“Leave me out, Charlie!” called Pete Girard. “I decline the honor!”
“Then two,” began Merriwell again. But Crandall was on his feet.
[313]
“I want to thank the fellows who nominated me,” he announced, “but I withdraw, too, please. And I’d like to make Burtis’s nomination5 unanimous!”
In the confusion of cheering that followed, Merriwell had hard work making himself heard. Finally, though: “Those in favor of the election of Kendall Burtis will stand up,” he announced. Every chair was pushed back save those of Merriwell, who was already standing6, of Coach Payson and Andy Ryan, who had no voice in the proceedings7, and of Kendall himself. Marion mounted a chair and called for “Three cheers for Burtis, fellows! Let her go!” The cheers came with a will and were followed by cries of “Speech! Speech!” Kendall, his eyes on the table, and his well hand nervously8 employed in the manufacture of bread pills, felt himself being lifted to his feet. It was an awful thing to have to say anything, for his voice was nowhere to be found at first; and when it did come it was so shaky and low that for a moment no one could hear it.
Finally, however, his halting words reached them.
“—Awfully9 afraid you’ve made a—a most horrible mistake,” he was saying, “and I wish you’d change your minds, fellows. Honestly—” and he[314] looked appealingly about—“I don’t think I could do it, fellows!”
“I—I’d like you to excuse me, please, and——”
“Not on your life! You’re elected, Burtis!”
Kendall turned questioningly, pleadingly, to Simms. Simms, laughing, shook his head. “No use,” he said. “You’re it!”
Kendall gulped11, smiled wanly12, started to sit down, reconsidered and went on: “Then all I can say is that I’m awfully much obliged and that I—I’ll do the best I know how. But I hope you’ll all help me a lot, because—because I don’t know much about my job!”
Merriwell, looking worried, went down the table and for a minute conversed13 in whispers with Coach Payson. The coach frowned and, nodding, finally arose and walked to the side of the room. Merriwell tapped Kendall on the shoulder.
“I say, Burtis, just come over here a minute, will you?”
Kendall, wondering, accompanied the other to where the coach stood. The rest of the team followed them with curious eyes.
“Burtis,” said Payson, pulling a folded sheet of paper from his pocket, “have you ever seen this before?”
[315]
Kendall looked at it in surprise. Then, “Why, yes, sir, I think so. I drew that diagram, but I didn’t do all that writing.”
“How did you happen to make the diagram?” asked Merriwell.
“Why, a fellow came to my room one night, and we got to talking about signals; the different systems, you know; he had some scheme of his own and wanted to know what I thought of it. I didn’t think much of it, though.”
“Who was this fellow?” asked Payson.
Kendall hesitated. “Is there—is there any trouble about this?” he asked.
It was Payson’s turn to hesitate, and he looked uncertainly at Merriwell. Finally: “Yes, this has made some trouble, or very nearly.”
“Then I guess I’d better not say who the fellow was,” replied Kendall.
“I’m afraid you’ll have to, Burtis. This sheet of paper contains a full explanation of our signals for the Broadwood game, the original signals, you understand. It was sent to someone at Broadwood and got to the hands of the captain. He returned it to Merriwell. Now you see some explanation is necessary, Burtis.”
“But I only made the diagram. It was before we learned the new signals, Mr. Payson.”
[316]
“This other chap, whose name you won’t tell, took this paper away with him when he left?”
“Yes, sir. I never thought——”
“And you did not tell him afterwards about the signals for the Broadwood game?”
“And you say this is not your writing?”
“No, sir; it isn’t.”
“And you know nothing more of this than you’ve told us, Burtis?”
“I really don’t. I’m awfully sorry I made that diagram, but—he said——”
“This other fellow?”
“Yes, sir. He said he wanted to work out a better system, and asked me to explain the one we were using then. That was all there was to it, Mr. Payson.”
Payson frowned. “I’m very much inclined to believe you, Burtis,” he said kindly15, “but you must see that until this matter is cleared up you can’t—er—very well accept the captaincy. If I were you I’d see that other fellow right away and get him to tell what he knows, Burtis.”
“Yes, sir. And—and am I to—to tell them that I can’t be captain, sir?”
“No, that isn’t necessary. I think—Hello, Davis! Want to see me?”
“Why, yes, I guess so, Mr. Payson. Are you[317] talking about that business of the signals? Because if you are I can clear that up in a jiffy.”
“Well, for goodness sake, do it!” ejaculated Payson. “What do you know?”
“I know the whole story,” replied Perky importantly. “Here’s how it was. Cotton got Burtis to make that diagram for him. Then he sneaked16 into the gym that night we were having signal drill—I told you I saw someone, but you wouldn’t believe me!—and got the signals. Maybe he was there another time, but he doesn’t own to it.”
“Then he acknowledges this?” asked Merriwell.
“Sure! He had to; I made him!”
“How did you get hold of it, Perky?”
“Did a little detective work. Got a clue from George Kirk just by accident. Kirk saw Cotton and that fellow Gibson together in Greenburg the day he came back from the golf match with Broadwood. I put two and two together, found that Cotton was at Broadwood two years ago, and then went and told him I knew all about it. He thought I did and ’fessed up.”
“Where is he now?” asked Merriwell angrily.
Perky shrugged17 his shoulders. “Search me,” he said. “He left here this morning. That’s all I know!”
[318]
A half-hour later Kendall opened the door of Number 28. Outside there were still faint echoes of the cheering that had greeted the announcement of the election. Gerald, who had dined at home that evening, was in the room, and with him was Harry18 Merrow. Had Kendall been especially discerning just then he might have told from the expressions on their faces that they had heard the news. But he wasn’t; he was too excited for one thing. And, being excited, he tried not to show it. He said, “Hello” restrainedly, laid his cap down and took a chair.
“Hello,” responded Gerald carelessly. “Been to the banquet?”
Kendall nodded.
“Did they elect a captain?” asked Harry gravely.
Kendall nodded again. There was a silence. Finally and rather sheepishly Kendall said:
“What do you suppose those fellows did, Gerald?”
“What fellows?” asked Gerald, suppressing a grin.
“Oh, I don’t know. Raised rough-house, I suppose. What did they do, Kendall?”
[319]
“They—they”—Kendall found himself blushing—“they made me captain!”
“What!” Gerald turned and viewed the grinning Harry in wild amazement20. “Why, I was never so surprised in all my life!”
THE END
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1
fixtures
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| （房屋等的）固定装置( fixture的名词复数 )； 如（浴盆、抽水马桶）； 固定在某位置的人或物； （定期定点举行的）体育活动 | |
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2
goblets
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| n.高脚酒杯( goblet的名词复数 ) | |
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3
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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4
nominations
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| n.提名，任命( nomination的名词复数 ) | |
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5
nomination
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| n.提名，任命，提名权 | |
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6
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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7
proceedings
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| n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报 | |
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8
nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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9
awfully
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| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 | |
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10
faltered
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| （嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃 | |
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11
gulped
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| v.狼吞虎咽地吃，吞咽( gulp的过去式和过去分词 )；大口地吸（气）；哽住 | |
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12
wanly
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| adv.虚弱地；苍白地，无血色地 | |
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13
conversed
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| v.交谈，谈话( converse的过去式 ) | |
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14
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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15
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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16
sneaked
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| v.潜行( sneak的过去式和过去分词 )；偷偷溜走；（儿童向成人）打小报告；告状 | |
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17
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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18
harry
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| vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼 | |
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19
vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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20
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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