“Well, you can pay up now, and pay up in a hurry! I want my money, and you’ll have to fork over.”
“I’ve got your paper, and your grandmother will have to pay.”
“Don’t force me to the wall, Snodgrass!” he implored. “She’ll take me out of college! I don’t believe she’ll pay you, anyhow. Give me time, and I’ll find a way to pay you. You must give me time, old man!”
“Time! time! time! You can’t pay if I do give you time, and you know it! I know it! I’ve known it all along!”
“Yet you let me have the money! You did it to get me in a trap!”
“Well, perhaps I did. I wanted to make use of you. Now you are no earthly use to me, and I want my money.”
“Wait,” urged Arnold shakingly. “Don’t say I’m no use to you. You can’t tell yet.”
“Are you going to give up? Are you going to let Merriwell triumph over you?”
“I thought not. But we’ve both got to obey his command, or get it in the neck. I’m a freshman, but he is coaching the freshmen, and I hate him. Therefore, I don’t want them to win.”
“It would hit him hard if they failed!” panted Snodgrass.
“Sure thing,” nodded Arnold, lowering his voice to a whisper. “We can’t make any plans here, old man, but I believe in getting back at him, and I’ll help you do it.”
“Don’t know yet; but we ought to be able to find a way. We must keep the freshmen from winning, somehow.”
The face of Snodgrass took on a look of vindictive resolve.
“That’s right!” he grated. “The freshmen shall not win now! It will hurt Merriwell if they fail! We will prevent them, Arnold.”
“If I help you, will you cancel the account against me?”
CHAPTER XXXIV. SNODGRASS SEEKS SATISFACTION.
Of course the unexpected withdrawal of Arnold and Snodgrass from their respective crews created comment. Both men manufactured excuses, but these excuses proved to be rather flimsy when investigated. They seemed to have suddenly lost their sand in the face of the rigid training, and decided to get out. This caused many to regard them with contempt, and Snodgrass ate his heart out with rage toward the one he regarded as the author of all his trouble. Never for a moment did he regard himself as in any way to blame.
Arnold was afraid of Merriwell; but, if possible, just then he was more afraid of Snodgrass, who was desperate enough for any move. The sophomore swore by various things he was supposed to regard as sacred that he would get even with Merriwell. He vowed that the freshmen should meet with defeat, but when he came to meditate on the matter some time it did not seem to him that the simple defeat of the freshmen would be revenge enough on Merriwell.