CHAPTER V
DISQUIETING NEWS
There was a singing in Dick's ears. He seemed to be on a heaving,rolling sea, and he dimly wondered how he happened to be back on board aboat. Then he felt a dash of water on his face--cold, stingingwater,--and he half imagined himself back on the raft with a seabreaking over him. Next he felt some one lifting him to his feet, and heheard the murmur of voices.
"That was a nasty blow."
"Yes. Who did it?"
"Shall we send for the doctor?"
"I'm--I'm all right," protested Dick feebly, as he opened his eyes. Hecame back to earth with a shock, and the boatlike motion suddenlyceased. "I--I----"
"Are you sure you're all right?" asked Paul anxiously.
Dick put his hand up to his head. A big lump was beginning to form, andwas tender to the touch. His head started to ache and hum.
"That was my fault," contritely confessed Hal Foster, of the scrub. "Iwas trying to stop you from making that tackle, when my feet slippedfrom under me, and shot right at your head, Hamilton. I hope you're notmuch hurt. I'm awfully sorry."
He took hold of Dick's arm in a brotherly fashion.
"It's all right--don't mention it old chap. It was no one's fault. Ishouldn't have jumped in so quickly. I'm all right again. Come on, we'llfinish the game."
"No, the time's about up," announced Teddy. "We've had enough forto-day. And it's been better practice than we've had in a long while. Iguess we're all anxious to get on Hamilton's team."
"Hamilton's team?" asked Sam Porter, in a curious tone. "Since when hasit been _his_ eleven?"
"Oh, I forgot you hadn't heard the news," went on Teddy. "Why Dick isgoing to pay for two of the best coaches in the country, and we're goingto have a team as _is_ a team. That's why we all played so well to-day,I guess--even the scrub."
"Thanks!" exclaimed Tom Coleton. "We'll do you up good and properto-morrow just the same."
"Not with Dick Hamilton's team," cried Teddy with a laugh.
"It isn't going to be my team at all," declared Dick, as he supportedhimself on Paul's shoulder and walked along, after his head had againbeen bathed in the cold water. "I don't want it known as that. I'm onlydoing what any fellow would do--putting up some cash to help out. Itisn't my team at all."
"I should say not!" sneered Porter. "Hamilton's team--that sounds likeplaying favorites all right."
"Yes, if it keeps on this will be known as the Kentfield-HamiltonMilitary Academy," added his crony.
Dick heard, and his face flushed. He took a step toward the two lads,but he was unsteady on his feet, for the blow on his head had beensevere.
"You'll have to take that back Mr. Porter," said our hero a bit stiffly,"and you too, Mr. Weston."
It was seldom that the cadets addressed each other thus, and only whenthere was some feeling engendered.
"Take what back?" demanded Porter.
"What you said about favorites," went on Dick. "I won't stand for that."
There was that in his look and manner, and in his words that impressednot only his friends but the two cronies as well. They realized thatDick as an upper classman, had considerable influence, and, though theyhad their own following, due to their wealth and their willingness tospend money, they doubtless felt that they had gone too far.
"Oh, well, I didn't mean anything," said Porter, half sulkily. "I--I wasonly joking."
"I don't like such jokes," declared Dick grimly, and he looked atWeston.
"Same here," muttered Porter's crony. "I was only fooling."
"Your apologies are accepted," was Dick's reply. He walked on, halfsupported by Paul, and when his chums saw how evidently weak he was theywanted him to go to the doctor's office. But Dick would not.
"I'll be all right in the morning," he said. "All I need is a littlerest. We're getting right into football good and proper," he added withan attempt at a smile.
"Yes, starting off with a hospital list," added Teddy. "Don't have toomuch of it, though."
Dick was rather lame and stiff the next morning, and his head was inpoor shape for study, so he cut some lectures, and got excused fromdrill and artillery practice. In the afternoon however, he was muchbetter, and insisted on going through light practice in signals playingone half against the scrub, his place being taken by a substitute in thesecond period.
Whether it was because Dick was off the team, or because the scrubplayed with fiercer energy, due to their defeat of the day before, wasnot manifested, but the Varsity was beaten by a score of fourteen toeleven, and once more there was a feeling of gloom in the ranks of thefirst eleven.
"Oh, it's all right," Teddy assured his players. "We will make up forit to-morrow. By the way, Dick, when are your coaches coming?"
"I've written, and I expect an answer some time this week. It may take alittle longer than I hoped, but I told them not to let money stand inthe way. I have made an offer to Burke Martin of Yale, and WilsonSpencer of Princeton."
"Martin and Spencer!" cried Teddy in delight. "Say, if we get them herethey'll make even the goal posts play the game. There aren't any twobetter coaches living."
"It pays to get the best," said Dick, with a smile. "I have had myfather send a line to the athletic committee of the Tigers, and I toldhim to write to our distant relative who once went to Yale, and get himto put in a good word for us."
"Fine!" cried the captain. "I fancy they'll make the team all over againwhen they get here. I may lose my place."
"Nonsense!" declared Dick. "But the way I feel about it is this--we wantthe best men to represent Kentfield, and we'll let the coaches do thepicking. I don't want to play unless they say I'm better, in myparticular place, than some other fellow. It's a fair field and no favorfor me."
"Same here," declared Naylor. "I'll step out the minute I'm asked to.It's for the honor of Kentfield, not for any particular player. But itwould be rubbing it in if they turned you down Dick, after what you'vedone--putting up all that money."
"Say, look here, that's a matter I want to speak about!" exclaimed Dickwith sudden energy. "I don't want the coaches to know who is putting upthe money--I don't want it known that I am doing it. They are both fairmen, and I know you couldn't influence them with a million dollars. Butlet this matter be kept quiet, and have it given out that the athleticcommittee of Kentfield is supplying the funds. Then there can't beanything said against me."
"I guess that would be the best way," assented Teddy. "I'll call ameeting right away and we'll settle it. But you say you have alreadywritten to the coaches."
"I did, but I wrote in the name of the committee," said Dick. "I tookthat liberty, as I wanted to conceal my part in the affair. I thought itwould be all right."
"Sure. I'll see that it is."
The athletic committee at a meeting that night, endorsed the action ofour hero, and the members were bound to secresy in the matter as to whowas supplying the money with which to pay the coaches.
For the next few days practice went on, and there was a distinctimprovement in the playing of the Varsity team, to the disquieting ofthe scrub, for those unfortunate players were shoved all over thegridiron, and several were laid up with bruises, as the first elevenwas playing for touchdowns, and secured several. Still their playing wasanything but what it should be, and the lads themselves realized it. Butthey were willing to learn, and anxiously awaited the arrival of thecoaches.
Dick, meanwhile, had spent some time with Porter and his crony, thoughhe did not like their companionship. He played many games of pool andbilliards with them, losing occasionally, and again, by some brilliantcue work, making the two gasp with astonishment and chagrin.
"I don't see how it is that you don't win oftener," spoke Porter a bitsuspiciously one day.
"Oh, well, it's luck I guess," declared Dick, and then he steered theconversation around to the topic on which he wanted information--theplan to wrest the control of the trolley line from his father.
But Porter either did not want to tell more,
or could not. He declaredthat his father's plans were coming along in great shape, and that Mr.Porter was a wonder as a financier.
"There'll be some surprised millionaires when my dad gets through withthem," he boasted.
"Is he doing it all alone--I mean hasn't he some men associated withhim?" asked Dick as carelessly as he could as he made a neat carom shot.
"Oh, I guess there are some pikers in along with my governor, but he'sthe main squeeze," declared Porter. "He lets some fellows trail alongso he can use 'em when he wants to. But he gets most of the dough, andhe keeps it too. I hope the deal soon goes through, for I want myallowance increased, and the governor promised to raise the ante as soonas he gets control of this electric road. By the way, it's somewhere outyour way, Hamilton. You must have heard of it."
"I have," answered Dick as quietly as before.
"Is your dad interested? I hear he has scads of money. Maybe he's inwith my father."
"No, I fancy not. It's your turn, Weston," and Dick turned aside toconceal a grim smile on his face.
That night there was a letter for Dick from his father. It containeddisquieting news, for it bore the information that the enemies of themillionaire were getting more active.
* * * * *
"There is some other man besides Mr. Porter who is in this matter,"wrote Mr. Hamilton. "I can't just learn who he is, but he holds a largenumber of shares, that he has bought up in little lots from the originalholders. If I could learn who he is, and get in touch with him, I mightpersuade him to sell me some stock, so I would have the controllinginterest. Then I could bid these others defiance. If you can learn whothis man is, Dick wire me at once. I'll do the same for you, but asthings are now they certainly look bad for the Hamilton family. Butkeep up your spunk."
* * * * *
"Poor dad," mused Dick, "I guess managing finances is about as hard astrying to re-shape a slumping football team. But we'll both do our best.I wonder who that unknown man is?"