r a worrud about it to Frankie. How much did yer bet?"

"Ten thousand dollars."

Mulloy came near falling in his tracks. He caught Gallup by the arm and
held on to support himself.

"Tin thousand?" he gasped. "Tin thousand dollars? Ye don't mane it!"

"That's jest what I bet. Dad bim me for a fool!"

"Howly saints! It's crazy ye were, Ephie!"

"Call me anything yeou want to."

Barney was completely overcome. He realized that Gallup had spoken the
truth, and now he understood why his old comrade had appeared so worried
and broken up.

"Oi don't blame yez for wearing a face a yarrud long, Ephie," he said.
"Tell me how it happened, me bhoy."

Gallup related the particulars. As he told how Silence had sneered and
mocked, the young Irishman began to grow warm.

"It's roight Frankie is about betting," said Mulloy; "but divvil a bit
different could Oi have done mesilf, Ephraim. It's wake and feeble
crathers we are. Gallup, me bhoy, Oi'm your side parthner. We're going
to do our bist to win thot game to-morrow. But if we lose, so help me,
Oi'll nivver spake to yez again unless we take half the money Oi have in
the Wellsburg Bank! Oi'll divvy with ye to me last cint. Now do brace
up, Ephraim. It's not broke ye'll be. Ye'll have plenty av time to think
what a thunderin' fool ye've made av yersilf. But let's not cry over it
now."

"I couldn't take half of your money, Barney. That wouldn't be right. No,
sir, I'll never do that."

Gallup clenched his fist and pushed it up under Ephraim's nose.

"Ye'll take it or Oi'll knock the stuffin' out av yez!" he said. "Ye'll
take it or ye'll have a doctor to bind up yer wounds. Thot's sittled.
Come, now, let's go back to the house and make belave we're happy.
To-morrow we'll play baseball loike the divvil himsilf!"

CHAPTER XXXVII.

A PROTEST.

The morning paper from Wellsburg arrived in Bloomfield at seven o'clock.
Before the coming of Frank Merriwell to Bloomfield this morning paper
had been able to boast of barely a dozen regular subscribers or
purchasers in the little town. Now, however, things were different, and
Bloomfield took fully fifty copies of the paper each morning. The
formerly indifferent citizens had become eagerly anxious to get the
paper as soon as possible after its arrival each morning in order to be
posted on the county and State news.

The increasing circulation in Bloomfield had been noted by the editor of
the _Herald_, who wisely decided t