s too surprised to speak for some minutes.

Ditson took out a package of cigarettes, offering them first to Harry,
who shook his head.

"What?" cried Roll, amazed. "You won't smoke?"

"No."

"What's that mean?"

"I have left off," said Harry, with an effort.

"Left off? Oh, say! that's too good! You leave off!"

A bit of color came to Rattleton's face, and he gave Ditson a look that
was not exactly pleasant; but Roll was too occupied with his merriment
to observe it.

Frank was studying Ditson. He watched the fellow's every movement and
expression.

Roll knew it was useless to offer cigarettes to Merriwell or Jones, so
he selected one from the package, kneaded it daintily, pulled a little
tobacco from the ends, moistened the paper with his lips, and then
lighted it with a wax match.

"Say, Harry, old man, I pity you," he said, with a taunting laugh,
looking at Harry. "I've tried it. It's no use. You'll break over before
two days are up--yes, before one day is up. It's no use."

Rattleton bit his lips.

"Why, you are dying for a whiff now!" chuckled Ditson. "I know you are.
I got along a whole day, but it was a day of the most intense torture."

"There may be others with more stamina than you, Ditson," snapped
Rattleton. "Just because you couldn't leave off a bad habit, it's no
sign that nobody can."

"Oh, I suppose not. But what's the use? Don't get hot, old man. You
ought to know my way by this time."

"I do."

"What is it that you came to tell me?" asked Frank.

"Eh? Oh, about the sophs. Those fellows seem to know more about our crew
than I do."

"What do they know?"

"Why, they know our men are using English oars, have adopted a new
stroke, and have done several other things. Now, those are matters on
which I was not informed myself."

"How do you know the sophs know so much?"

"I've just come from Morey's. Went in there with Cressy. Fine fellow, he
is. While I was in there Browning and his crowd wandered in. They were
drinking ale and discussing the race. I heard what they were saying.
Couldn't help hearing, you know. They were talking about our crew and
the new methods you had introduced. It was mighty interesting to me, as
I didn't know about those new methods myself."

"How innocent!" muttered Jones.

Ditson elevated his eyebrows.

"What's that?" he demanded. "Why shouldn't I be innocent? I am not on
the crew, and the men are training and practicing secretly. I have had
no way of