CHAPTER XXXII.
A HARD PROPOSITION.
Directly after lunch Frank had Toots harness a span of fast steppers,attach them to the double-seated surrey and bring the team round to thefront door.
Merriwell, Mulloy, and Gallup sprang into the surrey, waving adieus tothe jolly party that had gathered on the veranda to see them off.
"Which way, Marsa Frank?" asked Toots, as they reached the gate.
"To Wellsburg," answered Merriwell, "and get us there in a hurry. Showus what these ponies can do over twenty miles of good country road."
"Yes, sah," grinned the colored man, "Ah'll let de hosses out a notch ortwo, sah, jes' as soon as we git frough de village."
It was a beautiful drive to Wellsburg over an unusually level andwell-made strip of road. The distance was covered in good time, and theteam finally stopped in front of the Wellsburg Bank.
"Take the team round to the Franklin Square Hotel, Toots," directedMerry. "See that the horses are properly cared for. We'll drive back intime for dinner."
Mulloy and Gallup followed Frank into the bank. Merry called for thecashier. When the gentleman appeared and greeted him cordially, Franksaid:
"Mr. Casin, I wish to introduce two of my friends, Mr. Barney Mulloy andMr. Ephraim Gallup."
"Glad to know you, gentlemen," bowed the cashier, as he shook hands withboth.
"These young men wish to become depositors in your bank," explainedMerriwell. "They both have an account with the Phoenix National Bank,but it is their intention to close out that account and transfer themoney to this bank."
"We'll be very pleased to have Mr. Mulloy and Mr. Gallup as depositors,"bowed the cashier.
"They will each give you a check on the Phoenix Bank," said Frank. "I'llindorse those checks, if that will make it satisfactory to you, sir."
"Wholly satisfactory, Mr. Merriwell," asserted Casin.
Mulloy and Gallup produced check books and proceeded to draw checks at astanding desk used for that purpose by depositors. These checks weremade payable to the Wellsburg First National Bank, and Merriwellindorsed both of them. Casin himself received the checks, and Frankobserved a slight expression of surprise on his face as he noted thesums for which they were drawn.
"Ten thousand dollars each," he said. "Is that right?"
"Yes, sor," answered Barney, "thot's right, sor. It's within two hundridav all Oi have in the Phoenix Bank. Oi'll use up the remainin' twohundrid av Oi see fit by drawin' on it, but for the prisint Oi thinkOi'll let it remain there as a nist egg. Oi've noticed nist eggs aremoighty foine things to hav', av ye kept thim warm. They sometoimeshatch out all roight, all roight."
No one had noticed the quiet entrance of a man, who stood unobtrusivelynear, listening to the talk. With a yawn, this man now advanced, saying:
"I beg your pardon, gentlemen. I presume it's very rude, but I need somechange right away in order to pay a sum to a man who wishes to catch atrain. I've been unable to get this hundred-dollar bill changed. Wouldyou mind if the cashier stopped long enough to change it for me?"
The speaker was Casper Silence, backer of the Rovers baseball team.
"Niver a bit do we moind," answered Barney. "It's all roight, sor; goahead."
"Yes, go ahead," nodded Gallup. "We've gut loads of time."
Silence pushed the hundred-dollar bill through to the cashier, whoglanced at it critically, asked what sort of change he desired and thengave, at his request, five tens and ten fives.
"I'm very much obliged, gentlemen--very much obliged," said Silence,bowing to Mulloy and Gallup. "I hope I haven't interfered with you, Mr.Merriwell."
"Not in the least," answered Frank.
"Do you think we'll have good weather for the game to-morrow?"
"The indications are that the weather will be all right."
"And are you still confident that we will be able to bring out athousand people or more?"
"Quite confident," laughed Frank. "One of my errands in Wellsburg is toget a notice of the game into a newspaper here. I thought of looking Mr.Bearover up for the purpose of obtaining some facts concerning theRovers, which might interest the newspaper readers."
"I can give you any information you desire," said Silence. "In fact, Ihave it here on this printed slip. Here's a whole history of the teamand the players who make up the team. You'll see we've lost no gamesthis season. If you'll read this slip through, you'll learn beyondquestion that our players form the most remarkable independent baseballorganization ever assembled in this country."
While talking he had produced a leather pocketbook, from which he took aprinted slip at least six inches long. This he handed to Frank.
As Silence opened the pocketbook both Mulloy and Gallup observed that itwas well stuffed with bank notes, and the one on top proved to beanother hundred-dollar bill.
"I don't wish to take up your time, Mr. Merriwell," said Silence, in hislanguid, drawling manner, "but I'll just run over the players so thatyou'll understand who they are and get an idea of the records they havemade. You met Mike McCann, our shortstop. He's from Charleston, of theSouth Atlantic League, and he knows the game from A to Z. Toby Mertez,our right fielder, is a New England Leaguer, having played on theNashua, N. H., team last year. Jack Grifford, our center fielder, isfrom Youngstown, the champions of the Ohio-Pennsylvania League. HokeHolmes comes from Birmingham, in the Southern League. 'Peep' O'Day isthe old National Leaguer, who was supposed to be down and out, but heastonished every one by his work with Jersey City, in the EasternLeague, last year. He's our third baseman. Bill Clover, who covers thesecond sack, comes from Portland, of the Pacific Coast League. SimRoach, who gambols in our left garden, is from Los Angeles, of the sameleague. 'Bang' Bancroft was the second catcher of the champion Puebloteam, in the Western League. Bancroft obtained the nickname of Bangthrough his slugging year before last. It's possible you've never heardof 'Mitt' Bender, our crack pitcher. He's been playing independentbaseball, but the Boston Americans were hot after him this year. I hadto open up handsomely in order to hold him. Our second pitcher is MikeDavis, who's had much more experience than Bender, but who can't pitchmore than one game a week and do his best. When we go up against a lightteam we use Toby Mertez in the box and save both Bender and Davis. Now Ithink you understand the sort of team we have."
"Well," said Frank, "unless your men are has-beens they ought to make ahot combination."
"We haven't a has-been in the bunch," asserted Silence quietly. "I thinkyou'll find the combination hot enough to suit you, Mr. Merriwell. Iunderstand you've never been batted hard. I understand that no team hasever obtained more than eight or ten hits off you in a game. We have anaggregation of hitters, and the chances are you'll get a proper gooddrubbing to-morrow."
"You alarm me," said Frank. "Like any other pitcher, I have been bumpedin my time."
"In that case the experience may not seem so unpleasant to-morrow,"drawled Silence. "Fifteen or twenty hits are nothing for the Rovers.We've averaged ten hits through the whole season."
"Oi'll bet a hundrid dollars ye don't git tin hits to-morrow!" explodedMulloy, unable to keep silent longer.
"I'll have to take that bet," said the backer of the Rovers.
"Oh, no," interposed Frank; "I object. I don't think there'll be anybetting as far as my players are concerned. Keep your money in yourpocket, Mulloy."
Silence smothered a slight yawn behind his hand.
"I'm sorry you're so frightened, Merriwell," he said. "I'm sorry youhaven't any more nerve. That hundred dollars would help me along indefraying expenses."
"Waal, gol derned if he don't figure it aout that he'd have the hundredcinched if he made the bet!" spluttered Gallup.
"I should consider it as good as mine the moment the money was posted,"nodded Silence. "As long as we can't make a little wager, I'll movealong and pay off the gentleman who is waiting for me. See youto-morrow. Good day."
He bowed himself out and leisurely walked away.
"Dod rap him!" s
napped Gallup. "I'd like to take some of the conceitaout of him! We've gut to beat them Rovers to-morrer, Merry! If wedon't, I'll be the sorest feller you can find in seventeen States andseven Territories!"
"I don't know where you'd discover so many Territories," laughed Frank."We'll do our best to beat them, boys; but we're not in good practice,you know."
"Begorra, we've been practicin' ivery day for a week!" came from Mulloy.
"That sort of practice isn't like regular games," reminded Merry. "Weneed to play a few games in order to get into first-class form."
The cashier now passed out a little bank book to each of the depositors,and followed it up with check books for their use.
"Well, gentlemen," he said, "I hope this is the beginning of a long andpleasant acquaintance between us. Mr. Merriwell is one of our mostvalued depositors. He's doing a great work for the little town ofBloomfield. We regret very much he's not a citizen of Wellsburg.Bloomfield should be proud of him. I know it is proud of him. Wellsburgis proud of him, too. The whole county--the whole State is proud ofhim."
"By gum! I kinder think yeou've narrered it daown too narrer, Mr.Carson," said Ephraim. "I kinder guess the whole blamed country is proudof him."
"I stand corrected," laughed the cashier. "I realize his fame extendsmuch farther than the borders of our State. Yes, I believe you're right,Mr. Gallup--I believe the whole country is proud of Mr. Merriwell as arepresentative young man of to-day."
After leaving the bank Frank said:
"I have some business of my own to look after now, and I need a witness.One of you might come along with me."
They both volunteered, but he explained that both were not needed,although they might come if they chose. Mulloy insisted on accompanyinghim.
"Waal, then, by hemlock," said Gallup, "I'll kinder ramble raound overtaown and see the sights. Arter being buried daown in Mexico for thebiggest part of a year, it seems all-fired good to git where there'speople movin', street cars runnin', and plenty doin'. Where'll I meetyeou, boys?"
"Meet us at the Franklin Square Hotel at four o'clock," answered Merry."We'll be ready to start within ten minutes after four."
Not more than five or ten minutes after parting from Frank and Barney,Gallup came face to face with a man who stepped squarely in front of himand held out a pudgy hand.
"How do you do," said this man. "I'm glad to see you, young fellow. Sawyou drive through with Merriwell. Did he bring that wonderful educatedhorse with him?"
It was Basil Bearover, the manager of the Rovers.