Frank Merriwell's Athletes Part 19

"Dot shows he haf a leedle sense," cut in Hans. "Sandy Parpery peen a tandy blace, und der girls here-um-um-er-um!-dey vos pirds!"

"California is full of pretty girls, anyway," declared Rattleton.

"By gum! that's jest so!" Ephraim cried. "There's only one place I know of where there's more pritty gals."

"Where is that?"

"Up in Varmont, b'gos.h.!.+ Never see no gals as could hold a candle tew the Varmont gals, b'ginger!"

"That's right," laughed Frank; "stand by the girls of your own State. I don't blame you. I never was in Vermont in my life, but I'll wager there are as pretty girls in that State as can be found anywhere."

"There are different types of beauty in different parts of the country,"

said Diamond. "To a Virginian, Virginia girls are the handsomest on the face of the earth; but I presume it is because there is something distinctive in the type they represent, and, by familiarity with it, we have come to consider it superior to anything else."

"Begorra!" broke forth Barney; "it's no tuype Oi care fer, but Oi've thraveled th' whole worruld over, an' Oi swear it's nivver a bit av use to look fer purtier girruls thin can be found in ould Oireland."

"It's not girls we were to discuss," said Diamond. "Merriwell spoke of some kind of a scheme."

"And came near forgetting it. Never mind the girls now, fellows. Gather around me, and I will lay before you my plan for a trip that is bound to be full of sport and adventure. I know you will be stuck on the scheme."

He sat down on the ground, and the boys settled themselves in positions to listen.

"My scheme," said Frank, smiling at the interest he saw expressed on the eager faces about him, "is to form an athletic combine and take in everything in the way of sports that we can strike on our way back East."

There was a stir among the listening lads, all of whom were greatly interested in athletics and outdoor sports.

"We can begin right here in Santa Barbara day after to-morrow,"

Merriwell continued, "for you know we have decided to wait over and attend the athletic tournament which is to take place here on that day."

"Yes," said Harry, hastily; "but we would not be allowed to pate tark-I mean take part in it."

"Why not?"

"Why, isn't it for Californians exclusively?"

"Not at all. California seldom does anything for Californians exclusively. They are the most liberal, broad-minded people in the world, and they like to interest outsiders in their doings. This tournament is open to all non-professional athletes who may wish to enter it."

The interest of the listening boys grew deeper.

"And you think it would be a good plan for some of us to take a hand in it, eh?" said Diamond, his face brightening.

"Yes."

"Is that your scheme?"

"Part of it."

"I fail to understand how it would be affected by my departure."

"Wait; you have not heard all I have to say."

"I beg your pardon. Go on."

"In this crowd right here are fellows who can take part in almost any kind of an athletic contest."

"That's right."

"We could form a club, and be prepared for anything we ran up against.

Do you tumble?"

"You are right; but what would we run up against?"

"Plenty of hot times, if we looked for them. We could make a trip back East, taking time for it, as there is time to spare before college begins in September."

"That's so," grunted Browning. "We'd want to take lots of time. I don't see the good of hustling back East, anyway."

"Nor I," said Harry. "I agreed to spend some time in Bar Harbor this season, but I don't suppose it will kill any one if I fail to get there."

"Bar Harbor is a long distance from Santa Barbara," laughed Frank.

"Forget it. If my scheme pans out, you'll have more fun than you could get out of Bar Harbor, with its dances and its tennis parties. Dancing and tennis are well enough, but here are other things more interesting."

"Golf, for instance," grinned Rattleton. "They say tennis won't be in it at Bar Harbor this summer. Golf is bound to be all the rage."

"Let it rage. It's better than tennis in some respects, but there is not quite enough excitement about it for the average American lad. Baseball and football are the things to make the blood tingle."

"You bet!" cried several of the boys in chorus.

"If my plan is adopted," said Frank, "we can travel back East by easy stages, stopping wherever we hear there is anything going on in which we are interested, and getting into all sorts of sports and games. How does it strike you, fellows?"

"Pully," shouted Hans. "Uf I peen aple to get me some footraces indo, I pet you your life I vos goin' to make der natifs hustle."

The Dutch boy's one pet hallucination was that he was a great sprinter.

He cherished the delusion with tender fondness, and nothing could convince him it was a delusion.

"Begorra it's a great skame, Frankie," cried Barney. "It's a roight jolly ould toime we'll hiv."

"Gol darned ef we won't," nodded Ephraim, bobbing his head up and down with his long supple neck.

The others, with the exception of Jack and Bruce, expressed themselves as greatly pleased with the idea. Browning grunted and groaned:

"Merry, you're always getting up something to make a fellow work. Now our trip across the continent is over, I have been contemplating the joys of a lazy trip back home in a parlor car. Here you come with a scheme that knocks the wind out of my sails."

Diamond was silent.

Frank knew that Bruce did not mean more than half he said, and so he simply smiled on the big fellow. To Jack he said:

"You haven't said what you think about it."