CHAPTER XV
A PROPOSITION
DON sought Harry Walton's room soon after supper was over and foundneither Harry nor his room-mate, Jim Rose, at home. He lighted thedroplight, found a magazine several months old and sat down to wait. Hehad, however, scarcely got into a story before Harry appeared.
"Hello," greeted the latter. "Sorry I was late. Had to stop at thelibrary for a book." In proof of it he tossed a volume to the table. "Iasked you to come up here, Gilbert, because I have a proposition to makeand I thought you wouldn't want anyone around." Harry seated himself,took one knee into his clasped hands and smiled at the visitor. It was apeculiarly unattractive smile, Don decided.
"Proposition?" Don frowned perplexedly. "What sort of a proposition,Walton?"
"Well, I'll tell you. It's like this, Gilbert. You see, old man, you andI are fighting like the mischief for the left guard position and so farit's about nip-and-tuck, isn't it?"
Don viewed the speaker with some surprise. "Is it?" he asked. "I thoughtI had rather the best of it, Walton."
Harry smiled and shrugged. "That's only Robey's foxiness. I'm not sayinghe might not pick you for the place in the end, of course, but I standjust as good a show. Robey doesn't like to show his hand. He likes tokeep you guessing. I'm willing to bet that if nothing happened he'd dropyou next week and stick me in there. Of course you might get in forawhile in the Claflin game, if I got hurt, but I wouldn't advise you tobank much on that because I'm rather lucky about not getting hurt.Honestly, Gilbert, I don't really think you've got much of a chance offinal selection."
Don observed his host's countenance with some bewilderment. "Well," hesaid at last, "that may be so or not. What is it you want me to do?"
"I'll tell you." Harry tried hard to look ingenuous, but only succeededin grinning like a catfish. "It's this way. My folks are coming up forthe Claflin game; father and mother and kid brother, you know. Well,naturally, I'd like to have them see me play. They think I'm going to,of course, because I've mentioned it once or twice in my letters. I'dfeel pretty cheap if they came up here and watched me sitting on thebench all through the game. See what I mean, old man?"
Don nodded and waited.
"Well, so I thought that as your chance is pretty slim anyway maybe youwouldn't mind dropping out. I wouldn't ask you to if I really thoughtyou had much chance, you know, Gilbert."
"Oh! That's it? Well, I'm sorry if you're folks are going to bedisappointed, Walton, but I don't feel quite like playing the goat onthat account. You might just write them and sort of prepare them for theshock, mightn't you? Tell them there's a bare chance that you won't getinto the fracas, you know. I would. It would soften the blow for them,Walton."
Walton scowled. "Don't be funny," he said shortly. "I've given you thechance to drop out gracefully, Gilbert, and you're a fool not to takeit."
"But why should I drop out! Don't you suppose I want to play in theClaflin game just as much as you do?"
"Perhaps you do, but you won't play in it any way you figure it. If youdon't quit willingly you'll quit the other way. I'm giving you a fairchance, that's all. You've only got to make believe you're sick or playsort of rottenly a couple of times. That will do the trick for you andthere won't be any other trouble."
"Say, what are you hinting at?" demanded Don quietly. "What have you gotup your sleeve?"
"Plenty, Gilbert. I've got enough up my sleeve to get you fired fromschool."
There was a moment of silence. Then Don nodded thoughtfully. "So that'sit, is it?" he murmured.
"That's it, old man." Harry grinned. "Think it over now."
"What do you think you've got on me?" asked Don.
"I don't think. I know that you and three other fellows helped put outthat fire that night and that you didn't get back to hall until longafter ten-thirty." Harry dropped his knee, thrust his hands into hispockets, leaned back in his chair and viewed Don triumphantly. "I don'twant to go to faculty with it, Gilbert, although it's really my duty andI certainly shall if you force me."
"Hm," mused Don. "But wouldn't faculty wonder why you'd been so longabout it?"
"Probably. I'd have to tell the truth and----"
"I guess that would hurt," interpolated the other drily.
"And explain that I'd tried to shield you fellows, but that myconscience had finally prevailed." And Harry grinned broadly. "Joshwouldn't like it, but he wouldn't do anything to me. What he'd do toyou, though, would be a plenty, Gilbert. It would be expulsion, and youknow that as well as I do."
"Yes, I do." Don dropped his gaze to his hands and was silent a moment.Then: "Of course you've thought of what it would mean to you, Walton? Iwouldn't be likely to keep you out of it, you know."
Harry shrugged. "Fellows might talk some, but I'd only be doing my duty.As long as my conscience was clear----"
"You're a dirty pup, Walton," said Don, "and if I wasn't afraid ofgetting the mange I'd give you the beating you deserve."
"Calling names won't get you anything, Gilbert. I'm not afraid ofanything you could do to me, anyway. I may be a pup, but I'm where I canmake you sit up and beg, and I'm going to do it."
"You think you are," said Don contemptuously. "Let me tell you now thatI'd rather be fired a dozen times than make any bargains with a commonskunk like you!"
"That means you want me to go ahead and tell Josh, does it?"
"It means that you can do anything you want to, Walton." Don stood up."But if you do go to faculty with the story you'll get the worst lickingyou ever had or heard of, and fellows will make it so unpleasant herefor you that you won't stay much longer than I do. Now _you_ think itover!"
"What fellows say or think won't hurt me a mite, thank you, and I'm notafraid of you or any of your friends, Gilbert. Wait a minute now. We'renot through yet."
"I am, thanks," replied Don, moving toward the door.
"Oh, no you're not. You may feel heroic and all that and too mad to givein just now, but you're not considering what it will mean if you make mesqueal to faculty. Why, we wouldn't have a ghost of a show withClaflin!"
"I thought you considered yourself quite as good a guard as me, Walton,"answered Don.
"I do, old man. But I don't think I'm able to take the places of all theother fellows who would be missing from the team."
Don turned, with his hand on the door-knob, and stared startledly."What do you mean by that?" he asked.
"I thought that would fetch you," chuckled Harry. "I mean that you'renot the only one who would quit the dear old school, Gilbert. Youhaven't forgotten, I suppose, that there were three other fellows mixedup in the business?"
"No, but faculty would have to know more than I'd tell them beforethey'd find out who the others were."
"Oh, you wouldn't have to tell them, old man."
"Meaning you would? You don't know, Walton."
"Don't I, though? You bet I do! I know every last one of them!"
"You told me----"
"Oh, I let you think I didn't, Gilbert. No use telling everything youknow."
"I don't believe it!" But, in spite of the statement, Don did believe itand was trying to realise what it meant. .
"Don't be a fool! Why wouldn't I know? If I could see you why couldn't Isee Clint Thayer and Tim Otis and Tom Hall? You were all as plain asdaylight. Of course, Tom's out of it, anyway, but I guess losing a lefttackle and a right half-back a week before the game would put rather adent in our chances, what? And that's just what will happen if you makeme go to Josh with the story!"
"You wouldn't!" challenged Don, but there was scant conviction in histone. Harry shrugged his shoulders.
"Oh, I'd rather not. I don't want to play on a losing team, and that'swhat I'd be doing, but you see I've sort of set my heart on playingright guard a week from Saturday, Gilbert, and I hate to bedisappointed. Hate to disappoint my folks, too."
"They must be proud of you!"
"They are, take it from me." Harry's smile vanished and he looked uglyas he went on. "Don't be
a fool, Gilbert! You'd do the same thingyourself if you had the chance. You're playing the hypocrite, and youknow it. I've got you dead to rights and I mean to make the most of it.If you don't get off the team inside of two days I'll go to Josh andtell him everything I know. It isn't pretty, maybe, but it's playingyour hand for what there is in it, and that's my way! Now you sit downagain and just think it all over, Gilbert. Take all the time you want.And remember this, too. If I keep my mouth shut you've got to keep yoursshut. No blabbing to Tim Otis or Clint Thayer or anyone else. This isjust between you and me, old man. Now what do you say?"
"The thing's as crazy as it is rotten, Walton! How am I to get off theteam without having it look funny?"
"And how much do I care whether it looks funny or not? That's up to you.You can play sick or you can get out there and mix your signals a fewtimes or you can bite Robey in the leg. I don't give a hang what you doso long as you do it, and do it between now and Saturday. That's right,sit down and look at it sensibly. Mull it over awhile. There's nohurry."