ened to
turn to anger.

He saw the crowd gathering round Frank, and congratulating him. Paul
was left quite alone. Not even Bascomb approached him, for the big
plebe was too dismayed to say anything or do anything.

Wat Snell simply muttered:

"I knew it!"

His tone expressed his hopeless disgust.

Frank's hand was wrung till his arm ached, and he was told over and
over that he would make a new record for Fardale Academy if he chose to
enter the athletic contests in the spring.

"If he chooses!" shouted one enthusiastic fellow. "He'll have to
enter, whether he chooses or not! You don't suppose we will let a
fellow like him remain out of it, do you!"

"I knew you could do it, old man!" murmured Bart Hodge, his dark face
flushed with pleasure. "You were bluffing all the while that you
pretended to doubt."

"I wanted to see how much confidence you actually had in me," said
Frank, with a smile.

"Well, you found out."

"Yes, and that gave me a great deal more of confidence in myself. I
tell you it helps to know one has friends whose faith in him cannot be
shaken, even when he seems to lose faith in himself."

"Where is Rains?"

"There he is. I wonder if he is satisfied?"

Paul was still quite alone, pretending to examine the spikes in the
bottom of one of his shoes.

Frank moved toward his rival, and the others swarmed along.

Seeing them coming, Rains straightened up, and through his mind flashed
the thought that he must not show his chagrin, no matter how deeply he
felt it, and he must receive Merriwell in a manner that would not make
him seem like a cad in the eyes of the fellows.

And so, when Frank came up, Paul said:

"That was a beautiful jump, Merriwell. You beat me fairly and
squarely. I can't deny that."

"You are satisfied, then."

"Perfectly."

"Then we will try the high jump next."

"Not much!"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I am satisfied for the present. If you can beat me nearly
a foot and a half at the running broad jump, you ought to be able to
beat me at the high jump. But I am going to try you another whirl by
and by."

"You do not hold a grudge?"

"What do you take me for?"

"Shake hands?"

"Of course."

Their hands met, but Frank did not fail to note that Rains shook in a
manner that was very cold and insincere.

"I reckon Merriwell has come pretty near showing what he is made of,"
said Hodge; "and those fellows who have been claiming that he ha