Frank Merriwells Reward | Page 8

his hands deep into his pockets, and showed his broad

white teeth unpleasantly. Pike was again walking up and down the
room.
"I'd almost be willing to become a member of Merriwell's flock just to
spite Bart Hodge. My hands just naturally go up, and I want to fight
whenever I see him. That's whatever!"
"Oh, you two will be as chummy as the Siamese twins in less than a
month."
"Never! I hate him too badly."
"That's the way you were talking of Merriwell a month ago. You will
come round to it!"
"Not on your life! Hodge is a different sort of fellow from Merriwell, I
allow."
"And you are going to accept that invitation?"
"I told you, Pike, that I have already accepted it. I'm not Merriwell's
friend, and I despise Bart Hodge; but I'm not ungrateful. Whatever
other things we learn out West, we learn to pay back favor for favor. I'd
be a dirty coyote if I refused to accept that invitation after what
Merriwell did for me. That's the way I look at it. I know that I can pitch
ball. You know it, too. I can twirl a ball just as good as Frank Merriwell,
or any other fellow in Yale, and you know that, too. I reckon I'm able to
ride my bronco alone, without Merriwell's help. I am not asking
favors--none whatever! I'm simply returning a favor already given!
You can see through that, can't you? If you can't, you're as
chuckle-headed as a prairie-dog!"
"I can see that you are becoming Frank Merriwell's friend just as fast as
you can!"
"You're riding away off the line, Pike! I shall never be Merry's friend in
the sense you think. But you know that he is the clean white article. He
is straight goods. I've found that out. I used to think different, just as

you do, but I've found out I was mistaken. He is a square man. And
when he sent that invitation I knew there was no underhand business
about it whatever. That's the reason I accepted it; that and because it
would have made me feel meaner than a Digger Indian if I had refused
it. I'm going to pitch for him Saturday forenoon, and I'll win that game
for him, too. Don't you let that fact escape your memory! I hope Bart
Hodge will refuse to catch. I'm afraid I couldn't resist the temptation to
throw the ball square at his head every time, if he was behind the bat. I
want him to stay out!"
"Well, you're a fool!" Pike snapped, striding toward the door. "I never
thought you'd do a thing like that. You are no more like the old Badger
than a calf is like a mountain-lion. You had some fire in you once, but
you have become as soft as a ninny. The whole thing simply makes me
sick."
Badger's face was red and his neck veins were swelling.
"I'm not used to any such talk whatever, Pike!" he exclaimed, as Pike
hurled these sentences back at him from the doorway. "If you say
anything like that again I'll kick you down-stairs! I've taken more off of
you to-night than I ever thought I could take from any one, and I won't
stand it any longer!"
"Cool off, old man!" Pike sneered. "You're making a chuckle-headed
prairie-dog out of yourself, I think. If you should kick me you would
kick the best friend you ever had. Good-by. See you later!"
The Westerner did not even grunt a reply, but sat still in his chair with
his hands in his pockets, his eyes glittering, his broad teeth showing,
his neck veins protuberant and his face as red as a boiled lobster, while
Pike walked away.
When Pike came back to the room Badger was gone. Pike entered with
his own key. He knew that the Westerner would likely be away a
number of hours, calling on Winnie Lee. He glanced round the room,
then went to the closet in which Badger's clothing hung.

Pike was crafty in his hate. He did not intend to lose his grip of the
Kansan. He realized that he had gone almost too far. Badger would
bear a good deal from him because of what they had been to each other,
but to this there were limits. He felt that he had nearly reached the
limit.
"He shall not pitch ball Saturday, if I can help it!" he hissed, as he
looked over the things in the closet. "If I can work it, it will make
Hodge so hot against him that there will be a fight. And perhaps it will
turn Merriwell and his precious flock against him, too. It's risky, but it
is worth all the risk."
He took out