What did he care about Marline? If Merriwell could be led into a genuine duel with the lad from South Carolina, it might result in the expulsion of both from Yale, either if neither should be seriously injured.
If Merriwell should be injured, all the better. If he wounded Marline, the whole story might come out on investigation, and that would put him in a bad box.
Anyway, a duel between the two might bring about Merriwell's downfall.
Harris set about stirring the matter up. He reported that Marline had driven Merriwell "into his boots." There were a few fellows who "took some stock" in Sport, and through them he worked to spread the story.
Harris was industrious, and before another night all sorts of tales concerning the encounter between the rivals were in circulation.
Harry Rattleton, Frank's old-time chum, heard some of the reports, and he lost no time in telling Frank just what was being said. Merriwell smiled grimly, and said nothing.
"What are you going to do about it?" asked Harry, excitedly.
"What's that?" shouted Rattleton. "If you don't do anything, lots of the fellows will think the stories are true."
"I wouldn't stand it! I'd hunch somebody's ped--I mean, punch somebody's head."
"The fellows who heard it all know if Marline drove me into my boots."
"All right!" said Rattleton. "If you don't do anything about it, I shall. I'm going to find out who started the yarns, and then I'm going to punch him!"
And Rattleton went forth in search of some one to punch.
And he was not the only one, as we shall see.
Within three days Marline was able to get around, with the aid of a cane. His ankle was improving swiftly, and he expected it would be nearly as well as ever in less than a week.
Marline had a following. There were some rattle-brained young fellows in the college who looked on him with admiration, as it was known he came from a fighting family, and was just as ready to face a foe on "the field of honor" as any of his ancestors had been before him.
Marline considered himself a "careful drinker," for he took about a certain number of drinks each day, seldom allowing himself to indulge in more than his allowance.
He always took whiskey. Beer and ale he called "slops." Such stuff was well enough to boys and Dutchmen, but "whiskey was the stuff for a man."