ut his athletic abilities, for he was really a capable
fellow, although his capabilities were limited, were bringing him into
notice.

Jolly, open as the day, Frank did not know what it was to be crafty or
secretive. He had a way of saying things he thought, and he did not
understand people who kept their fancies and ambitious desires bottled
up.

Hodge had not been the first to give Frank a hint that he had a rival
in Rains, but he was the first to tell him that Rains had declared he
would not play on the ball team if Merriwell was captain.

Frank remembered that, and he wondered what Rains could have against
him. Frank was never able to understand one fellow despising another
because the other was popular, for it was natural for him to wish
everybody good luck and success, and he always rejoiced in the success
of any fellow he knew, providing, of course, that the success was of
the right sort.

Lieutenant Gordan made a rigid investigation of the racket caused by
the "centipedes," but he failed to fasten the blame firmly on any one.
Not one of the boys who knew the facts would expose Merriwell, and both
Barney and Hans, discovering their wounds were not fatal, grinned and
declared they were not sure there had been anything in their beds, but
they thought they had felt something.

Professor Gunn was very indignant to think the culprits could not be
discovered.

"It is a disgrace to the school!" he told Lieutenant Gordan. "Just
look at my face, sir! I am a picture!"

The lieutenant did not crack a smile.

"You have no one but yourself to blame for your condition, sir," he
said.

"Eh? eh? How's that? how's that?" sputtered Professor Gunn. "I don't
think I understand you, sir."

"Then I will make it clear. If you had remained in your room, as you
should when the disturbance occurred, you would not have received those
injuries."

"But, sir--but I am the principal of this school. It is my place----"

"It is your place to keep in your room, sir, when there is an outbreak
like the one under discussion, and allow me to straighten matters out.
If you had done so, I might be able to get at the bottom of this affair
and discover the guilty jokers; as it is, you and your associates
complicated matters so that I do not seem able to do much of anything."

Having spoken thus plainly, Lieutenant Gordan turned on his heel, and
left the professor in anything but a pleasant frame of mind.

It was a day or two af