the cane from Merriwell’s hand, and sent it spinning end over end, as directed. This was one of the most difficult roping-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 goin’ 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!” Skelding saw that Merriwell was watching him closely and that the eyes of others were on him, so that, in spite of his desire to make an unfair toss, he did not dare to. The wrapped cane flew out again, a whirling white streak, and Higgins’ rope shot after it. He had nerved 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 Higgins 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 Bludsoe with his smooth, supple riata. “Curse the luck!” Skelding growled to his friends, the Chickering set, some time afterward, when all were in Chickering’s rooms. “Do you suppose that Merriwell 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!” Skelding snarled. “And what I did only made his victory seem the greater. It was a 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 IV AN APPARENT CHANGE OF HEART. AN APPARENT CHANGE OF HEART.
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