Frank heard about it, but he did not seem disturbed in the least.  Whenever any one spoke to him about it he merely smiled.

Among the freshmen there were some who believed Merriwell able to hold his own against Browning.  They were Harry Rattleton, Jack Diamond and one or two more.

Diamond and Merriwell were not friendly, but they had ceased to be open enemies.  For the time being the hatchet was buried, and there was peace between them.

But the two did not become friends.  Merriwell continued to assert that Diamond had sand, and Diamond was ready to back his judgment in saying that Merriwell was a match for any man in Yale.

Morey’s was a sophomore resort.  Juniors and seniors patronized the place, but a freshman was not allowed there unless invited to accompany some of the regular frequenters of the place.

Ditson was ambitious.  He was not satisfied to associate with those of his own class, but he wanted it thought he was such a fine fellow that the sophomores picked him up for his company.

Thus it happened that he had succeeded in getting into Morey’s several times, but he was killing his own chances of ever having any popularity, although he did not know it.

Browning was angry when he saw the fellow come in.  He called one of the sophs over and said: 

“Say, what are you bringing it in here again for, my boy?  It’s been here too many times already.”

“Who—­Ditson?”

“Sure.”

“We’re working him.”

“Working him?  He’s working you—­for the drinks.”

“That’s all right.  He’s telling us what he knows about Merriwell.  If there is anything in that fellow’s history that we can use as a sore spot, we may be able to suppress him.”

“All right,” scowled Browning.  “Go ahead and pump the crooked sneak, but don’t swallow his lies.  I don’t believe he knows anything at all about Merriwell.”

A few minutes later the soph returned and said: 

“I don’t think he knows much about him, myself, but he says he’s down at Billy’s now—­or was an hour ago.  We might get a chance to Lambda Chi him a little.”

Browning seemed to arouse himself.

“That’s right,” he agreed.  “We’ll go down to Billy’s.”

The party filed out of Morey’s and Browning took the lead.  Ditson went along with them as if he was a sophomore.  He seemed to feel himself highly honored, but Browning had hard work to choke back his absolute contempt for the fellow.

As they went along, it was arranged that Ditson should go into Billy’s and see if Merriwell was there.  One of the sophomores should accompany him.  If Merriwell was there and he should come out alone or in company with one or two others, he was to be captured.  Browning had a plan that should be carried out if the capture was made.

Ditson seemed to think he was doing something very smart and cunning in betraying a fellow freshman into the hands of the sophomores.  He fancied he was making himself solid with Browning’s crowd.