further questions or make the acquaint- ance of the curious people, so he flew through the place as rapidly as he could pedal. He was making good time, even though the road was not of the best 1m spots and the wind blew cold from the leaden clouds in the northeast. He was warm enough, in spite of the wind, and sometimes, when he reflected too strongly on the condition in which he found himself and of the laughing sophomores in the campus, he grew altogether too warm. There were other groups to meet and pass, other farmers who hurried down to the road to look and wonder, other boys who whooped and yelled and told each other to ‘‘git onto de legs of de Giant,”’ and other things equally uncomplimentary to the bicyclist. But Dick, having resolved to take the whole thing good-naturedly and philoso- : _ phically, smiled back at them; and when- f TIP TOP WEEKLY. to ‘holler’. i ever he dismounted he answered the rain of questions as best he could, without revealing that he was the victim of a sophomore joke. 3ut when he reached Guilford, the end of his route—Guilford, celebrated as the birthplace and dying place of the Fitz Greene Halleck—he met a surprise that took away his breath. In front of a conspicuous hotel was a brass band, surrounded by Yale soplio- mores, with Jack Ready prominent in their midst. They were waiting to give the ‘‘Giant of the Wheel’’ a right royal reception; and as Dick wheeled up, al- most too disconcerted to know what to do or say, the band struck into ‘‘See the Conquering Hero Comes!’’ and the sopho- mores gave a yell that shook the building and almost rattled the curbstones. But Dick Starbright was quick-witted, and he pulled himself together, so that he was able to dismount with a smile and a bow. ‘(What sort of fool circus are you idiots trying to make of yourselves ?’’ he blandly demanded, walking forward, pushing his wheel. : Ready wiggled his fingers characteris- tically. ‘‘An immense one, old man, and you have been the clown of the show. We'll : take supper at your expense to-night. In the meantime, you will find refreshments in the house of this publican.’’ He gave his fingers another wiggle and jerked them toward the hotel proprietor, who stood by with red face expanded in a grin. ‘It’s oneon me!’’ Starbright admitted, smilingly. ‘‘But the end hasn’t come. Before Frank Merriwell’s entertainments are over you Smart Aleck. sophomores will acknowledge that the freshmen know a thing or two and are more than your masters. And we'll not resort to deceit to win our victories or to give usachance poet, (Pipe Pee CHAPTER III. TO THE AID OF DADE MORGAN. Jack Ready and the sophomores had tushed to Guilford by train with their band, New Haven, and had easily beaten him there, with plenty of time to spare. They returned by train, feeling su- premely joyous over their success. Dick, however, in accordance with the terms of the wager, was forced to wheel back to New Haven over the route he had come, again stared at and questioned by the curious people along the road. The leaden clouds thickened and dark- ened, portending a northeaster; but, with the wind for a large part of the trip at his ‘back, Dick sped swiftly along, approach- ‘ing New Haven well ahead of time. On the outskirts of the city he came on a sight that stirred his blood. - Dade Morgan, who had been out ona _wheel accompanying Rosalind Thornton, found himself confronted by a rough-look- ing man whiose brutal face was somewhat familiar to him, and who planted himself in the center of the streét as if to intercept him, Dade was not particularly afraid of the man, but rather scorned him. “Out of the way!’’? Dade roughly com- manded. He rang his bell furiously. Rosalind paled. Seeing that the man did not mean to step aside, and having no desire for an altercation with him in Rosalind’s pres- - ence, Dade veered his wheel to pass. The man leaped at him, thrust a foot out in front of the wheel, stopping it, and Dade was thrown neaey over the handle . bars. be _ Rosalind, who was close at his side’ ‘was also thrown to the ground, though 1e saved herself from injury and skill- tilly alighted on her feet. 3 ee Spocae eee saw alee aes set his : ‘after Starbright’s departure from, WEEKLY. pedals in still swifter motion, all his chiv- alrous instincts aroused. Dade scrambled up; but the man struck him a heavy blow which knocked him back ward. ‘(Dis is me time I git even wid you fer dat insult See!’ the ruffian growled. ‘“Ve insulted me t’other night, when ye hadn’t no call. Now I pays ye back!”’ Rosalind gave a scream of fright. © Starbright, swinging forward like a whirlwind, saw Dade dodge the next blow and grapple with the ruffian and saw them begin a-furious fight. Dade, who was a good, hard fighter, had been weakened by his fall so that it was evident at a glance that he was no match for his burly adversary. He struck savagely, however, and man- aged-to release himself from the man’s QTip. The tough now struck at him, tising a big doorkey as brass knuckles, with the aniiable intention of cutting open the face of the ‘*‘college dude.’? Morgan evaded this and landed a blow, but the fellow tripped him and kicked him heavily as he fell. Ce Rosalind, screaming for help, ran to one side of the road. Dade jumped to his feet again, and, managing to fasten on the tough, the two went down together. Then. the whirring wheel stopped be- side the struggling couple; and, as the rough pulled loose and tried to strike Dade in the face with the heavy brass key, a blow from Starbright’s big fist sent him reeling. ‘‘Anodder college dude!’’ growled the ruffian, wieciag about. ‘‘Ye’ll wish ’t ye’d ae) out o’ this!”’ Z His hand went to his hip pocket, but he found no weapon. Then he gathered himself and made a spring at the new- ‘ oe comer, As a result, he ran his face into the big. opts fist on os end of a Jong, ens stiffene 8 rise, he struck ) but the presence of 3 the ruffian, __ though he was insensible for the moment, — TIP TOP left arm. At the other end of the arm were something like two hundred pounds of hard-trained muscle and over six feet of young manhood. A feeling-of jarring surprise penetrated to the evil brain. It was not often that he ran against anything quite like that. He paused a moment to stare his surprise; and Dick saw that he was a big, brawny fellow, with heavy jaw, small head and piggish, wicked eyes, the type so. often found in the lowest slums of great cities, but seldom seen in New Haven. The effect of that blow rendered him cautious. “Dis ain’t your cut in, young feller!’’ he snarled. Then, thinking to take Dick by sur- out suddenly, with the But his maul-like Dick’s face, and force of a pile driver. fist did not connect with the force of the blow almost threw him to the ground. Crack! Dick’s hard nght fist sounded like the ~ smack of a board striking a house. _ The fellow reeled, but recovered. His head was like iron. ‘Wen I gits me fingers onto ye, ye’ll wilt! See!’ He dodged Dick’s next blow and rushed in with the ferocity of a bulldog. Crack! Dick stepped lightly aside; and the hard white fist pounding the rufhan on the jaw threw him senseless to the ground. Dade ‘Morgan, having regained his strength somewhat, was on the point of coming to Dick’s assistance, but drew back when he saw the man senseless on the ground. ‘““That was handsome of you, Star- bright!’’ he acknowledged. ‘‘I’ll try not ‘to forget it.”? : Rosalind tried to stammer her thanks, even WEEKLY. 9 made her wildly anxious to escape from the vicinity. Some people were approaching, those in the lead seeming to be of the same kid- ney as the fellow knocked out. 3efore their arrival the man was stirring into consciousness, taking Rosalind more than ever wildly anxious to proceed, Soshe and Dade remounted and wheeled away. | ‘“Perhaps the fellow is your friend,’’ said Starbright, speaking to the man who arrived first.~ “‘If he is, look after him. He interfered with that young lady and her escort, and got what he deserved !’’ Then he, too, rode on into the City of Elins. CHAPTER IV. DASHLEIGH’S TALE OF WOE. Having reported his return, Dick put ~ away his wheel, and, feeling tremendously went to a restaurant and had some ae to eat. It was not until long after nightfall that he went to his rooms. The sophomores had returned to New Haven by rail long before. “Gone out naggin’e signs!’’ was the scrawl left for him on the table by Dash- leigh. : Dashleigh had not heard of what had | befallen his chum on the trip to Guilford, for the joke had been kept from the fresh- men. ‘The sophomores had feared Star- hungry bright would learn of it through his fresh- _ nien friends; and, besides, the sophomores had other plans in store for making itin- _ teresting for the men of the lower class. After changing his clothing, Dick went out to give instructions for the ‘‘dinner’’ | he meant to give to Ready and other sophomores that night. When he returned he encountered Dash- leigh, as the latter was about to ascend to et So HOES ES: = 10 213" ‘‘What have you got tucked under your coat??? Dick asked. “Sh!” Bert warned. ‘‘It’s a sign.’’ “‘Nagging,’’ or stealing, signboards is, for some inexplicable reason, one of the standard forms of amusement for fresh- men. No one can tell just where the fun comes in, unless it is found in imagining the stormy anger of the storekeepers and others when they find their signs gone. ‘‘Had a great time!’’ Dashleigh panted, as he and his chum hurried up stairs. ‘Never had more fun in my life. Ready was with us. Say, that fellowis a corker!”’ “‘What time did he get back ?”’ ‘*Back where?’ ‘“Nleew Haven.’’ “TY didn’t know he was out of town. Anyway, he didn’t say anything about it. We nagged a lot of signs this evening. Ready went along to put us onto the thing right, you see. I hardly thought he?d favor freshmen that way, but he was just as jolly about it; said he’d beena freshman not long ago himself and that he hadn’t forgot it.”’ ¥ ‘What kind of a sign did you get?”’ Dick asked, drily. He had cause to fear the ‘‘friendliness”’ of Jack Ready for unsuspecting freshmen. ‘The dandiest in the lot. It’s anew -blacksmith’s sign, ora blacksmith’s new sign, and it has a picture of a horse on it - that is a real work of art.’” They had arrived at their rooms, and _ Dashlefgh carefully unbuttoned his over- -coat.and took from under it the sign. He stared at himself and the sign in comical amazement. The sign had been freshly painted and_ his clothing was coated with tlie paint. In addition, he had slapped the picture of the horse up against his dark new coat as he tucked the outer coat over it, and the _ impression of the horse had been trans- ferred to the coat. 3 _ Starbright could not help laughing. s w=. 5 we * TOP WEEKLY. ‘‘Seems to me it is literally a horse on you! That:is more of Ready’s work.’' ‘“Why——’? Dashleigh looked from the paint to the red face of his friend. ‘*Jack Ready ?’’ he gasped. Jack put up a job on me?”’ ‘“He certainly did, and he put up another on me this afternoon.”’ Dashleigh daintily put down the sign, stripped off his overcoat and sat flat down in a chair. ‘‘Well, say, when I meet that fellow Pll kill him! Dowt you suppose there was a mistake?’ ‘‘Biggest kind of one!”’ “*What.?’’ **Say, did . ‘‘When we let ourselves forget that. Jack Ready is asophoniore and we are only freshmen.”’ Dashleigh looked ruefully at his cloth- ing and at the fresh red paint of the sign. Then the humor of the situation came to him and he smiled, though the smile was somewhat ghastly. ‘*1’m an idiot !”’ ‘“Of course you are. We’re a pair of idiots !”’ : ‘ ‘‘What did he do to you ?”’ ‘“Tell me about the sign first.’’ ‘Well, you see, I’ve been wanting to go out nagging for several ‘nights. Jack heard of it, and he told me that he could give me some pointers. So I spoke to some other fellows.’’ ‘*All freshmen ?”’ ‘Vep.” ‘*So I thought.’’ ‘‘And Ready piloted us to-night He showed me this beautiful sign in front of the blacksmith’s, and told ‘me that it had been up there only a short time, and it would be a lovely one to nag.”’ ‘It had been up there only a short time!”’ **Confound him! I see it had.’’ “T thought it felt damp as I pulled it _ off the hooks, but we had a few drops of i - ; hoes ee eee CCRT Ct Pees Wi Pack ¥ aoe Wren ne ee. eee * 7 NSS vg ee ‘ * Sas rain this evening, and I supposed that was the reason. Then I clapped the thing under my coat and fled hitherward. And there the thing is. And my _ beautifulest suit is ruined. Well, I’}] kill him!’ “It will give a good job to some coat cleaner. while the paint is fresh. There is some when I meet him setter tackle the thing yourself, benzine over on the shelf.”’ Then while Bert Dashleigh tried to remove the paint from his clothing, Star- bright told of his race to Guilford and of the advertisements and greeting given to the ‘‘Giant of the Wheel.”? - “Say, we’ll have to murder that vil- lain!’’? Dashleigh whispered. ‘‘I feel to- night fit for treason, stratagem and spoil.’’ Nevertheless, after laboring with the suit and benzine for an hour, he hung the sign against the wall, went out again, and, meeting Ready, greeted him with great cheerfulness. ‘“Thanks for the sign!’’ he murmured. “T’ve hung it on our wall and intend to have it framed as a memento of our ad- venture. ’’ Ready grinned. ‘That blacksmith will be tearing mad His sign hadn’t been hanging there long.’’ ‘‘Confound you! Don’t I’ know it hadn’t? ‘That blacksmith never saw that sign in his life, and he never will.” “Tt had a beautiful steed on it!’ Ready purred. in the morning. — ‘‘A sort of transfer picture! I trans- ferred it to my coat!’ Then they adjourned to Traeger’s and buried the hatcliet, after which Ready be- took himself to the dinner which. Star- bright was giving to the sophomores. CHAPTER V. SPORT WITH THE LASSOS.- The first of the ‘entertainments’? was given that night in the gymnasium. It ‘me willin’ to champion these pore fresh- TOP WEEKLY. . 14) was a roping contest between Bill Hig- gins, of Badger’s ranch, and Tom Blud- soe, a cowboy from the neighborhood of El Paso, who had been traveling with a ‘“Wild West’’ exhibitign and had some- how become stranded in New Haven: Drink may have had something to do with Bludsoe’s loss of position and his conse- was a fine roper, nevertheless, and in arranging to put Higgins against him for the amusement of..the students, Merriwell was not at all sure that his friend from Kansas would be able to win out and cover himself with - quent poverty; but he glory. Perhaps elas Merriwell had seemed in some of the class contests to side with the freshmen, Tom Bludsoe was enthu- siastically backed by the sophomores, while the freshmen took Higgins for their / = champion. . ‘It chills the corpuscles of my sporting blood to have to turn your face picture to the wall to-night, Higgins,’’ said Ready, ambling into the gymnasium, after his ‘‘feed’’ at the expense of Dick Starbright; ‘‘but the sophomores have taken up Bludsoe, and I’m a soph.”’ “‘Oh, that there is all right!’’ Higgins grinned, as he strung his riata across the gymnasium floor to make sure it was in ‘““This hyer ain’t fer blood, ye know! Jist a little fun, to please Merry and t’other fellers! I hear tell there’s another feller that’s got a picture he’d like to turn to the wall.’’ **Dashleigh,?’’ ‘Picture of a hoss!’’ gerunted Higgins, critically examining his rope and work- ing at it with his fingers to'take out an incipient kink which he fancied he had found. ‘‘I’m going ‘to hold that ag’in you!” ‘“‘He held it against himself!’ “Ves, so I heerd. hosses, and I don’t like to have even a picture of one fooled with. That makes | good condition. But I’m a lover of — PRE AR ein RYT og He : 12 TLP men fellers to-night, and I’ll string ropes fer ’em fer all I’m wu’th.”’ Indeed, Higgins was going into the contest with ‘‘blood in his eye.’” He be- lieved that he was a better roper than the ‘man from El Paso, even if Bludsoe had been engaged in giving public exhibitions of his roping proficiency, and he was glad of this chance. Higgins delighted in : keeping himself in the publiceye. "Though he was a noble fellow in many Reales eas, he was as vain as a peacock, and he ‘‘felt his oats considerably’’ that night, as he stretched his riata across the floor and walked round in his new cowboy cloth- ing, with his great spurs musically clink- ing and jingling on his heels. Bludsoe was a lithe, wiry man, younger than Higgins and smaller. He wore a smooth face, which was as bronzed asa copper mask. It was a sharp, hatchety face, keen and shrewd—the typical face of the cowboy of the plains, whose intense activity combined with the dry, sap- extracting climate, tends to keep down all superfluity of flesh. The opening feature of the contest was -an attempt to pull down a tin cup hung by its handle on a nail against a post. A large roping space had been cleared in the gymnasium by removing some muscle-strengthening machines and hori- zontal bars. The gymnasium was filled to overflow- ing, the pushing, laughing crowd seem- ingly the more jolly because the night > without was windy and inclement. “Makes me think of the plains,”’ chirped Higgins, as, in a lull of the noise, he heard the singing of the wind round + the building. ‘‘A feller that’s lived with the wind as I, have sort o’ likes to hear its mournful whistle. I’ve heerd it sing that way, wrapped in my blanket, with the stars shinin’ brighter’n diamonds; TOP WEEKLY. and oncet I remember it had thet wail pont me a id some other fellers was lying fa BS eee Serre in a sod house, with the Pawnees creepin’ onto us through the grass.’’ It was amusing to notice how the Chic- kering set and all the enemies of Merri- well invariably became champions of whoever they thought was opposed to him and his friends. When Bludsoe pulled the tin cup from the post in two throws and Higgins took three throws for the same feat, the Chick- ering set and the others clapped their hands and stamped the floor in their glee ‘‘Say, I will have to go over to the freshmen side, if this keeps up!”’ Ready moaned in Merriwell’s ear. ‘‘It plants an ache in my heart and a desire in my foot to kick somebody. Yet I seem doomed by fate to howl with the Chicker- ing set. Don’t jot it down against me in your book of remembrance!”’ The next attempt of the ropers was to be to catch and hold the corner of swinging trapeze bar. As the trapeze had been tied up to be out of the way, by some one who had not. understood that this was to be a feature of the rope-throwing contest, a delay was caused while a ladder was brought for the purpose-of bringing the trapeze down into place again. When this had been done, and Higgins turned to get his rope, which he had dropped on a seat while talking with some friends, he met a sight that caused him. to roar with rage. His beautiful new rope, in | which he took such pride, had been split and ripped and cut in a dozen places by a keen knife. Higgins reddened under his tan as he surveyed the work of the unknown hand. ‘Tf I kin lay my paws on the skunk ’t done that, I’ll try to see if they’s enough __ of the rope left to hang him with! he — exploded. He turned slowly sudan with tifaaiduaee 3 ‘i eyes and looked over the sea of excited +i SGahite “Gents, is this hyer Yale? A man mean enough to be a hoss thief wouldn’t do that on the ranges! All-I asks is fer the scalawag that done it to step up to the counter and let me look at him oncet.’’ There was no forward movement, and every one seemed to glance at his neigh- bor. Bludsoe sneered. *“‘T don’t reckon that any of yer friends did that to keep ye from bein’ beat?’ Higgins turned on him with those blaz- ing’ eyes. He saw that, in spite of the sneer, Bludsoe had no knowledge of the author of the outrage, and his hot heart relented. He remembered that Bludsoe was.a brother roper of the plains, and that plainsmen in a strange land ought to be friends and ‘not enemies. “T won't hold that ag’in ye, pardner. If you beat me, Ill know that you wouldn’t do it by a trick like that. Some skunk that never set eyes on the peraries done that!’’ Merriwell knew that gesthes tiata could not be had in New Haven, and he was about to suggest that something be substi- tuted for the roping performance, but Higgins asked if a common rope could be had. “But a common rope won't give you much show!’’ Frank insisted. ‘‘I’d like to have you win in ‘this thing, if you go on with it.’’ “Pm goin’ to win, b’jing!’’ Higgins vowed. ‘“‘I’ll win now, if it kills me! Send fer a ropel’’ Then he gave more explicit directions; and while some one hurried away for the rope, Starbright came upon the scene and was asked to amuse the crowd by trying to beat the gymnasium freshman record for hammer throwing and putting , the shot, which he did. | When the hemp rope ordered by Hig-| _ joy. TIP TOP WEEKLY. ae an ordinary hemp rope. To make the ‘loop’? he grafted an end back on the rope, wrapping it with shoemaker’s wax, also securing the ends from fraying by wrapping them tightly with this wax. Not a knot was used. ‘*The thing ought to be soaked in water fer two or three honrs,’’ he explained, “fand then stretched with weights, but it’ll haf to do as it is.”’ “Tf you can win out with that rope, you will show yourself to be a much bet- ter roper than if you had used your own lasso,’’ Merry whispered, encouragingly. Then the rope kings went at it again, catching the trapeze bar as it swung from side to side, roping students who volun- teered to run before them forthe purpose, - pulling caps and gloves from pegs and doing other roping feats. Though the rope so hastily prepared was clumsy and inclined to kink in an aggravating way because it had not been stretched, Higgins succeeded* in doing some remarkably good work with it duplicating every feat of Bludsoe. ’ The applause was pretty equally divided between the ropers, for the freshmen, feeling that their champion had been foully dealt with by some sophomote jeal- ous of his ability, cheered every throw of Higgins with wild delight. “Try the trapeze again,’’ said Merri- well. ‘*Then we'll try the cane, and those two things ought to settle it. Hig- gins is handicapped, but we’re banking that he will beat Bludsoe anyway.’’ The first throw at the trapeze fell to Bludsoe. He stepped forward, holding the — free end of the lasso in his left hand and — the big swinging noose trailing in his tight. He took a keen look at the swing- — ing trapeze, then threw and caught the — end of the bar. a The Chickering set went wild ae 14 cae ke getting on his feet. ‘‘I dunno ’bout this hyer rope, but I’ll make my try.”’ | Merriwell asked that the trapeze be given a quicker movement. It dropped like a bird with a broken - wind and Higgin’s noose flew up to meet it. The rope kinked and seemed about to fall short, but it caught the tip end of the bar, hung and tightened, and the descent of the trapeze was stayed. Metriwell had secured a cane, round whose center he wrapped a white hand- kerchief to make it more conspicuous. “‘T want Gene Skelding to throw this cane whirling through the air in that direction!’’ he requested, indicating the direction. ‘‘Let him throw for both Blud- soe and Higgins.’’ Skelding flushed and colored. well had made some‘of the throws and Skelding had been claimmg that the throws made by Merry for Bludsoe were not as fair and easy as those made for Higgins. He would have backed out, but the sophomores pushed him forward, and he took the cane from Merriweli’s hand, and sent it spinning end over end as directed. This was one of the most difficult rop- ing feats that could have been chosen, for the object was to put the noose of the _lasso over the flying cane and so bring it down. Bludsoe’s noose struck the whirling cane, but simply sent it on faster. Then there were: shouts for Higgins, -and he rose. in all his cowboy dignity. ‘‘Gents, I ain’t a-sayin’ that I’m goin’ to do this, but I’m gotn’ to try. I reckon I couldn’t do it every time with the best rope ever strung acrost a floor, But I’m goin’ to try!” FE Skelding saw that Merriwell was watch- ing him closely and that the eyes of others were on him, so that, in spite of his desire to give the cane an unfair toss, he did z ‘hot dare to. Merri- se ‘The wrapped cane flew out again, a WEEKLY. whirling white streak, and Higgins’ rope shot after it. He had himself to make the throw of his life, and he made it. The stiff hemp rope swept through the air with the sinuosity of a serpent, and the noose, dropping over an end of the cane, brought the cane to the floor. There could be no question that Hig- gins had won, and won fairly; for not only had he won this trick handsomely, but throughout.the contest he had shown that, even with the handicap of the stiff hemp rope, he could do as good work as nerved Bludsoe with his smooth, supple riata. ‘Curse the luck!’’ Skelding erowled to his friends, the Chickering set, sotne time afterward, when all were in Chicker- ing’s rooms. ‘‘Do you suppose that. Merri- well knew I cut that rope.’’ “Did you cut it?’’ Chickering gasped, ‘“OF course I did. I wonder if Merriwell knew it??? ‘‘Well, it wath the handthometht thing I’ve known done in many a day!’ purred Lew Veazie. . ‘*Chummieth, we’ll have to dwink thome wine on that! That wath gweat!’’ ‘*But the fellow won, anyhow!”’ Skeld- ing snarled. ‘And what I did only made his victory seem the greater. It wasa regular boomerang! And my plan was to claim that some of his friends cut the thing for him to prevent him from going to the defeat they foresaw. I can’t make that claim now, confound it!”’ CHAPTER VI. AN APPARENT CHANGE OF HEART. Sunday afternoon Dade Morgan received a call from Donald Pike. The northeaster had turned to a snow- storm. 7 - flakes as he came into Dade’s room. _ ‘There is to be a snowball battle in the ~ campus in the morning before college © me Pike shook from his coat the feathery. 4 igs ete gy a ib den + NN ~~ wet ee rege Sere De at HS eo rg eee 7: a} A ay > Yo TES: SE SA ae ~, 4 Peer eee ger ee - rt x sae nk ) a flock of sheep following their leader. We’re not celebrating Merriwell’s vic- tories, but the victories of Yale. Yet the fellows, are already calling them ‘Frank Merriwell’s Entertainments.’ > ° ~ **Vou’re warm !’’ : ‘*T’m hot as a cake of ice!”’ “T think I’ve seen you in that frame of mind before!’? commented Dade with the utmost coolness. ‘*Another thing I don’t like, and which I should think you wouldn’t like, is the way he has of pushing Starbright forward. He seems determined to make Starbright the king of the freshmen.’’ Dade’s face darkened, and Pike saw that he had struck a vulnerable spot. Yet Dade only said, coldly: TIP TOP WEEKLY. ‘“‘And you haven’t anything to say about it ?’’ ‘‘l’ve had a good deal to say about it, at one time and another.’ ‘‘Vou’re the real King of the Fresh- men, Morgan, and you know it. All your friends know it. It’s for the freshmen to say who shall be their leader. Yet here comes a senior to dictate who the fresh- man leader shall be!”? ‘I'd like to help it if I could. see any way to help it just now.”’ Pike was silent for a moment. **Perhaps not. Merriwell seems to have the whip hand at present.”’ He glanced toward the door. ‘*No need to fear that you’ll be heard outside of this room!’’ ‘Well, about that snowball battle in the morning ?”’ ‘*We’ll do up the sophomores al] right. ”’ ‘‘T hope so. But that wasn’tit. You ought to be able to do up Starbright, also, while you’re about it.” There was not the encouragement in Dade’s face that he hoped to see, but he went on. ‘*T’ve heard of soldiers being shot acci- dentally by -their own men! Stonewall Jackson was killed that way !”’ Dade looked at him earnestly. ‘You want me fo do that work ?’” “Well, I thought you might thank me for a suggestion. You hate Starbright. There’s your opportunity. When the fight is on, a snowball with a rock hidden in it would bring that big freshman down like a bullet, if it was thrown right.” Dade flushed and, getting up, took a turn round the room. ‘‘l’d do it myself if I were one of the’ freshmen fighters. As it is, I give you the. suggestion for what it is worth.”’ He began to feel that Morgan would accept and act upon the suggestion. Dade came back and sat down. “T ought to thank you for that, Pike,’’ he said, in a low tone. “I’m no | NS I don’t 3 2 eeet ‘ Pg coli MA AS A Pets ELE 16 better than I ought to be, and I presume that if you had come to me yesterday, I should have thanked you for this. But I don’t think I’ll try to do what you say.”’ Donald Pike stared. **Getting goody goody ?’’ ‘*No, it’s not that!”’ **Tust the same with all of them!’ Pike snarled under his breath. | **T don’t think I understand you, if you meant that for me.’’ **Well, you are just like all the others!’ Pike asserted, almost fiercely. ‘‘I don’t know why it is, for it hasn’t worked on me that way, but-nearly every fellow who has started in here at Yale to down Mer- riwell has done one of two things. He has either become afraid of Merriwell and practically dropped out of the fight, or he has gone over to Merriwell, body, boots and breeches.”’ Dade’s face was again flushing. ‘“There was Buck Badger! I’ve told you of him before. He was the bitterest enemy Frank. Merriwell had for a while, ended by becoming a Merriwell maniac. Hethinks now that there never was another such man on earth. Why, ‘T’ve been told that even Browning and Hodge, two fellows who can’t think un- less Merriwell first gives them license, were once his enemies! You’re traveling the same road. I was Badger’s chum and saw how he went over to Frank wellj and you’re struck with the same and he symptoms. What in thunder is the matter with all you fellows, anyway ?”’ ‘It was Starbright you wanted me to strike with a rock, I believe?’’ said Mor- gan, not pleased with this lecture. (Ves, ”) “Starbright isn’t Merriwell.”’ “But he’s Merriwell’s Arotégé, and when you can’t strike Merriwell himself, the best way to get at him is to strike Starbright or some other of his friends. But you needn’t do it if you don’t ¢ care. 8: was, pictely. a pirapstign eos TOP WEEKLY. Merri- | Don’t let ‘I’m still against Merriwell. yourself forget that, Pike!’ ae you won’t be at the end of the year.”? *fAnd bright.’ ‘J don’t think so.’? *‘T’ve a reason for not trying to do what you suggest. It isn’t because I’ve sud- denly grown too good. Perhaps I havea little honor left, Pike, though you mightn’t think it. Not enough to boast of, I presume!”’ : Pike merely grunted. ‘You haven’t heard of it, but yester- day Starbright saved me from being half killed by a tough that I met while out wheeling. ‘The place was a lonely one in the suburbs, and I was wheeling with Miss Thornton. I met-the tough ina drinking den a few nights ago and struck him with a beer glass, after we’d had some words. When he saw me.yesterday he came at me for revenge, tripped me off my wheel, and then, while I was too shaken up by the jar of the fall to be able to. do much, he set on me and would have pounded and kicked me to a jelly. Star- bright happened along at that moment. He took a hand in the game—and I’m here to-day, instead of being in the hos- I’m still against Dick Star- “pital.” 30th were silent for a moment, after the completion of the story. ‘‘He did you a good turn, and maybe you’re right. you had any soft spots about you.”’ “You thought such a thing wouldn’t make any difference?’ | “Ves, honestly, that’s what I thought.”’ ‘‘And you thought I had no icant at all??? e Pike was quite blunt. “TI thought you had something like a gizzard doing duty for that organ. But it’s all right, of course! I suppose I’d feel the same way if any fellow should oe stand up for me in such a fight.” But really I didn’t think ~ Say ray a0 ee 1 (ie Por “It wasn’t a fight on my part. I was clean knocked out. The big bum would have hammered me to pieces.”’ “Tet the thing drop, then!’’ Pike begged. ‘‘And say nothing about it to any one. I didn’t know you had changed in your feeling!’ The sneer stung Dade Morgan. ‘‘A fellow like me has no right to be sensitive, ’” he ‘So I sha’n’t hold against you anything that you say. It’s all right. I thought I should never let an opportunity go by to strike at Star- bright or Merriwell. I'll get over this in a day or two. But I can’t forget quite so quick. Starbright will-do or say some- thing soon that will make me forget his favor, and then I presume I’ll be ready to hammer him up. But to-morrow, in that battle, I’m going to play fair,*so far as he’s concerned, at least.”’ ‘**Good-by !’’ snarled Pike, rising. ‘‘You can keep your face closed about tls, any- way !”’ ~ “'Seehere, Pike}? The voice was so hard and command- ing that Don Pike stopped. ~ “Pm a fool! Don’t fancy for a minute that I would mention such a matter. You’ve stood by me, even though you’re not a freshman, and I don’t forget it, Some other time I’ll be likely to strike at Dick Starbright. Just now I feel a little queer about that matter, and I can’t. That’s the truth of it.”’ “Pm going!’ ‘Just remember that. And if you’ve any Bee to lay, put them on the freshi- men. **Tf they win, Starbright will get most of the glory! It doesn’t matter to me, though. I’m not trying to beat him in the apologized. “race a the freshmen leadership. You are.” Dade Morgan sat fu a long time in silence after Donald Pike’s departure. _ Finally he roused himself. 3 _ “IT wish the fellow hadn’t come to me WEEKLY. 17 with that!’ he thought, rising. ‘‘Either that, or I wish that it hadn’t been neces- sary for I wonder what Rosa- it? I fancied she was somewhat cool to me after it. No doubt he is her hero I’m nothing. Well, if he wants her again he can have her !”? yesterday afternoon. lind thinks about now and CHAPTER VII. STARBRIGHT SHOWS HIS LEADERSHIP. The crisp air that blew across the fa- mous Yale quadrangle was filled with fly- ing snowballs. under the leadership of the The freshmen, Dade were battling with sophomores, under the command of Jack Ready. At one end of the quadrangle a snow fort had been built. It-was held by the freshmen, and. the sophomores were al- lowed twenty minutes in which to take it. The plan of the battle, of Merriwell’s devising, contemplated after that the re- building of the fort and a change of sides, permitting the sophomores to hold the fort and the freslinen to become the as- saulting party. Behind the snowy walls of the fort and out in the open where the sophomores were collected were great piles of snow- balls, the artillery, grape-and-cannister of the contending forces. The snow was in the best of condition for the purpose, balling readily under pressure into light yet compact missiles. Ready had directed his men to begin with a fierce ‘‘rifle fire’’ of snowballs, and then charge the fort before the freshmen could recover from the hail of balls; and the sophomores were doing their best to follow his instructions. Morgan, Nothing was to be used, however, ‘but snowballs and snow. Tackling with the hands, and all rough work, such as kick- Starbright to comé to my help. ek 18 TIP ing or striking or the use-of other than snow missiles was strictly barred, and every offender was to be summarily ejected from the fight, with the loss of his services to his side. Merriwell stood with his old friends Browning and Hodge at one side of the quadrangle, all interested spectators. Mer- riwell was the umpire to decide on fouls of all kinds, with the power of éxpulsion from the play of every offender. The sophomores behind the walls were not inactive. They met the rain of fresh- men snowballs with a counter fire that was as hot as they could make it. ‘‘Better save our ammunition for closer quarters!’’ Starbright advised, venturing to speak to Morgan. The interference stung Morgan to the quick. ‘“Who’s commander here ?’’ he snarled. ‘You are! I only make the sugges- tion.’? \ ‘Morgan moved away, and, as if to show that he intensely disliked the interference, he gave commands that caused the fresh- man fire to grow even hotter. Seeing that this was the order, and determined to be in the front rank, Star- bright flew to the nearest opening, and with an armful of snowballs rained them on the sophomores. He had scarcely done this when he felt a crushing blow on the back of the head which tumbled him half senseless on his fee ho" As he rose, staggering, and felt of his head, he found blood trickling down over his fingers. ’ The ball that had struck him had ‘‘ex- ploded,’’ and, noticing it at his feet, he saw that in its center there had been a ragged rock. The air was filled with flying snowballs, Nevertheless, feeling wofully faint and _ dizzy, he turned squarely round, cowering _ meanwhile behind the snow embankment, and looked over the freshmen. TOP WEEKLY. ‘‘Morgan did that!’’ he thought. ‘‘I’d bet anything Morgan did that!’ Yet it seemed strange that a commander should want to knock out one of his own men. Starbright picked up the rock and looked at it. Then he thrust it into his pocket and again felt of his cut and bleed- ing head. ‘‘Hello!? said Dashleigh, seeing blood on Starbright’s fingers and the stain of it ou the snow. ‘Hit with this!’? said Dick, producing the rock. ‘‘It came near laying me out.”’ ~ The big fellow. was reeling sick, but he tried to conceal it. And as there was no possibility of telling who threw the stone, he gathered himself together, tied up his head with his handkerchief, and again went into the fight. Dade was now in front of him, at the head of his men, though a short time be- fore, as Starbright knew, Dade had been in the rear. / ‘ As Dick straightened up and re-entered the fight, he saw a ball strike Dade in the back of the head, saw the ball split open, and, as it fell, saw a ragged stone drop out of it. Morgan went down on his face insen- sible. oO > Dick half wheeled to ascertain from 3 what point the treacherous missile camé, but at that moment he collided with Dashleigh and fell sprawling. ‘Pardon !’? Dashleigh bellowed, racing te a point that he thought needed defense. The fire of the attacking party was slacking, and Dick felt sure that an assault was to come. Morgan lay insensible, and Dick saw a red stain on the snow. ‘(Was that an accident?’’ was his thought. ‘Were they both accidents? if so, some of our men aren’t fighting fair, but are putting stones in the snowballs.’ It was so contemptible a trick that his ~~ / k . _ fuls of snow were p TIP TOP blood boiled and he felt ashamed that such men could be among freshmen. But there was no time for thought. There seemed to be no time for anything, for under the lead of: Ready, the sopho- mores were advancing to the cliarge. Outside, the students and other specta- tors were wildly shouting and whooping. The rain of snowballs had been so thick that the fall of Starbright and Morgan had not been perceived even by the keen eyes of Frank Merriwell. ‘“Take care of him!’’ Starbright com- manded, speaking to two of the freshmen. ‘These two were not in the fighting line, but had been detailed with two others by Morgan to manufacture snow ammunition. The freshmen had been weakened by Morgan’s fall and now were wavering and undecided. | But the instant that Starbright sprang into position at their head and began to utter sharp, quick commands, they recog- nized his natural leadership and gave him instant obedience. ‘*Hold them back!’ Starbright roared, Fierce as the fight had been, the am- munition was not all exhausted; and the two men left for this purpose began to heap a great mound of balls at the feet of the fighters. “Charge *em!’’ came in the shrill voice of Jack Ready; and with-their arms filled with snow, the sophomores came on in a mighty sweeping -rush. é ‘‘Now, give it to ’em!’’ Starbright roared back. Ready, in the lead, was right against ‘the walls, with a dozen of his mén at his heels. ‘“Suow! snow!’ Starbright bellowed. It was a signal agreed on, having been issued by Morgan before the beginning of the fight. ' "The snowballs in the hands of the freshmen were thrown; then great arm- icked up and dashed ae j ‘i iy WEEKLY. ’ Starbright grew red. « 19 into the faces and eyes of the advancing sophomores. Ready mounted the wall and fell over on the inside. His inen tried to emulate his example. Four of them came over with Ready, but the others were beaten back and al- most smothered. Then Ready and Starbright found themselves face to face. At it they went, each digging up snow by the armful and hurling it at the head and face of his opponent. Ready fought blithely, and chirpingly, pushing the snow out of his mouth and eyes. But a great armful of earth’s white blanket fell on him out of the arms of the giant freshman and Ready fell under it. As if in a frenzy, Starbright danced about, heaping snow and _ still more snow on the prostrate freshman leader, until, from beneath his snowy covering, Ready was willing to confess his defeat. ‘‘Let up!’ he begged. ‘I’m not an Esquimaux! My maux is full now, clean down to my twinkling toes.’’ The other sophomores had been over- thrown, and the assault had failed. The time was so nearly up that it was seen to be impossible for the sophomores to take the fort in the few minutes remain- ing. So there was a truce. Two of Ready’s men had been hurt, and another of Starbright’s; but not by snowballs containing pieces of rock. Morgan was so weak from the effect of the blow that it was seen he could not again assume the leadership of the fresh- men. Sitting on a heap of snow, white and weak, he, looked up at Starbright, as the latter walked over to inquire about his in- jury. 3 ‘Vou did that, you sneak!’ he hissed. “If so, who did that ?’” é 20 TTP Dick showed the wound in his own head. ‘‘T was knocked down. by a snowball just before you were, and my head was split open. I saw the ball strike you.”’ “Vou behind me then?’’ said Morgan. ‘Yes, and I saw the ball strike you, aud saw that it held a stone. Here is the delightful piece of granite that struck me!’? Starbright produced it. ‘*Well, you knowI didn’t throw that!’’ “T thought you did, until I saw you get one of the same kind. know what to think!” ‘Oh, I guess you threw it all right!”? Morgan grunted. ‘‘You were nad because _I told you to mind your own business. ’’ Starbright walked away. = **¥ don’t know who did it,’’ he said to i . Merriwell, explaining the whole matter. ‘Dade thinks I threw the stone that struck him, but I wouldn’t be fool enough to bang up my own head in this way.” “PH try to look into the thing !”? was the promise. ‘‘Dade is too weak to go on with'the play. It wasa rascally piece of business, and I’m tempted to call off the battle because of it. The freshmen want you for captain during the continuance of the fight, if it’s to go on. But you’re looking pretty weak.”’ -*Oh, I’m all right!’ Dick earnestly asserted. ‘‘Give us another man in the place of Morgan, and we’ll take the fort from the sophomores or know why !”’ were — —-——. CHAPTER VIII. CAPTURING THE FORT. The snowball battle was raging again, with Dick Starbright captain of the fresh- men and Jack Ready of the sophomores. There had been some hasty preliminary work given to the manufacture of an abundant a of ammunition. TOP WEEKLY. Now I don’t ordered a sortie in force, for the purpose . a images of men, in which clothing and | snowballs | near each man and deposited along the line of advance, and with other snowy heaps inside the reconstructed fort, the conflict was on once more. “Don’t throw away your ammunition. | Take time to aim, and throw to hit some- ; \ thing whenever you throw. It don’t do “Ce any good to hammer the walls of the fort. Aim at the openings and at the men be- = i hind the walls!”? t These were Starbright’s instructions, te and his men were trying to carry them out. The balls, for this reason, did not fly so thick and fast as when the sopho- mores were the attacking force, but they f= did quite as much execution. - Starbright intended to make the pre- = liminary ‘‘rifle fire’? and ‘‘cannonade’’ comparatively short, and charge suddenly, 3 in the effort to take the sophomores by {e- surprise. “ But when his forces quickly ceased Bee raining snowballs on the white fort and as swept forward, they foundthemselvescon- — te fronted by the sophomores leaping the ae walls and coming at them. eee The surprise was mutual. Ready had 3 of surprising the freshmen. ee In front of the walis of the snow fort oy the contending parties came together. eee Unfortunately for Ready’s plan, some 1 of his men, seeing the freshmen coming, did not leap over the walls, but remained behind them; and these, now beginning to shoot snowballs at the enemy, rained their missiles alike on friends and foes. — Within less than a minute it was hard to tell sophomores from freshmen, for each party, in attempting to shower and beat | down the other with armfuls of snow, — found its members transformed intosnowy features were hidden under the wll 7 SORTNE: . Again prauety and Ready came e face to face... rs a moment they Se looking ah each other as if trying to measure strength. Ready tossed back his hair with a flirt of his right hand that at the same time cleared the snow out of his face. “*1’'m coming for you!’’ he panted. ‘*Here’s where the Giant of the Wheel evens the score!’’ Starbright laughed back. Then, with armfuls of snow suddenly snatched up, they dived at each other, and the hottest fight of the whole field beyan. Starbright had the advantage by being taller; yet Ready was as supple, lithe and active as a panther. The air was filled with snow. Other sophomores and freshmen were strug¢ting almost as fiercely on every side, the sophio- mores trying to keep the freshmen out of the fort and. the latter desperately strug- gling to walk over the opposition and enter tlle white enclosure. — Ready wént down under Starbright’s snowy assault, but clung to one of Dick’s legs, as this could not be considered, he thought, a violation of Merriwell’s rules. But Starbright, not to be thus im- peded, sprang for the fort, dragging Ready; and the latter, letting go with extraordinary suddenness, Starbright fell over the wall upon the inside. A half dozen other freshmen had seal the wall, beating back the opposition, and tHese now engaged with the defenders of the fort within. In less than ten minutes from the time of the beginning of the struggle, the fort was in the hands of the victorious freshmen. | ! . Dick seized the flag which had at first been planted on the wall, but which had Re been knocked down, and mounting to the "snowy defences, swung it over his band- aged head and led the almost breathless freshmen in a cheer. | 3 It was not loud, for the freshmen were too spent to give the cheer volume; but an exploding roar was added to it, coming - TIP TOP WEEKLY. 2] from the throat of Bill Higgins, the cow- boy, who had watched the fight with great interest at one side of the quad- rangle, out of the way of the snowy bullets. “‘Whoop!’’? Higgins howled, yelling again when the freshmen yells subsided. ‘‘J’d never believed so much fun could be got out 0’ a little snow. B’jings, that’s a sport I'll ’naugurate on the ranges soon’s I git back there. If I don’t wallop and throw down and bury Saul Hender- son so deep that a badger can’t dig- him out I’m a liar. That’s the sport fer the short grass country !’? He was speaking to Merriwell. ‘Which Badger?’ Frank quietly asked. ‘“‘Which badger? Why, ye don’t reckon I know the names of all the badgers of Kansas, do ye?’ Then seeing the pun, he roared again. Starbright came up to them, digging the snow out of his abundant hair. ‘‘How is your head ?’’ Bruce asked. | Starbright put a hand to his bandage. ‘‘Oh, I was so determined to do up Jack Ready that I forgot I had a head !”’ ‘‘You didn’t fight as if you’d forgotten your head, anyway!”’ Browning. “You kept it on your shoulders eres well, I’m thinking.”’ “Yes, that was a great fight, Star- bright!’? Merriwell declared, warmly. ‘‘And you showed ews, eee I want to congratulate you. The words and the handshake that fol- lowed were more to honest Dick Star- bright than had been the winning of the battle. said CHAPTER IX. FIRING THE HOT HEART OF DADE MORGAN. That evening Dade Morgan received another call from Donald Pike. - Dade’s head was bandaged, but ; 22 aiP Dor otherwise entirely recovered. The blow of the stone hidden in the snowball had been a heavy one, sufficiently heavy to tempo- rarily knock him out, but with the excep- tion of the cut on the head, which prom- ised to heal readily, he had already thrown. off its effects. “Nice little souvenir of the fun of the morning!’ said Pike, nodding at the bandaged head. ‘‘I guess you know you have Starbright to thank for that?” “1 did think so at first, but I don’t know now. He denies it.’’ ‘‘Of course he denies it! He’d be an idiot to confess, wouldn’t he?”’ ‘Then who struck him? I didn’t. How do you account for the fact that he was also hit on the head with a stone hid- den in another snowball ?”’ “You're easy, Morgan!’’ ‘*What do you mean by that?’’ Dade queried, flushing. ‘“Just what I say. Starbright threw that snowball I know? Jimmy Seldon saw biel Dade straightened in his chair, while the dark look on his face deepened. ‘“ stab out of her dark eyes, but the other dark-eyed girl affected not to notice this as they were whirled on almost side by side. The character of the ice made a diverg- ence from the direct line necessary, thus increasing the distance to be skated. Dick, who was not ‘‘playing’’ with Dade Morgan, even if Frank Merriwell had been ‘‘playing’’ with the Skate King, reached the opposite point first, and turned to retrace his way. Looking back, as he carefully swung the sled round, he saw the crowd on the opposite shore waving handkerchiefs and caps and heard their encouraging cheers, Then an increased desire to defeat Dade Morgan by as great a margin as possible came to him. When Morgan turned the soe more than twenty yards behind Dick, his face was white ox set. This second defeat meant much to him. He had not thought, — when he entered into it so readily, that its result might mean his permanent de- feat for the freshman leadership by his hated rival, but now his heart told him this was the peril before him. To be twice defeated in one afternoon by Starbright might bring about the enthronement of the big freshman as the ~ undeniable leader of the freshmen athletic — forces. | ““T will beat him!’’? he hissed. “He = shall not defeat me again !?’ - iho “Pm not afraid !”? Rosalind encouraged, " feeling also the sting of defeat, ‘‘Go as— yas ae Weck oe at aS ih + ee P periteds SRR Stare (Pree Vee RE ' > ne = bm Wha ane ihe £ rent Ea ao ee y 1 hi ig a pion oe ‘ Thus urged, Dade swept forward on the homestretch with all his might. He saw that an advantage could be gained by pressing nearer the dangerous ice, and to get that advantage he swung inward. ‘We're going so fast that there isn’t the least danger!’ he told himself. ‘At this speed, one could safely pass over the thinnest ice.’’ Then he swerved still more. Suddenly Starbright, who, taking the safe course, was losing by this device of his opponent, heard tlie cracking of ice and a scream. He stopped, turning his skates sidewise and almost being thrown by the sled which ran against his heels. Then he saw a sight that chilled his blood. The ice had given way under Ro&- lind’s sled, and she had been thrown into a yawning opening. She was struggling wildly in the icy waters. ‘The momentum had carried Dade across in safety, and the dropping of Rosalind from the sled had pitched him headlong. Before he could recover, Starbright had skated back past him, and without hesi- tation, seeing that nothing but prompt action could save the imperiled girl, had leaped into the water to Rosalind’s assist- ance. The lake was instantly covered with skaters hurrying to the scene of the dis- aster, among the foremost being Merri- well and Hodge. Starbright secured a grip on Resalind’s Saget and though the icy waters seemed “to strike a chill to his bones, he succeeded in holding her head up and swam slowly with her to the edge of the broken ice. A half dozen fellows threw themselves on the ice in a line, with Merriweil in the lead, crawled to the dangerous and crum- bling brink, and thus drew Starbright and Rosalind out to safety. _ Fortunately, carriages were in waiting, and into these the soaked skater and the equally soaked and half-drowned girl were quickly placed, and the drivers lost - no time in getting their charges into the ‘City., era Ti awfully sorry !’’ said Inza, as she TIP TOP WEEKLY. 27 partly my fault. But I didn’t think Mor- gan would be such a fool!’’ “There is no telling what a fellow will do when he is angry or jealous!’? ‘Or a girl, either,’’ said Inza. ‘‘I could see that she was both when she saw me talking with Starbright.’’ : Se meg CHAPTER XI. DONALD PIKE’S DISGUST. There was no more disgusted individual in New Haven that night than Donald Pike. All his scheming and lies seemed to have come to naught. Morgan had not only done nothing to Merriwell or Star- bright, but had been badly. worsted in every way. He met Gene Skelding, and they talked it over, but could get rio cheer out of the situation. Roland Packard came along, in an equally unamiable mood, and after walking round a while together the worthy trio climbed up to Chitkering’s rooms, They found Rupert and some of his friends trying on various sorts of costumes for the masked ball of that night. This ball was another of Merriwell’s “Centertainments,’? and it seemed that neatly everybody who had a right to go was going. ‘‘You fellows make me sick!’’ said Pike ‘“‘What troubles you now, asked Chickering. “‘Lotht on the watheth thith afternoon, I’ve no doubt!’ lisped Veazie. ‘*A plague on the races!’’ Pike growled. ‘““Why do we fellows make you sick?’ queried Julian Ives, looking at himself admiringly in the long mirror. Julian had arrayed himself in a glitter- ing imitation of chain armor, and was going to the ball in the character of a Knight of the Round Table. “Bor thinking of going to that ball.”’ *‘Oh, I wouldn’t mith it foranything!”’ ‘‘Vou’re just like all the rest of thie fools, Veazie!’ Piper . Veazie looked immensely fierce for a moment; then concluded to change his attitude, and mildly inquired: ‘*T don’t underthand you ?”’ ‘‘VYou’re just helping Merriwell out! Can’t you see it?» Now, look here! Yale Donald ?’’ wins a lot of victories—beats Carlisle, TIP Princeton, Harvard and everything else that comes its way. The claim is made by Merriwell’s friends that Yale’s glorious victories of this season were made possible because Merriwell had the running of things. Merriwell sits back and smiles and fans himself and believes that he is ts ‘Then the idea is conceived that it would be the proper thing to celebrate the victories of Yale. Immediately Merriwell is put in charge of that, as if the other things were not enough. He and his two inseparable chums, Hodge and Brown- ing, are the committee of arrangements. They are called the ‘Committee of Three,’ and they proceed to run things to suit themselves and favor their friends. Again they contrive to cover Merriwell with glory. Everything is Merriwell. kindly tell me if we are celebrating the victories of Yale or the victories of Merri- well? **And-here now I find you fellows array- ing yourselves like the lily of the valley, in chain armor and other togs, for the sole purpose of going to Merriwell’s mask ball, that you may help it out with your presence and commendation. After it’s over, you’ll come home, saying what a tremendous success it was, and so help to stick another star on the gilt crown of Yale’s little tin god. I’m sick of it!” Julian Ives drew his long sword, and holding it in hand stood posed before the mirror, ‘“Too late to help it now," he said, ‘feven if all you say is true, and I guess itis. The way the fellows are talking, that ball is going to be a howling stccess, and it will be that whether I stay or go. So I’m going!’ There was small likelihood that Julian would lose any opuenaenty to put himself on exhibition. “Well, you’re a Set of fools! That’s all I’ve got to say!’ Don Pike was. too uneasy in mind to remain long in Chickering’s, and strolled out shortly, leaving Roland Packard and Gene Skelding still there. As he went away a thought came to him. “Just the thing!’ he said. e“Whatas?’!.-3:, TOP WEEKLY. Will you ° one, worthy of a smaller brain than Pike hate a creature like Higgins by instinct, whose < Bertrand Defarge clapped him on the back. Pike started and bit his lip. - ‘J didn’t know I was talking to my- “ie self!’ he said. ‘‘It’s a bad habit, and I * shall have to break myself of it, Going to : the ball ?’? Ve “Certainly. There will be hosts of pretty girls there, and I ‘shouldn’t want to miss it.’’ ‘3 ‘Another fool!’? Pike growled, as he and Defarge separated. ‘‘No matter what Merriwell “plans, not only his friends but his enemies turn in to make a success of | it. Is itdead luck or is the man positively a genius??? Hurrying away now to a costumer, Pike hired a cowboy suit as nearly like that wotn by Bill Higgins as he could get, and with the long lasso that went with it, sneaked back to his rooms. | ‘‘Higgins has been drinking a little,’’ was his thought, ‘‘though the fellow has 1s been awfully mild fora plainsman. He ~ a wasn’t drinking any to-day to be sure, ie but who’s to say that he didn’t fill up this evening? He’s made himself a general nuisance here, whooping things up for Merriwell. He’s Merriwell’s protégé quite as much as Dick Starbright is. If I can bring him down and roll him in the gut- ter of disgrace, it will bea little some- thing.”’ The trick he ae was a small was usually supposed to possess. 92.2 CP Se Re OLE A PERFORMANCE NOT DOWN ON THE . BILLS. : a In an angle of the wall near the steps which he had seen Professor Warburton ascend but a few moments before, Donald Pike crouched in his cowboy garb. Hid- ing his face was a mask, which he had also obtained of the costumer. “Tf IT can just rope Warburton and make him think it the playful work of Bill Higgins I couldn’t ask any es better. Warburton is a fellow who would — Warburton was indeed a man of consid-_ erable emoree and self- importance, ignity would have been outrage- TIP ously offended by such a thing as Pike had in contemplation. “Tf I can doit and Warburton makes ‘a row over it, as he surely will, Higgins will be in such bad odor that Merriwell will feel precious small. If the thing gets to the faculty, or inte the courts, so much the better. I’d like to have the newspapers of New Haven make a few roasting com- ments on Merriwell’s dear friend from the Western ranches. ”’ Don Pike had taken roping lessons from his former chum, Buck Badger, and could throw a rope reasonably well, though hecould not becalled an excellent roper. He felt sure, though, that if War- burton came down the steps in his custo- mary leisurely way that there would be no difficulty in getting the noose over his head. Even if it only struck him, that would answer, for it would show what Higgins’ intentions were and serve to prove also that Higgins was pretty drunk. Pike expected Warburton to come out as he went in, but the man who appeared on the steps five minutes later was masked and wore a cowboy suit which looked, in the rather dim light, identically like the one worn by Pike himself. ‘That costumer lied to me!’ was Pike’s thought. ‘‘He said I had the only cowboy suit anything like that. AndI had no idea that Warburton would think of attending that ball! He’s masked close -and tight and does not intend to reveal - his identity.’ If Pike had been given time for thought he might have reached radically different conclusions. thinking that if he madea mistake he could run away and the thing would not be serious, he let fly with his rope at a venture, and caught the supposed War- burton round the neck, giving at the same _ time a sharp jerk on the rope. Then he turned to run, The roar that went up was aieilhusion: ing; but not more so than the noose that now dropped over Pike’s own neck. “What in time d’ye mean by that??? came in the voice of Bill Higgins himself. - Then Higgins began to draw in on the rope, pulling the startled youth toward him. Pike tried to cast ie noose off, aoa defines in that, eecnent for sie hse TOP WEEKLY. He was not given time, and. 29 All the while Higgins, with immense strength, was drawing the scared student toward him, making the air blue with his exclamatory questions and objurations. ‘‘7?11 learn ye some sense!’’ Higgins howled. ‘‘I’ll wring yer neck fer ye, b’jings! I'll hang ye up on one o’ these hyer trees fer the crows to eat! That’s what! Why, you step-father to a hoss thief ——’’ He almost fell to the ground, as the rope parted under a cutting slash from Pike’s knife. Having freed himself, Pike darted away, with Higgins bellowing at his heels. — Merriwell and Browning came down the steps, having heard the outcry. ‘What's up?’’ Frank demanded. Higgins turned back, finding Pike too light- footed for him. He brought with hin the rope which Pike had dropped in his flight. ‘‘Some feller slammed this hyer round my neck, as I come down the steps!’’ Higgins declared. ‘‘One o’ yer dinged student friends, I reckon, fer no real cow- boy’d do another cowboy sich a measly trick as that. Playin’ cowboy! Well, if I git my hands onto him, he won’t monkey no more with yer Uncle William !”’ The mask ball was the success Don Pike had known it would be. Everybody praised it and its excellent atrangements. . Three nights later Merriwell’s ‘‘enter- tainments’’ concluded with a banquet at the New Haven House, which witnessed a | crush, When the toast came round, ‘‘To Yale!’’ Merriwell responded in his usual happy way. ‘’There was one thing I should have been pleased to say in that little speech,’’ he remarked to a number of friends later, ‘hut it wasn’t the time and place.”’ ‘‘What was that?’ asked Browning. “Tt’s a bit of news which I must con- vey to Starbright and Morgan. As the ‘result of an investigation, I have discov- ered who threw the rocks in. the snowball battle which struck those two fellows.’’ Hodge was at once interested. “Tt was Jimmy Seldon! I ranthe thing — : down, and then confronted him, and he confessed. The fellow has fancied from s _ the start that he is an athlete, and that he © 30 ‘iP ery ought to be the real leader of the fresh- men. It was a case of unappreciated and unobserved genius! He brooded over it. Perhaps it turned his head. Anyway, he went into that fight determined to knock out the-men he fancied had without merit been chosen above him. When the oppor- tunity came, he threw his prepared snow- balls. ”’ ‘¢Vou'll report it ?’’ Bruce asked. ‘As he left Yale and New Haven this morning, and isn’t coming back, it isn’t worth while!”’ ‘You told him he would have to go?” ‘Well, I talked with him! He said he was going, anywhy, for he has failed in his examinations. Perhaps that was one of the things that made him desper- ate. He is better out of Yale than in it, and Yale is better without him than with hii. ”’ ‘‘And who roped Higgins?’’ asked. Hodge. ‘TY don’t know about that, but I think it was Don Pike. He is likely to go out of Yale, too, very suddenly, unless he mends his ways!”’ ‘CA few other villains came near being unmasked in this series of entertain- ments!’’ droned Browning. ‘‘I’m keeping ‘my weather eye on Dade Morgan.”’ ‘If it will show that scoundrel up in his true light, we’ll have another series!’’ said Hodge. Then he arose and proposed this toast: ‘To the confusion of the few enemies of Frank Merriwell! To the success of his legion of friends!” THE END.) The next number (246) will contain, ‘‘Brank Merriwell’s Mastery; or, The Success of the Polo King.”’ 2 ease $4 @ 4 —____— \ Correspondence. D. mw. L., San Francisco, Cal.—No premium. Whaley, Pensacola, Fla.- I have been reading your Tip Top Weekly for over two years, and I wait impatiently for Friday to come. I have read all the other five-cent. libraries, and I don’t hesitate to pronounce the Tip Top their leader. The Elsie-Inza contest among the many readers interests me very much. I think Inza is the girl for Frank, and would like to see him mar- rying her after awhile. Of Frank’s friends I like Bart and Bruce the best, although Bart gets spunky, and then he is, nevertheless, a very true friend. I like the football series the best of any, and am glad Yale won all her games this year. Wishing the Tip Top and Street & Smith long lives, JOS. F. LEONARD, JR., Philadelphia, Pa. Yes, Yale has won all her football games this year with her wonderful team. She has won the championship, of course. Three cheers for Frank and his team of champions, the great stars of the year! We have been readers for over three years, and wish to express our opinion of Tip Top. We have read all the other weekly papers, but, Tip Top is certainly ‘‘on top.’’ We think Elsie is the girl for Frank, and we are awaiting further developments. Next to Frank we greatly admire Hodge, but we do not care at all for Dade Morgan, as he is so very deceitful, and has such an ugly temper. Hoping to enjoy. many more Tip Tops, and wishing success to Frank, Mr. Standish and Street & Smith, GEO. KILTENSTEIN, BART, TAYLOR, MISS FOX, ALBERT RONEY, Pittsburg, Pa. ‘Thank you for your pleasant letter. I thought I would write you a few lines, to show my appreciation of the Tip Top Weekly. I have read each number since “Frank Merriwell’s Dis- covery.” Next to Frank I like Bart Hodge and Jack Diamond, Best of all I like the stories about baseball, as I myself belong to a baseball club, called the Myrtles. We had a very successful series of baseball games this summer, losing but one. The Tip Tops describing those exciting games Frank and his team played out West were great. I think Elsie is for Frank and Inza the girl for Bart Hodge. Pg or success to Tip Top and long life to Street & Smith W. McLEOD, Dorchester, Mass. May the Myrtles have still greater success the com- ing year in their baseball, and not lose a single game. Thank you for your pleasant letter. Allow me to express my opinion of your excellent publication, the Tip Top Weekly. We boys of the Eighth Cavalry have read every number from No, 12 to date, both in Cuba, in the Philippines and at home. here, and I was elected president. We have also a Tip Top football team here, and we endeavor to keep Frank Merriwell as our model. Our team’s yell is: ‘‘Ra! Ra! Zip! boom! ah! Merriwell, Merri- well! Rah! Ra... Rah!’ CORE: OVERMEYER, R. D., Fort Riley, Kan. Hurrah for the Tip Top football team! Let us hope you have as much success in defeating your opponents as Frank and his team have had this fall. We wish you luck and great success, and would like to hear of y eee to write us. aren, tt ices We have a regular organized Tip Top League — ur victories when you find | ee i ies wee GOSVOVOSOSOODOOOOOOOOO® ONCERNING s* IMITATORS EARLY five years ago Street & Smith originated and introduced the Tip Top Weekly, combining the new features of beautiful and attractive colored covers, and a continuous series of stories, each dealing with the same characters; each book complete in itself yet part of a progressive series. It was an instant success. An enormous circulation was at once se- cured, and this has yearly increased with rapid strides. The Tip Top Weekly, containing the onlyand original Frank Merriwell stories, by Burt L. Standish, has today three times the circulation of any similar publication not issued by Street & Smith. In response to continued demands we have, from time to time, established new libraries as companions to Tip Top. Success always stimulates imitation. Other publishers have copied the general style and form of the Tip Top Weekly, Do and Dare, etc., and, while the contents and general merit of these would-be rival publications are far below the standard acceptable to Street & Smith’s patrons, it is probable that some have been induced to purchase the inferior product of other publishers under the mistaken idea that they were getting “Street & Smith’s.” In one instance a rival publisher has gone so far as to ascribe the authorship of his stories to a name very similar to that of Burt L. Standish, a method calcu- lated to confuse the reader. We wish to call our reader’s particular attention to the fact that all of Street & Smith’s five-cent libraries are of uniform size, of convenient dimen- sions to handle readily, and to fit nicely in the pocket, and that any five-cent weekly which is not of the same size as the one you hold in your hand is not Street & Smith’s. As a further safeguard against disappointment always look for the name of Street & Smith as publishers on the cover. We use every effort to secure the very best stories by the very best authors, and give our readers this caution that they may not be disappointed by mistaking the lines of other publishers for ours. As a further safeguard we give herewith the complete list of the five- cent weeklies published by Street & Smith :-— THE TIP TOP WEEKLY, containing the Frank Merriwell series. DO AND DARE, containing the Phil Rushington series. COMRADES, containing the best series of railroad stories ever written. MY QUEEN, our latest, containing the Marion Marlowe series. THE NICK CARTER WEEKLY contains the exploits of the world’s greatest detective, Nick Carter. DIAMOND DICK, JR., the best stories of the West. STREET & SMITH, Publishers, 238 William St. N. Y. CAMO MOON LEED N WOW (om ole areal = = = SI = =i SI = = =I S| re = = = = = ZI = ZI ZI = = = ZI = ZI ZI Si = Zi g } ig shay laste