fellow will go to any extreme to injure me, and so it
is not likely he would tell anything on his chum that would cause you to
give me his place."

"I am sure you do Merriwell an injustice. He is a man who does not smoke
himself, and he would not allow his roommate to injure himself smoking.
However, I will find out about this."

"Do so; but I have found out about it already. I have certain means of
obtaining information."

"So have the sophs, and they have obtained a great deal," Putnam shot at
Walter as he turned away.

Putnam collared Merriwell at the first opportunity and demanded to know
the truth about Rattleton's smoking.

"I know you will tell me the truth, Merry," said Burnham, "and it is
important that you should."

"Some one has been telling you he is smoking?"

"Yes."

"Well, he is not smoking now. I had a talk with him and he swore off. He
is not touching tobacco in any form, and I give you my word on that."

"That's all I want," said Putnam, quite satisfied.

After this the freshman crew took to practicing nights, and it was said
that they worked as no crew of freshies every worked before. One night
they ran up against the regular 'Varsity crew, and gave it a hot pull,
but finally seemed to be beaten.

The report of this brush spread abroad, and the men on the regular crew
were rather complimentary toward the freshmen. They said the youngsters
worked together in a most surprising way, and it was predicted that they
would give their rivals a hard pull.

The sophs were inclined to regard this as a jolly, and they continued
confident of winning over the freshmen with the greatest ease.

CHAPTER XXV.

THE TRAITOR DISCOVERED.

"I say, Merry," said Rattleton, the day before the race was to come off,
"you can't guess who Gordon is chumming with lately."

"I don't know as I can. Who is it?"

"Ditson."

"Get out!"

"That's on the level."

"But Ditson the same as suggested outright that Gordon was the traitor
who had told the sophs so much."

"That is true, but Gordon doesn't know it."

"Well, he ought to. What do you think Ditson is doing?"

"Oh, he is working Gordon, who has been drinking like a fish since Old
Put dropped him."

Frank was troubled. He did not approve of Ditson, and he feared that
Gordon had a weak nature, so that he could be easily influenced. Walter
had greatly taken to heart being dropped by Putnam, and he seemed
utterly reckless and careless about himse