CHAPTER XXXII.

THE PRICE OF A LEG.

Fred Fillmore boarded a car and sprang off at the Auditorium. He went directly to the box office, where he made certain inquiries that led him to take another car, which he left and walked briskly to the Rennart Hotel.

“Please send my card up to Mr. Hashi,” he said to the clerk.

Ten minutes later he was received in one of the rooms of the hotel by a suave, smiling little Jap, who did not look particularly formidable, yet who had the movements of a panther coupled with that animal’s grace.

“What can I do for you, most honorable sir?” inquired the Jap.

“You are Mr. Hashi, the great Japanese master of jujutsu, I believe?”

“I have that humble honor, most respected sir.”

“You can break a man’s bones as if they were pipe-stems?”

“It is true, that which you speak. If such should be my wish, noble sir, I could swiftly obtain its accomplishment.”

“You are giving exhibitions here in Baltimore, and thus far you have by your art defeated all who have ventured to face you on the stage.”

“It is with accuracy that you have made this statement. Such has been my exceeding good fortune.”

“Do you want to make some money?”

“It is for that purpose, highly intelligent sir, that I am traveling in your most interesting country.”

“I’ll give you five hundred dollars to break a man’s arm!” cried Fillmore.

Hashi smiled blandly.

“Such an accomplishment may not be obtained unless the opportunity occurs. Even then it may not be secured without much trouble making of extreme seriousness, wise and respected sir.”

“But it might be done in a contest? You might do it if you were matched against another man.”

“It might then by accident be made to appear.”

“That’s it—that’s the idea!”

“But five hundred dollars—the amount is small in its exceedingness, discreet sir.”

“Five hundred dollars—it’s a good price. I will undertake to arrange it for you to meet this man I wish injured. If you break his arm, I’ll give you five hundred.”

“Is this to be accomplished on the platform in the view of the audience?”

“Oh, no; I won’t want you to do it in the theatre. I intend to arrange a private meeting.”

“In what place is this to be, distinguished sir?”

“In a club.”

“When do you bring it about?”

“To-night.”

“It is extremely soon.”

“No time is to be lost. Will you do it?”

“Five hundred dollars—the amount does not to me appear a sufficient sum. Your generosity should increase it when you apprehend the trouble which may after it occur. If I should be placed in the arrest and prevented from my engagement at the theatre fulfilling it would to me be a misfortune.”

“There is no danger of anything of the sort. Can you break a man’s leg?”

This seemed to be an afterthought on the part of Fillmore.

“It is in no degree a difficult accomplishment to obtain, distinguished sir.”

“Then that’s what I want—that’s what I want!” cried Fillmore. “A man can’t walk into church to be married with a broken leg.”

“The remuneration should be exceedingly larger, accomplished sir. For an arm five hundred is extremely insufficient. For a leg one thousand would be the smallest amount I could humbly accept.”

Fillmore thought a moment. He did not have a thousand dollars. In his pocket there was something more than six hundred, and five hundred of this he had obtained by skillfully raising a check given him by his mother.

“I’ll go you!” he suddenly cried. “A thousand dollars if you break the man’s leg.”

“I should humbly expect the money in advance, generous sir.”

“And then give me the throwdown! What if you failed to make good? What if you could not do the trick?”

“Hashi has the modest honor of never making of his promises a failure. If I give you my word and you give me the required opportunity, you may rest in dependence on it that I shall accomplish the matter.”

“That sounds first-rate, but you don’t know the man I am going to pit you against. He has a reputation.”

Hashi smiled confidently.

“It makes not a difference who he may be.”

“You’ll find him a hard nut to crack.”

“Do you mind mentioning his honorable name?”

“His name is Frank Merriwell.”

The Jap continued to smile.

“Somewhere in your interesting country I have heard of him. Is it not that he is a what you call athlete?”

“That’s the fellow. He claims to be the champion amateur athlete of this country. He is conceited and overbearing. He knows a little something of everything. He thinks he knows all there is to know about jujutsu.”

Hashi’s smile had a pitying flavor:

“It is a thing of remarkability that those who the least know about the art are ones that think nothing more there is left for them to attain.”

“That’s him!”

“Against him you must have a great enmity, honorable sir.”

“I hate him! It would give me joy if you were to break his neck!”

“A thing that might be done with great ease of accomplishment.”

“Will you? What’s your price?”

Still smiling, Hashi shook his head.

“Respected sir, it is not money enough you can make advancement to bring me to that.”

“I’ll give you anything you ask! I’ll raise the money somehow!”

Still the Jap shook his head.

“A broken limb will make amendment, but a broken neck remains fatally so.”

“That’s what would suit me! Then he would be out of my way forever.”

“And should it become known of our talk here, the money could unto me no good bring, for a severe punishment of death would come unto us both. No, respected sir, no, no. A broken limb—yes; a broken neck—no!”

“Then it is settled, you are to break his leg to-night. What time are you through with your exhibition at the theatre?”

“I come at the advancement of the program, and it is before nine that I am quite ended.”

“That’s all right. Leave the theatre as soon as possible. I’ll be waiting for you with a carriage, and we’ll drive directly to the University Club, where we shall find Merriwell.”

“How, respected sir, will it then be arranged?”

“I’ll find a way. Leave it to me. I know a number of college fellows who will be there. I’ll tip them off to be on hand. It should be easy to bring about a meeting between you and Merriwell. He tried jujutsu on me. If necessary, I’ll insult him and say you can show him up.”

“It will be better, I would humbly suggest, to draw him into the contest without his suspicions arousing by the process of the insult. Let it seem that it shall be a friendly affair from the commencement. That is what it should not be difficult.”

“That’s right if you’ll do your part.”

“You may depend on it that I am reliable if you pay me the advancement.”

“I’ll give you a hundred down and the rest as soon as you do the job.”

Hashi smiled as he shook his head.

“It will not be a matter for considering unless I am in reception of five times that before starting.”

The Jap had gauged Fillmore, and he was determined to get every dollar possible out of the fellow.

In vain the young rascal argued; Hashi continued to smile and remained firm. Finally Fillmore was compelled to yield or give over his dastardly plan.

“All right,” he said; “but there will be trouble if you fail me.”

“Let me humbly urge, respected sir, that you have no need to use the threat. Be waiting at the stage door. If the opportunity is found for me, I shall earn from you the money that has been justly agreed upon.”

Fillmore left the Rennart in high spirits.

“A broken leg will block this marriage for a time,” he muttered. “It will give me an opportunity to make further plans and carry them out. Ah! Mr. Merriwell, you don’t know the kind of an enemy you have in me! I’m fighting for haughty, black-eyed Inza, and I’ll fight to the finish!”