“You must forget that, Mr. Merriwell,” he said. “I didn’t see Storms hit Havener, so I could not understand why you jumped on the stage and grappled with him.”

“But I understood it, b’gosh!” broke in Ephraim Gallup, who was on hand; “an’ yeou kin bet I was goin’ to stan’ by Mr. Merriwell if it took a wing off me.”

“Yaw,” came gravely from the Dutch boy, who was likewise there, “Vrank Merrivell nefer made a misdake your life in.”

“You seem to know Mr. Merriwell,” insinuated Haley.

“Waal, I guess we do!” cried the Vermonter.

“You petter pelief we do!” exclaimed the Dutch youth.

“We was old chums at skule,” explained Ephraim.

“Yaw, we peen shums at Vardale,” elaborated Hans. “Dot peen vere he hadt der bleasure our aguaintance uf makin’ alretty then.”

“It seemed rather remarkable that you took sides with him so promptly, but it’s all right. The papers will be full of it to-morrow, and we ought to get a good run here the next two nights. I’ll have to get a man to fill Storms’ place.”

“That’s right,” quickly said Havener. “I’ll never play with him again. If he’s arrested, I am going to push him for what he did.”

“If you do that, you’ll have to stay in this place some time,” declared the manager; “and you can’t stay here without breaking your contract. I can’t spare you, for you know the loss of Storms will make me two men short. I need a prompter and property man, and need him bad.”

Ephraim nudged Frank, whispering:

“There’s your chance.”

“I guess not,” smiled Merry.

But the Vermonter said:

“Why don’t you make Mr. Merriwell an offer, Mr. Haley? He’s a gol darn hustler, an’ he’s aout of a job jest naow. Mebbe yeou could git him.”

“It’s not likely he knows anything about the business,” said the manager, looking Frank over.

“Waal,” declared Gallup, “yeou’ll find he kin l’arn ther quickest of anybody yeou ever see. I’ll reckermend him.”

“Und I vos anodder,” put in Hans.

 Prev. P 29/152 next