lushed, swung
himself to the ground ere the machine fully stopped.

"Say, it is rather nifty," he beamed. "It's got ordinary hiking beaten
to death. Don't know but I'd like to have one of the things myself.
Never supposed I could ride one, but it isn't such a trick, after all."

"Of course, it isn't," agreed Hooker, "and I suppose after I get onto
the knack of it I won't have any trouble keeping her running."

"If you don't mind, I think I'll practice on it a little now and then.
Perhaps I might induce the governor to give me one, by way of atonement
for his heartless treatment in sending me down here to school."

"Why, yes, you can practice up on mine," consented Roy slowly, a sudden
troubled look coming to his face; "but I suppose if you got one it
would be new and up to date, and make me feel ashamed of mine."

"Oh, come off," smiled Herbert soothingly. "If I had one we could pike
around to the baseball games together, and we might be able to pick up
a little easy money by betting on them--if we ever found anybody who
had the nerve to bet with us. I kept myself supplied with pocket money
in that fashion last year. Occasionally made a little something
playing poker, but the games were always so small a fellow couldn't do
much at them."

"Didn't you ever lose?"

"Well, not very often. I didn't bet to lose."

"I know, but how could you be sure of winning?"

Rackliff winked languidly and wisely. "As I told that chap from
Barville, the fellow who bets on sympathy or loyalty is a chump. I
always investigate matters pretty thoroughly, and then pick the side I
believe has every prospect of winning. Sometimes it's possible to help
one team or another along on the quiet. I'd like to know what Newt
Copley thinks of the Barville nine. I'd depend on his judgment. I've
got a tenner I'd like to set to work to double itself."

"You always have plenty of money," said Roy enviously. "I never had
ten whole dollars at one time in my life."

"My poor, poverty-stricken comrade!" murmured Herbert, preparing to
light a fresh cigarette. "I sympathize with you. Follow my lead, and
you'll wear diamonds."

CHAPTER VI.

A DEAD SURE THING.

Thereafter Rackliff took great interest in Hooker's motorcycle--more
interest than the languid, indifferent fellow had seemed to show over
anything else except his cigarettes. Even one rather severe fall from
the machine, which sadly soiled his elegant and immaculate clot