my name in order to hide his own
identity!" cried Put, who was greatly angered. "Oh, I'd like to get hold
of the skunk!"

At this moment the door which led to the back room opened, and Roland
Ditson, who had again visited Buster Kelley, came into the saloon. He
started back when he saw the little group of students, but Plug Kirby
saw his face and hoarsely exclaimed:

"Dere's der mug now! Dat's der feller wot hired me an' give me der card!
I'll swear ter dat!"

Seeing there was no way out of it, Roll came forward. He was rather
pale, but he succeeded in putting on a front.

"Hello, fellows!" he cried. "What are you doing in here?"

Merriwell had him by the collar in a twinkling.

"Looking for you," he said, "and we have found you! So you are the chap
who hired this man to break my arm in order to fix me so I couldn't
pitch any more! Well, I declare I didn't think anything quite as low as
that even of you!"

Ditson protested his innocence. He even called Kirby a liar, and Frank
was forced to keep the ruffian from hammering him. He swore it was some
kind of a plot to injure him, and he called on the boys to know if they
would take the word of a wretch like Kirby in preference to his.

"Oh, get out!" exclaimed Putnam in disgust. "Take my advice and leave
Yale at once. If you do not, I'll publish the whole story, and you will
find yourself run out. Go!"

Ditson sneaked away.

CHAPTER XXXIII.

"PLAY BALL!'"

Before night Merriwell received an appealing letter from Ditson, in
which the young scapegrace protested his sorrow and entreated Frank to
do what he could to keep the matter quiet, so he would not be forced to
leave Yale.

Ditson declared it would break his mother's heart if he failed to
complete his course at Yale. Over and over he entreated forgiveness,
telling how sorry he was that he had ever tried to injure Merriwell in
any way, and declaring that, if Frank would forgive and forget, he would
never cause him any further trouble.

Frank pondered over the letter so long, and with sach a serious look on
his face, that Harry asked him what he had struck. Then Merriwell read
it to his roommate.

"Oh, what a snizerable meak--I mean miserable sneak, that fellow is!"
exclaimed Harry. "He goes into a dirty piece of business like this, and
then he gets down and crawls--actually crawls!"

"I have no doubt but his mother is proud of him," said Frank. "He says
he is an only son. It is his mother, no