CHAPTER XXXIX. CONCLUSION.

“You what!” gasped Randall, staring. “You’re joking with me!”

“Not a bit of it,” said Merry. “I suppose Bully persuaded you to dope me?”

“Well, he had a little to do with it,” admitted Randall, too proud to cast the blame where it rightly lay. “I can only apologize, Chip, and you----”

“Why, old man, forget all about it!” exclaimed Merry, catching the other about the shoulders and turning toward the door. “There was nobody damaged in any way except Bully.”

He broke off suddenly, and laughed.

“Look here, Bob! He tried to make you the goat to put me out of the way, see? He probably figured that Southpaw Diggs could handle either one of us, but without the double shoot Fardale would get pounded. Then he got hold of that stuff by accident and it laid him out. Except for that, you might still be under suspicion of stealing Hostetter’s money! It was only his being doped that really saved you!”

“That’s right, Merry!” and Randall’s eyes flashed. “I believe he’d have let me suffer for it, too, the cowardly cur! Look here, old man, will you take my hand and accept my apologies?”

“Great Scott, how often do you want me to tell you so?” returned Chip, with mock despair. He wrung the Southerner’s hand heartily.

“Now let’s get out into the open air. I’m about ready for something to eat, if you want to know it!”

They left the building behind and started across the campus for the barracks. It still being some time before assembly and mess. As they neared the barracks, they were approached by a tall figure neatly clad in a dark-blue suit. He gave them a keen glance, then stopped them quietly.

“This is Mr. Merriwell, isn’t it?”

Merry flung him a look, and started.

“Hello! It’s Green--or I should say Diggs!”

“Yes, Southpaw Diggs,” and the other smiled as he held out his hand. “I just want to congratulate you on winning a remarkably fine game, Merriwell--one of the best I ever saw, in fact. If you’d only consider big-league work and----”

“No, thanks,” said Merry. “I’ve had a sample of professional ethics this afternoon, when you and your friends masqueraded as amateurs. That’s one reason, though I don’t blame you as I do Colonel Carson.”

“What can a fellow do when he needs the money?” and Diggs shrugged his shoulders good-naturedly.

“He can get busy and make it cleanly,” retorted Chip, watching the other. With a quick impulse he added: “And if he’d cut out the booze, Diggs.”

Diggs flushed and his eyes kindled. Then he smiled again and nodded.

“Right you are, Merriwell, and I know you mean me. Well, I’m only twenty-four, and if I brace up I’d have a few years ahead of me of baseball. I’ve been thinking it over, and, to tell you the truth, I’ve not had a drink for a good while. I was testing my nerves out on you fellows to-day, for one thing.”

“I hope they suited you?” said Merry.

“Oh, mine were all right until you pulled that last bag of tricks. Well, so long, son, and good luck go with you!”

“And the same to you, Diggs,” said Merry earnestly.

He walked on with Randall, neither speaking. At the door of the barracks they came upon Clancy and Billy Mac, who immediately met them with wide grins.

“Buried the hatchet, you two?” queried Clan.

“I think so,” said Chip. “By the way, I’d like to ask a special favor of you fellows, sight unseen. Will you grant it?”

“Surest thing you know,” returned Clancy.

“Anything you want, old man,” said Billy Mac.

“Well, I’m thinking of proposing Bob for captain in my place, and I want you two fellows to second it. How does it strike you?”

Clancy looked at Randall, and grinned.

“Sure,” he said. “Only I’ll give you a run for your money, Bob, because I’m going after that job myself. I’ll second you, just the same.”

“Same here,” said Billy. “But I guess I can see right now where Carrot-top Clancy gets snowed under about two miles! Shake, Cap Randall!”

Merry smiled.

THE END.

No. 233, the next title of the MERRIWELL SERIES, is entitled “The Merriwell Company.” This story, from the pen of Burt L. Standish, has to do with several of the most prominent characters in this popular series of books.

* * * * *

NICK CARTER STORIES

New Magnet Library

_Not a Dull Book in This List_

ALL BY NICHOLAS CARTER

Nick Carter stands for an interesting detective story. The fact that the books in this line are so uniformly good is entirely due to the work of a specialist. The man who wrote these stories produced no other type of fiction. His mind was concentrated upon the creation of new plots and situations in which his hero emerged triumphantly from all sorts of troubles and landed the criminal just where he should be--behind the bars.

The author of these stories knew more about writing detective stories than any other single person.

Following is a list of the best Nick Carter stories. They have been selected with extreme care, and we unhesitatingly recommend each of them as being fully as interesting as any detective story between cloth covers which sells at ten times the price.

If you do not know Nick Carter, buy a copy of any of the New Magnet Library books, and get acquainted. He will surprise and delight you.

_ALL TITLES ALWAYS IN PRINT_

901--A Weird Treasure 902--The Middle Link 903--To the Ends of the Earth 904--When Honors Pall 905--The Yellow Brand 906--A New Serpent in Eden 907--When Brave Men Tremble 908--A Test of Courage 909--Where Peril Beckons 910--The Gargoni Girdle 911--Rascals & Co. 912--Too Late to Talk 913--Satan’s Apt Pupil 914--The Girl Prisoner 915--The Danger of Folly 916--One Shipwreck Too Many 917--Scourged by Fear 918--The Red Plague 919--Scoundrels Rampant 920--From Clew to Clew 921--When Rogues Conspire 922--Twelve in a Grave 923--The Great Opium Case 924--A Conspiracy of Rumors 925--A Klondike Claim 926--The Evil Formula 927--The Man of Many Faces 928--The Great Enigma 929--The Burden of Proof 930--The Stolen Brain 931--A Titled Counterfeiter 932--The Magic Necklace 933--’Round the World for a Quarter 934--Over the Edge of the World 935--In the Grip of Fate 936--The Case of Many Clews 937--The Sealed Door 938--Nick Carter and the Green Goods Men 939--The Man Without a Will 940--Tracked Across the Atlantic 941--A Clew from the Unknown 942--The Crime of a Countess 943--A Mixed-up Mess 944--The Great Money-order Swindle 945--The Adder’s Brood 946--A Wall Street Haul 947--For a Pawned Crown 948--Sealed Orders 949--The Hate that Kills 950--The American Marquis 951--The Needy Nine 952--Fighting Against Millions 953--Outlaws of the Blue 954--The Old Detective’s Pupil 955--Found in the Jungle 956--The Mysterious Mail Robbery 957--Broken Bars 958--A Fair Criminal 959--Won by Magic 960--The Piano Box Mystery 961--The Man They Held Back 962--A Millionaire Partner 963--A Pressing Peril 964--An Australian Klondike 965--The Sultan’s Pearls 966--The Double Shuffle Club 967--Paying the Price 968--A Woman’s Hand 969--A Network of Crime 970--At Thompson’s Ranch 971--The Crossed Needles 972--The Diamond Mine Case 973--Blood Will Tell 974--An Accidental Password 975--The Crook’s Double 976--Two Plus Two 977--The Yellow Label 978--The Clever Celestial 979--The Amphitheater Plot 980--Gideon Drexel’s Millions 981--Death in Life 982--A Stolen Identity 983--Evidence by Telephone 984--The Twelve Tin Boxes 985--Clew Against Clew 986--Lady Velvet 987--Playing a Bold Game 988--A Dead Man’s Grip 989--Snarled Identities 990--A Deposit Vault Puzzle 991--The Crescent Brotherhood 992--The Stolen Pay Train 993--The Sea Fox 994--Wanted by Two Clients 995--The Van Alstine Case 996--Check No. 777 997--Partners in Peril 998--Nick Carter’s Clever Protégé 999--The Sign of the Crossed Knives 1000--The Man Who Vanished 1001--A Battle for the Right 1002--A Game of Craft 1003--Nick Carter’s Retainer 1004--Caught in the Toils 1005--A Broken Bond 1006--The Crime of the French Café 1007--The Man Who Stole Millions 1008--The Twelve Wise Men 1009--Hidden Foes 1010--A Gamblers’ Syndicate 1011--A Chance Discovery 1012--Among the Counterfeiters 1013--A Threefold Disappearance 1014--At Odds with Scotland Yard 1015--A Princess of Crime 1016--Found on the Beach 1017--A Spinner of Death 1018--The Detective’s Pretty Neighbor 1019--A Bogus Clew 1020--The Puzzle of Five Pistols 1021--The Secret of the Marble Mantel 1022--A Bite of an Apple 1023--A Triple Crime 1024--The Stolen Race Horse 1025--Wildfire 1026--A _Herald_ Personal 1027--The Finger of Suspicion 1028--The Crimson Clew 1029--Nick Carter Down East 1030--The Chain of Clews 1031--A Victim of Circumstances 1032--Brought to Bay 1033--The Dynamite Trap 1034--A Scrap of Black Lace 1035--The Woman of Evil 1036--A Legacy of Hate 1037--A Trusted Rogue 1038--Man Against Man 1039--The Demons of the Night 1040--The Brotherhood of Death 1041--At the Knife’s Point 1042--A Cry for Help 1043--A Stroke of Policy 1044--Hounded to Death 1045--A Bargain in Crime 1046--The Fatal Prescription 1047--The Man of Iron 1048--An Amazing Scoundrel 1049--The Chain of Evidence 1050--Paid with Death 1051--A Fight for a Throne 1052--The Woman of Steel 1053--The Seal of Death 1054--The Human Fiend 1055--A Desperate Chance 1056--A Chase in the Dark 1057--The Snare and the Game 1058--The Murray Hill Mystery 1059--Nick Carter’s Close Call 1060--The Missing Cotton King 1061--A Game of Plots 1062--The Prince of Liars 1063--The Man at the Window 1064--The Red League 1065--The Price of a Secret 1066--The Worst Case on Record 1067--From Peril to Peril 1068--The Seal of Silence 1069--Nick Carter’s Chinese Puzzle 1070--A Blackmailer’s Bluff 1071--Heard in the Dark 1072--A Checkmated Scoundrel 1073--The Cashier’s Secret 1074--Behind a Mask 1075--The Cloak of Guilt 1076--Two Villains in One 1077--The Hot Air Clew 1078--Run to Earth 1079--The Certified Check 1080--Weaving the Web 1081--Beyond Pursuit 1082--The Claws of the Tiger 1083--Driven from Cover 1084--A Deal in Diamonds 1085--The Wizard of the Cue 1086--A Race for Ten Thousand 1087--The Criminal Link 1088--The Red Signal 1089--The Secret Panel 1090--A Bonded Villain 1091--A Move in the Dark 1092--Against Desperate Odds 1093--The Telltale Photographs 1094--The Ruby Pin 1095--The Queen of Diamonds 1096--A Broken Trail 1097--An Ingenious Stratagem 1098--A Sharper’s Downfall 1099--A Race Track Gamble 1100--Without a Clew 1101--The Council of Death 1102--The Hole in the Vault 1103--In Death’s Grip 1104--A Great Conspiracy 1105--The Guilty Governor 1106--A Ring of Rascals 1107--A Masterpiece of Crime 1108--A Blow for Vengeance 1109--Tangled Threads 1110--The Crime of the Camera 1111--The Sign of the Dagger 1112--Nick Carter’s Promise 1113--Marked for Death 1114--The Limited Holdup 1115--When the Trap Was Sprung 1116--Through the Cellar Wall 1117--Under the Tiger’s Claws 1118--The Girl in the Case 1119--Behind a Throne 1120--The Lure of Gold 1121--Hand to Hand 1122--From a Prison Cell 1123--Dr. Quartz, Magician 1124--Into Nick Carter’s Web 1125--The Mystic Diagram 1126--The Hand that Won 1127--Playing a Lone Hand 1128--The Master Villain 1129--The False Claimant 1130--The Living Mask 1131--The Crime and the Motive 1132--A Mysterious Foe 1133--A Missing Man 1134--A Game Well Played 1135--A Cigarette Clew 1136--The Diamond Trail 1137--The Silent Guardian 1138--The Dead Stranger 1140--The Doctor’s Stratagem 1141--Following a Chance Clew 1142--The Bank Draft Puzzle 1143--The Price of Treachery 1144--The Silent Partner 1145--Ahead of the Game 1146--A Trap of Tangled Wire 1147--In the Gloom of Night 1148--The Unaccountable Crook 1149--A Bundle of Clews 1150--The Great Diamond Syndicate 1151--The Death Circle 1152--The Toss of a Penny 1153--One Step Too Far 1154--The Terrible Thirteen 1155--A Detective’s Theory 1156--Nick Carter’s Auto Trail 1157--A Triple Identity 1158--A Mysterious Graft 1159--A Carnival of Crime 1160--The Bloodstone Terror 1161--Trapped in His Own Net 1162--The Last Move in the Game 1163--A Victim of Deceit 1164--With Links of Steel 1165--A Plaything of Fate 1166--The Key Ring Clew 1167--Playing for a Fortune 1168--At Mystery’s Threshold 1169--Trapped by a Woman 1170--The Four Fingered Glove 1171--Nabob and Knave 1172--The Broadway Cross 1173--The Man Without a Conscience 1174--A Master of Deviltry 1175--Nick Carter’s Double Catch 1176--Doctor Quartz’s Quick Move 1177--The Vial of Death 1178--Nick Carter’s Star Pupils 1179--Nick Carter’s Girl Detective 1180--A Baffled Oath 1181--A Royal Thief 1182--Down and Out 1183--A Syndicate of Rascals 1184--Played to a Finish 1185--A Tangled Case 1186--In Letters of Fire 1187--Crossed Wires 1188--A Plot Uncovered 1189--The Cab Driver’s Secret 1190--Nick Carter’s Death Warrant 1191--The Plot that Failed 1192--Nick Carter’s Masterpiece 1193--A Prince of Rogues 1194--In the Lap of Danger 1195--The Man from London 1196--Circumstantial Evidence 1197--The Pretty Stenographer Mystery 1198--A Villainous Scheme 1199--A Plot Within a Plot 1200--The Elevated Railroad Mystery 1201--The Blow of a Hammer 1202--The Twin Mystery 1203--The Bottle With the Black Label 1204--Under False Colors 1205--A Ring of Dust 1206--The Crown Diamond 1207--The Blood-red Badge 1208--The Barrel Mystery 1209--The Photographer’s Evidence 1210--Millions at Stake 1211--The Man and His Price 1212--A Double-Handed Game 1213--A Strike for Freedom 1214--A Disciple of Satan 1215--The Marked Hand 1216--A Fight with a Fiend 1217--When the Wicked Prosper 1218--A Plunge into Crime 1219--An Artful Schemer 1220--Reaping the Whirlwind 1221--Out of Crime’s Depths 1222--A Woman at Bay 1223--The Temple of Vice 1224--Death at the Feast 1225--A Double Plot 1226--In Search of Himself 1227--A Hunter of Men 1228--The Boulevard Mutes 1229--Captain Sparkle, Pirate 1230--Nick Carter’s Fall 1231--Out of Death’s Shadow 1232--A Voice from the Past 1233--Accident or Murder? 1234--The Man Who Was Cursed 1235--Baffled, But Not Beaten 1236--A Case Without a Clew 1237--The Demon’s Eye 1238--A Blindfold Mystery 1239--Nick Carter’s Swim to Victory 1240--A Man to Be Feared 1241--Saved by a Ruse 1242--Nick Carter’s Wildest Chase 1243--A Nation’s Peril 1244--The Rajah’s Ruby 1245--The Trail of a Human Tiger 1246--The Disappearing Princess 1247--The Lost Chittendens 1248--The Crystal Mystery 1249--The King’s Prisoner 1250--Talika, the Geisha Girl 1251--The Doom of the Reds 1252--The Lady of Shadows 1253--The Mysterious Castle 1254--The Senator’s Plot 1255--A Submarine Trail 1256--A War of Brains 1257--Pauline--A Mystery 1258--The Confidence King 1259--A Chase for Millions 1260--Shown on the Screen 1261--The Streaked Peril 1262--The Room of Mirrors 1263--A Plot for an Empire 1264--A Call on the Phone

In order that there may be no confusion, we desire to say that the books listed below will be issued during the respective months to New York City and vicinity. They may not reach the readers at a distance promptly, on account of delays in transportation.

To be published in July, 1929.

1265--Nick Carter’s Convict Client 1266--The House of the Yellow Door 1267--Nick Carter’s Round-up

To be published in August, 1929.

1268--A Masterly Trick 1269--For a Madman’s Millions

To be published in September, 1929.

1270--The Four Hoodoo Charms 1271--The Man in the Auto

To be published in October, 1929.

1272--The Jeweled Mummy 1273--The Vanishing Emerald

To be published in November, 1929.

1274--A Live Wire Clue 1275--The Vampire’s Trail

To be published in December, 1929.

1276--The Crimson Flash 1277--The Vanishing Heiress

* * * * *

BOOKS THAT NEVER GROW OLD

Alger Series

Clean Adventure Stories for Boys

The Most Complete List Published

The following list does not contain all the books that Horatio Alger wrote, but it contains most of them, and certainly the best.

Horatio Alger is to boys what Charles Dickens is to grown-ups. His work is just as popular to-day as it was years ago. The books have a quality, the value of which is beyond computation.

There are legions of boys of foreign parents who are being helped along the road to true Americanism by reading these books which are so peculiarly American in tone that the reader cannot fail to absorb some of the spirit of fair play and clean living which is so characteristically American.

In this list will be included certain books by Edward Stratemeyer, Oliver Optic, and other authors who wrote the Alger type of stories, which are equal in interest and wholesomeness with those written by the famous author after whom this great line of books for boys is named.

_ALL TITLES ALWAYS IN PRINT_

By HORATIO ALGER, Jr.

1--Driven from Home 2--A Cousin’s Conspiracy 3--Ned Newton 4--Andy Gordon 5--Tony, the Tramp 6--The Five Hundred Dollar Check 7--Helping Himself 8--Making His Way 9--Try and Trust 10--Only an Irish Boy 11--Jed, the Poorhouse Boy 12--Chester Rand 13--Grit, the Young Boatman of Pine Point 14--Joe’s Luck 15--From Farm Boy to Senator 16--The Young Outlaw 17--Jack’s Ward 18--Dean Dunham 19--In a New World 20--Both Sides of the Continent 21--The Store Boy 22--Brave and Bold 23--A New York Boy 24--Bob Burton 25--The Young Adventurer 26--Julius, the Street Boy 27--Adrift in New York 28--Tom Brace 29--Struggling Upward 30--The Adventures of a New York Telegraph Boy 31--Tom Tracy 32--The Young Acrobat 33--Bound to Rise 34--Hector’s Inheritance 35--Do and Dare 36--The Tin Box

In order that there may be no confusion, we desire to say that the books listed below will be issued during the respective months in New York City and vicinity. They may not reach the readers at a distance promptly, on account of delays in transportation.

To be published in July, 1929.

37--Tom, the Bootblack 38--Risen from the Ranks

To be published in August, 1929.

39--Shifting for Himself 40--Wait and Hope

To be published in September, 1929.

41--Sam’s Chance 42--Striving for Fortune

To be published in October, 1929.

43--Phil, the Fiddler 44--Slow and Sure

To be published in November, 1929.

45--Walter Sherwood’s Probation 46--The Trials and Triumphs of Mark Mason 47--The Young Salesman

To be published in December, 1929.

48--Andy Grant’s Pluck 49--Facing the World

* * * * *

NOW IN PRINT

By EDWARD STRATEMEYER

98--The Last Cruise of _The Spitfire_ 99--Reuben Stone’s Discovery 100--True to Himself 101--Richard Dare’s Venture 102--Oliver Bright’s Search 103--To Alaska for Gold 104--The Young Auctioneer 105--Bound to Be an Electrician 106--Shorthand Tom 108--Joe, the Surveyor 109--Larry, the Wanderer 110--The Young Ranchman 111--The Young Lumberman 112--The Young Explorers 113--Boys of the Wilderness 114--Boys of the Great Northwest 115--Boys of the Gold Field 116--For His Country 117--Comrades in Peril 118--The Young Pearl Hunters 119--The Young Bandmaster 121--On Fortune’s Trail 122--Lost in the Land of Ice 123--Bob, the Photographer

* * * * *

By OLIVER OPTIC

124--Among the Missing 125--His Own Helper 126--Honest Kit Dunstable 127--Every Inch a Boy 128--The Young Pilot 129--Always in Luck 130--Rich and Humble 131--In School and Out 133--Work and Win 135--Haste and Waste 136--Royal Tarr’s Pluck 137--The Prisoners of the Cave 138--Louis Chiswick’s Mission 139--The Professor’s Son 140--The Young Hermit 141--The Cruise of _The Dandy_ 142--Building Himself Up 143--Lyon Hart’s Heroism 144--Three Young Silver Kings 145--Making a Man of Himself 146--Striving for His Own 147--Through by Daylight 148--Lightning Express 149--On Time 150--Switch Off 151--Brake Up 152--Bear and Forbear 153--The “Starry Flag” 154--Breaking Away 155--Seek and Find 156--Freaks of Fortune 157--Make or Break 158--Down the River 159--The Boat Club 160--All Aboard 161--Now or Never 162--Try Again 163--Poor and Proud 164--Little by Little 165--The Sailor Boy 166--The Yankee Middy 167--Brave Old Salt

* * * * *

175--Fighting for Fortune By Roy Franklin 176--The Young Steel Worker By Frank H. MacDougal 177--The Go-ahead Boys By Gale Richards 178--For the Right By Roy Franklin 179--The Motor Cycle Boys By Donald Grayson 180--The Wall Street Boy By Allan Montgomery 181--Stemming the Tide By Roy Franklin 182--On High Gear By Donald Grayson 183--A Wall Street Fortune By Allan Montgomery 184--Winning by Courage By Roy Franklin 185--From Auto to Airship By Donald Grayson 186--Camp and Canoe By Remson Douglas 187--Winning Against Odds By Roy Franklin 188--The Luck of Vance Sevier By Frederick Gibson 189--The Island Castaway By Roy Franklin 190--The Boy Marvel By Frank H. MacDougal 191--A Boy With a Purpose By Roy Franklin 192--The River Fugitives By Remson Douglas

* * * * *

READ

When you want real recreation in your leisure hours, read! Read the STREET & SMITH NOVELS!

They are the cheapest and the most interesting reading matter published in America to-day. No jazz--no sex--just big, clean, interesting books. There are hundreds of different titles, among which you will find a lot of exactly the sort of reading you want.

So, when you get tired of rolling around in your Lady Lizzie or listening to the blah-blah of your radio, hie yourself to the nearest news dealer, grab off a copy of a good detective, adventure or love story, and then READ!

Read the STREET & SMITH NOVELS. Catalog sent upon request.

Street & Smith Corporation

79 Seventh Avenue New York City

* * * * *

Transcriber’s Notes:

Burt L. Standish is a pen name for William George “Gilbert” Patten.

Punctuation has been made consistent.

Variations in spelling and hyphenation were retained as they appear in the original publication, except that obvious typographical errors have been corrected.

End of Project Gutenberg's Frank Merriwell's Diamond Foes, by Burt L. Standish