e, but you have kept holdin' me back."

"You have been too much on the jump, my friend," said Hartwick,
scowling. "If we'd let you gone it alone you'd had Merriwell on his
guard, and that would have ruined everything."

"It strikes me that Merriwell is on his guard now," observed Harris. "He
acts as if he knew there was something in the wind."

"Well, he doesn't know what."

"I don't know about that, either. He guards that horse as if the animal
was worth its weight in dollar bills."

"Which comes entirely from the fact that Hogan here tried to knock the
horse out once," declared Harlow.

"I don't know about that, either," said Hartwick. "But I want to say one
thing here and now: If there's any one of this party who is playing
double and carrying information to Merriwell, he'd better order his own
coffin without delay, for he is bound to be found out, and we'll throw
him cold in a minute."

He looked at Ditson in a most significant manner as he said this, but
Roll showed no signs of guilt.

"Well, what's yer plan of war, boss?" asked Hogan, impatiently.

"Don't get in too much of a hurry," scowled Hartwick.

"We know Merriwell intends to enter Nemo in the Mystic Park races, at
Bethany."

"Yes."

"That is the time to get at him."

"How?"

"He has money to burn. Get him to back Nemo for large sums for any of
the first three positions. Give him all sorts of odds, if necessary; but
get him to chuck up the dough, and then beat him out."

"That's all right," growled Hogan; "but where's the dough comin' from
what is shoved up against his good stuff?"

"Let me alone for that," said Hartwick, significantly. "I know a way to
get it, and we'll have it. I wish we might get Merriwell to stake his
entire fortune on that horse. We'd end his career at Yale."

Harris laughed.

"I'd like to know how you are going to get so much money, Hart?" he
cried. "Why, I had to lend you twenty as capital the last game of poker
you entered."

"Don't let anything worry you if you don't know all about it, Sport,"
advised Hartwick. "You've got your twenty back, haven't you?"

"Yes."

"Well, you can't kick."

"All right; but I'm afraid your scheme won't work out very well."

"It will, just as hard, if we can depend on Mike here to make sure
Merriwell's horse does not win."

"Watcher want me ter do?" asked Mike.

"Doctor the animal at the last moment, if you can't buy off the jockey."

"That's easy! But where does my sha