Dick Hamilton's Football Team Or A Young Millionaire On The Gridiron Part 34

CHAPTER XXIV

TREACHERY

Mr. Hamilton arrived at Kentfield the day before the game with Mooretown. d.i.c.k welcomed his parent enthusiastically, and introduced him to all his chums, with whom the millionaire was soon on friendly terms.

"You'll have a chance to see us play, dad!" cried the captain. "You'll go Mooretown with us; won't you?"

"To see you beaten?" asked Mr. Hamilton quizzically.

"Not much! We'll wipe up the gridiron with them!" cried Ray Dutton.

"We've got to, if we want that loving cup," he added with a laugh, "and Blue Hill, too."

"Well, I guess I'll come," a.s.sented d.i.c.k's father. "But I have some business to transact first."

"I'm afraid you won't transact much of it," spoke d.i.c.k in a low voice.

"Mr. Duncaster is very obstinate."

"How are you going to Mooretown?" inquired Mr. Hamilton.

"By special train. Our manager has arranged for one. I did think of autos, but the roads are pretty poor and then we want to take a big crowd with us to 'root' for a win. So we'll go by train."

"Then I'll come along. Now tell me about this Mr. Duncaster," and d.i.c.k proceeded to do so, detailing his own visit, and that of Mr. Larabee.

"Hum! A hard man to do business with. Still I've got to try, for it means a lot to me," and Mr. Hamilton sighed. d.i.c.k noticed with regret that his father's face was much more wrinkled than it had been, and the gray hairs were more numerous.

"The strain is telling on him," mused the lad. "I wonder what would happen if he lost all his money--and if I lost mine," for of late d.i.c.k had transferred most of his funds to his father, to use in the electric road deal. In fact most of the Hamilton fortune was now tied up in that line.

"But I guess dad will make out," concluded our hero. "He has been in tight places before, and has always pulled through."

Mr. Hamilton set off to see Enos Duncaster, and d.i.c.k made his father promise to take dinner with him that night at the Sacred Pig where an impromptu spread had been arranged in honor of the visit of the millionaire. Major Webster Colonel Masterly, and several of the academy faculty had promised to attend.

"It won't be much on the 'eat' line for you fellows and me," d.i.c.k had warned them, "we can't break training until after we have wiped out the disgrace of the Blue Hill defeat, and that won't be for two weeks. Then we'll have a feast that is a feast."

"Good!" cried Innis Beeby for he was fond of feasts, and suffered under the rigorous football regime.

d.i.c.k was waiting for his father's return from Mr. Duncaster's house that evening, sitting in his room trying to study. He was not making much headway for he was thinking of many things--of the game on the morrow--of the one with Blue Hill, and of what success his father would meet with. Paul Drew was out at a society meeting.

There came a knock on the door, a timid hesitating sort of a knock, and d.i.c.k, wondering who it could be, called out:

"Come in!"

Sam Porter entered, first looking around the apartment to see that d.i.c.k's roommate was not present.

"Are you busy, Hamilton?" he asked, and there was that in his voice that caused d.i.c.k to wonder at him. There was a thickness and a sort of leering familiarity that was unusual.

"No, I'm not busy. Come in and make yourself comfortable. There's an easy chair," and d.i.c.k knocked a pile of books from one to make room for his visitor.

"I want to ask a favor of you, Hamilton, and I want you to grant it--understand?" and Porter looked sharply at the captain. "I want you to promise."

"I can't promise, until I hear what it is," said the young millionaire good-naturedly.

"Yes you can--if you want to--un'stand?" Sam Porter leaned forward.

"You want to grant me this favor--un'stand," went on Porter, "or you'll be sorry. Sorry, see?"

"What is it?" asked d.i.c.k, trying not to show the disgust he felt.

"I want to play in that Mooretown game to-morrow--play full game--un'stand? I don't want to sit on side lines like some poor Indian wrapped up in a blanket--I want to go in from start an' wallop them fellers. Un'stand? I want to play. You can put me in as well as not.

Will you? It's favor, Ham, an' if you don't do it, you'll be sorry!"

"Why?" asked d.i.c.k, for there was a vague threat in the tones of his caller.

"Well, nev' min'. Will you let me play?"

Porter was not himself. d.i.c.k had never seen him thus, and he feared lest some of the teachers discover his condition. He thought it best to temporize with him.

"I'll see what I can do," he promised good-naturedly. "Come and see me in the morning. You'd better go to bed now."

"Go to bed?" and Porter's voice rose. "Why, wha's matter me? Ain't I a'right?"

"Yes, but if you are to play to-morrow you'll need a rest. See me in the morning."

"All right. I'll go. But if I can't play whole game you be sorry, Ham.

You're good feller--you let me play--be sorry if you don't--tha's all,"

and Porter lurched from the room, while d.i.c.k shook his head sorrowfully.

Mr. Hamilton came up to d.i.c.k's room about an hour later. It needed but a look at his face to see that his errand had proven a failure.

"Well?" asked d.i.c.k, but he knew what the answer would be.

"Mr. Duncaster wouldn't even talk to me when he learned what my object was," said the millionaire wearily. "I guess we can't do anything with him, d.i.c.k. But never mind," he added more brightly, "I can try another scheme. They haven't got us beaten yet, d.i.c.k, my boy!"

d.i.c.k put his father up in an apartment in the Sacred Pig after the little banquet. It was a gay affair in spite of the millionaire's disappointment, and the boys voted him a brick.

Porter approached the captain the next morning. He did not seem at all ashamed of his condition of yesterday.

"Well, Hamilton, am I to play?" was the somewhat sharp question.

"You'll have to take your chances with the other subs," was the young captain's answer. "I can't make any changes in the Varsity now. I may after the first half, if we find Mooretown easy enough."

"Yes, that's it!" sneered Porter. "You'll only put me in on the easy games. I won't stand for it. Either I play the full game, or off comes my suit for the season."

"You can please yourself about that," and d.i.c.k turned aside.

"You'll be sorry for this!" muttered Porter, as he walked away.