Frank Merriwell's Champions Part 24

With a terrific thump, Hans sat down on the floor.

"Yow!" he cried. "Oxcuse me for dot! I didn't know you vas lookin'! Uf you hurted mein nose, I didn't meant to done id."

The witnesses laughed, and Hans got upon his feet.

"Come on!" invited Ephraim. "Come right at me!"

"I peen goin' to done dot britty queek, you pets my poots!" declared Hans, as he bounced around the Yankee boy, keeping at a safe distance.

"Der nexd dime you hit me, id vill pe mit you faces mein fist on. Yaw!"

"Brace up to him, ye Dutch chaze!" urged Barney, who began to itch all over at the sight of anything resembling a "sc.r.a.p." "Don't let th'

long-legged farmer be afther froightenin' yez."

"Who vos frightened?" demanded Hans. "He don'd peen afraidt uf me. I vas goin' to shown him a trick vot I nefer seen. Here id vas, py s.h.i.+mminy!"

Then he made another rush at Ephraim, who thrust out his fist once more, expecting the Dutch lad to run against it. But Hans had not forgotten what happened the first time, and he dodged under Ephraim's glove, and gave the Yankee lad a terrific thump just below the belt.

With a howl, Ephraim doubled up like a jackknife, holding both hands to his abdomen and turning purple in the face.

"Yah!" shouted Hans, triumphantly. "Vot you toldt me a minute ago, ain'd id? I know I peen goin' to done dot! Oh, I vas a holy derror somedimes!"

"Gol-darn-yeou!" gasped Ephraim. "Yeou hit-me-below-the-belt!"

"Yaw," nodded Hans; "you pet I done dot. I known der blace vot takes uf you der vindt oudt, und I don'd haf a latter to climb higher up mit."

Ephraim was mad. As soon as he could straighten up, he sailed into Hans in earnest, and the spectators shouted with delight at the spectacle.

To the surprise of all, the fat little Dutchman proved a rather stiff antagonist for the Vermonter. It made no difference to Hans where he struck Ephraim, and he managed to duck under the Yankee lad's wicked blows.

In their excitement, the boxers did not observe that they were working toward the open slip, a.s.sisted by Frank and his friends, who pressed upon them from the opposite side.

Suddenly, as he was being pressed close, Hans dodged under Ephraim's guard and clutched the country lad about the waist. Gallup wound his long arms around Hans' neck, and they swayed and strained in each other's grasp.

It was uncertain whether they staggered of their own accord or were given a slight push, but all at once they reeled and went over into the slip.

Them was a great splash as they struck the water, and they vanished from view, still locked in each other's arms.

In a moment they came up, having broken apart.

"h.e.l.lup!" squawked Hans.

"Help!" howled Ephraim.

They splashed about wildly, clutched each other again, and sank once more, while the boys in the boat-house screamed with laughter.

"They are frightened enough to hang onto each other and drown right there," said Frank. "We must help them out."

So Merriwell and Rattleton each secured a boathook, and as soon as possible hooked it into the clothes of the boys, who were floundering about in the water.

"Pull, Harry!" Frank shouted.

They were on opposite sides of the slip, and so they succeeded in dragging Hans and Ephraim apart, for all that the Dutch boy made a frantic effort to hang fast to the Vermonter.

Harry had fastened into a convenient part of the Dutch lad's trousers, while Frank had hooked onto Ephraim's belt. The latter was pulled out easily, but the fat boy's head and feet hung down, and Rattleton was forced to call for a.s.sistance. Fortunately, Hans' pants were stout in that particular spot, and did not give way.

When the boxers were brought out, they sat on opposite sides of the slip, water running in streams from their clothes, and stared across at each other in ludicrous disgust and rage.

"Gol darn ye!" Ephraim gurgled, weakly shaking his fist at Hans. "Yeou was to blame fer that! Ef I could reach ye, I'd swat ye right plumb on the smeller, b'gos.h.!.+"

"Yah!" sneered Hans, shaking his fist in turn, "uf I peen so near to you as you vos to me, I vould gif you somedings dot I vouldn't like, und don't you remember dot!"

Then the spectators shouted with merriment once more.

CHAPTER XVI-THE CLUB MEETING

That evening a meeting of the Blue Cove Academy Athletic Club was called in the clubroom of the boat-house, and every member in the vicinity was present.

Frank and Jack were asked to attend the meeting, and they were on hand.

When the meeting had been formally opened, Kent Spencer arose and explained that it had been called for two reasons, the first matter for consideration being the charge of double dealing and treachery which he should make against their late coach, Rolf Harlow.

Then the red-haired boy, Fred Dobbs, who was secretary of the club, said he had a brief communication from Harlow, which would render it quite unnecessary for them to go through a regular investigation, and call the two witnesses, Merriwell and Diamond, who were present.

"This note," Dobbs explained, "was left at the hotel by Harlow when he suddenly decided to get out of Blue Cove to-day. The clerk forgot it, and did not hand it to me till a short time ago, which explains how it happens that I have not spoken of it."

He then proceeded to read it aloud. It ran as follows:

"_Mr. Fred Dobbs_, Secretary B. C. A. A. C.

"_Dear Sir_: As I am about to leave Blue Cove, I write this to let you know that your entire club, and yourself and Kent Spencer in particular, are a lot of chumps. You are easy stuff, and if it hadn't been for Frank Merriwell, with whom I will yet get square, I would have worked you for a jolly good haul in cold cash. You must have thought me a fool to waste my time coaching you for the paltry sum you agreed to pay me. I am out for dust, and I generally get it. I intended to fix things so you could not win against Alexandria, and I should have had a good sum bet against you, being certain of winning. That was my game, and now that it is spoiled, I don't care who knows it. I think the Alexandria boys will win anyhow. As for Merriwell's charge that Mr. Radford was sent here by Alexandria as a spy, there is nothing in it. The Alexandria fellows knew nothing about his being here. He is a friend of mine, and, as I had advised him to bet against Blue Cove, he wished to see you in practice. That is all. Yours derisively,

"_Rolf Harlow_."

This insolent and insulting note brought cries of anger from the listening lads, and when Dobbs finished reading, the entire club was in an uproar. On all sides fierce denunciations of Harlow were to be heard.

The things said about Rolf were far from complimentary.

Spencer, who was president of the club, found some difficulty in calling the excited and enraged boys to order. A dozen times he hammered on the table before him with his gavel, sharply commanding them to sit down and be still. At last they subsided, grumblingly, scowling and muttering to each other.

Kent then arose and said:

"Gentlemen, we should thank Mr. Rolf Harlow for saving us the trouble of an investigation by frankly acknowledging himself the contemptible and pusillanimous scoundrel which he is. A fellow who could make such a confession without shame-indeed, a fellow who could make it boastingly, as this fellow did, is not worthy an instant's consideration from gentlemen!"

"Right! right!" cried the boys.