“That is true, but Gordon doesn’t know it.”

“Well, he ought to.  What do you think Ditson is doing?”

“Oh, he is working Gordon, who has been drinking like a fish since Old Put dropped him.”

Frank was troubled.  He did not approve of Ditson, and he feared that Gordon had a weak nature, so that he could be easily influenced.  Walter had greatly taken to heart being dropped by Putnam, and he seemed utterly reckless and careless about himself.  If he did not look out, he was almost sure to get into trouble and find himself “rusticated” or sent home for good.

Merriwell could not help thinking it possible that Gordon had been innocent and that a mistake had been made in dropping him, as it might discourage him so that he would go to the bad.  This worried Frank not a little.

“I’ll have to make Ditson call a halt,” he said to Harry.  “He must be told to let up on Gordon.”

“Now, that is dead right,” nodded Harry, who was inclined to be generous and kindly toward the fellow who might have filled his place on the freshman crew.  “I tell you that Ditson is a bad man, and I would not trust him as far as I can fling a cow by the tail.”

“I’ll get after him at the first opportunity,” promised Frank.

Harry went out and had a talk with Bandy Robinson about the matter.  Robinson admitted that he did not have much use for either Gordon or Ditson, but he was inclined to think Gordon the better fellow of the two.

That night Merriwell and Rattleton retired early, but they were not allowed to go to sleep.  Barely were they in bed before there was a knock on the door, and they found Robinson and one of the fellows who lived in the house were there.

“Say,” said Bandy, “Ditson and Gordon are down at Billy’s, and Gordon has a great load on.  I have told Ditson to let him alone, but was advised to mind my own business.  Ditson is deliberately getting Gordon stiff.”

“Is that so?” cried Frank as he made a jump for his clothes.  “Well, I think I will have a talk with Mr. Ditson.”

Frank and Harry dressed quickly, and away they went with Robinson and his companion toward Billy’s.

On arriving at Billy’s they were told that Ditson and Gordon were in the little corner behind the screen.  Gordon was opening champagne, and both fellows were pretty well intoxicated.

Harry slipped up behind the screen, stood on a chair, and peered over.  As he did so he heard Ditson say: 

“That’s right, Walter.  Merriwell rubbed dirt all over you.  He is trying to become another king, like Browning, but you can bet I don’t lose any opportunity to throw him down.”

“Throw him down! throw him down!” echoed Gordon, thickly.  “That’s right; but you can’t throw him down hard enough to keep him down.”

“I don’t know about that,” declared Roll, with drunken sobriety.  “If we were to work together, Gordon, old man, we could hurt him.  As it is, you’ve helped me out wonderfully in what I’ve done.”