Hodge, furious at the intrusion, gave the fellow a black look, while Elsie drew back a little.
“Don’t let me interrupt your enjoyment,” said Ditson, with a laughing sneer. “I’m going right out; but before I do, I want to say that the opinion of Mr. Hodge in regard to Merriwell is not shared by everybody.”
Bart took two steps toward Roland, hoarsely demanding:
“Just what I said,” declared Ditson, with cool defiance. “I do not regard Merriwell as the finest fellow in the world, but far from it. In fact, I think he is——”
“Hold on!” Bart’s hand was outflung. “Be careful what you say!”
“Whew!” whistled Roland. “This is a free country, and my tongue is my own. You can’t muzzle me here, Hodge, and I shall express my opinion of Merriwell if I wish.”
“Well, it is true that I couldn’t properly say just what I think of Merriwell in the presence of a lady.”
Bart was beginning to tremble again, but this time it was for an emotion entirely different from the one that had possessed him a short time before. He longed to walk to Roland and knock him down without another word.
“I shall be glad to go outside with you and hear you express yourself,” said Bart, in a manner that Roland could not misunderstand.
Now Ditson had no fancy for getting into a fight with Hodge, who had a reputation as a chap who had as soon fight as eat.
“Excuse me,” he said airily. “I haven’t time, you know. I’m looking for Ned Parker. I want to tell him that Virginia is dead sure to win the ball-game to-day. Yale will not be in the game at all.”
“Your wisdom does you credit!” returned Bart scornfully.
“That’s all right,” returned Roland. “You’ll see pretty soon that I know what I know. Yale can’t win to-day. The die is cast, and Virginia drags her feathers in the dust.”
Hodge became convinced that he understood the fellow’s meaning. He remembered Elsie’s words of a short time before. Why was Ditson so confident? For once in his life, Bart resolved to be diplomatic. He would seek to draw the fellow out.
“With Merriwell in the box, there is a possibility that Virginia will not score,” he said.
“With Merriwell in the box!” laughed Ditson. “Ha! ha! ha! Why, is that so? Well, wait and see what Mr. Merriwell does to-day. It is my private opinion that he will not do any pitching worth mentioning. I tell you Virginia will bury you.”