"Dare you deny that you're going from here to the gambling den in Dartwell?" asked Tom, with flashing eyes.

Sid was silent.

"You don't dare deny it," went on the captain. "Now, Sid, I've made my last appeal. From now on I'm going to act. I'm captain of the nine, and what I say goes. I say you sha'n't go out to that gambling hall to-night!" and, before either of his chums were aware of his action, Tom had sprung forward, locked the door, and taken out the key. "There!

Let's see you go out now!" cried Tom, as he planted himself in front of the portal and folded his arms, a picture of defiance.

Sid acted as if stunned for a moment. Then, fairly springing forward, he cried:

"Stand aside, Tom! I've got to go out now! You don't understand. Stand aside and let me pa.s.s!"

"I'll not! You sha'n't make a beast of yourself any longer!"

"Stand aside or I'll tear you away from that door and burst it open!"

and Sid fairly hissed out the words.

Tom never moved. Calmly he faced his chum. Though his face was stern, there was a look of deep sorrow on it. As for Phil he knew not what to do or say.

"Once more," asked Sid, and his voice was calmer, "will you stand aside, or have I got to force you?"

"You're not going out of here to-night," repeated Tom. "This has got to end. I'm going to find out your secret--the secret you are keeping in spite of your better self. We'll get at the bottom of this--we'll restore you to yourself, Sid--to the nine that needs you. We'll have the ban removed!"

Once more he held out his hands appealingly.

"I ask you for the last time, will you stand back?" came from Sid, in steely tones.

"No!" cried Tom resolutely.

"Then I'll make you!" and Sid approached closer. He made a grab for Tom's outstretched right hand, and wrenched it cruelly. In spite of himself Tom gave a cry of pain, for the injury was tender yet.

This seemed to break the spell. Phil sprang forward.

"Sid--Tom!" he cried. "What are you doing?"

They seemed to realize, then, that they had nearly come to blows. With a sob, almost of despair, Sid released his hold of Tom's hand, and staggered back. At the same time the captain, reaching in his pocket for the key, inserted it in the door, and shot back the lock.

"You may go," he said gently.

Sid, with never a word, but with a look of anguish on his face, as if he was torn between two fates, pa.s.sed out.

CHAPTER x.x.xI

THE BAN LIFTED

"I never knew that clock ticked so loud," remarked Tom, after a silence that seemed interminable. "Listen to it."

"It does make an infernal racket," responded Phil, and his voice sounded strange to him. So great had been the strain engendered by the dramatic departure of Sid, that both Tom and Phil felt the awkwardness of speaking of commonplace matters after it. "Guess we'll get a new ticker," suggested Phil, for want of something better to say.

"No," answered Tom slowly. "Old things are best after all--even if they don't keep just the right time. I'm attached to that clock."

Somehow Tom felt that the simile might apply to Sid, but he did not mention it.

"Is your hand--did he hurt it--I mean is it all right?" stammered Phil.

"Oh, yes," replied Tom, with a glance at it. "Sid gave it a wrench, but I guess it will be all right to-morrow. I can't understand him, can you?"

"No, and I've given up trying."

"No, don't do that!" begged Tom. "We've just got to save Sid."

"But if he won't let us?"

"We must do it in spite of himself. I will try to think of a way," and Tom threw himself back on the sofa, and turned his face to the wall.

Phil walked softly across the room, and sat down in the big chair.

Somehow it seemed as if their chum had gone, never to return. For more than an hour the two sat there, neither speaking, and the clock ticked on relentlessly.

"Well," remarked Tom at length, with a sigh, "guess I'll turn in."

Sid was in his bed when the two chums awoke in the morning, though neither Phil nor Tom had heard him come in. He did not refer to the happening of the previous night, but after chapel, which was made particularly solemn by a short sermon by the doctor on the prodigal son, Sid drew away from his chums, who started for their cla.s.ses.

"Where you going?" asked Tom, for Sid and he had the same studies this morning period.

"Up to see Moses," was the answer, "Moses" being the students' pet name for Dr. Churchill. "Zane caught me again last night. I was out after hours without a permit. I'm in for it I guess," and Sid laughed recklessly.

"Why, old man----" began Tom, and then he stopped. He did not know what to say. Then he felt it would be better to say nothing, and he hurried on to the lecture, anxious to have it over with, and get out on the diamond with his men, for the final game with Fairview was to come off that afternoon.

Tom and Phil did not see Sid again until after the game, and then they felt in no condition to dwell upon his trouble, for Randall had been beaten by Fairview.

It was a never-to-be-forgotten battle of the diamond. It opened well for Randall, for Tom felt a fierce anger at fate in general, that nerved him to pitch as he had seldom pitched before. Then things began to go backward, for his hand was in no condition to stand the fierce work necessary. Mr. Leighton saw this, and deciding to save Tom for the Boxer Hall game, took him out of the box, and put in Evert. After that it was all over but the shouting, and Fairview piled up eleven runs against Randall's five. It was a miserable and dispirited lot of players that filed back to Randall that evening, nor could the sympathy of Ruth and Madge take any of the sting out of it for Tom.

"It isn't so bad," remarked Phil, in a consoling sort of voice. "We still have a chance."

"A mighty slim chance," grumbled Tom. "Almost none at all. Oh, if old Sid had only been with us!"

"There's no use talking about that now," went on Phil. "We simply must devote all our energies to the Boxer Hall game."

"No use thinking of that unless Fairview loses to them," came from Tom, gloomily.

"Oh, cheer up!" urged Phil. "You can't win the championship by feeling that way," but his words did little to dispel the gloom in the heart of the captain.

For the next few days there was hard practice. Tom's hand received special attention, and it was hoped that he could last the entire Boxer game. The batting improved very much, and the 'varsity nine was as much on edge as it was possible for it to be. Meanwhile there was anxiety over the outcome of the Fairview-Boxer game.

For some time past the Randall players had been reckoning percentages.

It must be remembered that the games described in detail in this volume were not the only ones played by the rival colleges in the league. There were many more contests than those set down here, but s.p.a.ce will not permit their description.