“Dern his picter!” whispered Obediah Tubbs. “You will have to trim him, Dick. There ain’t no way out of it.” Suddenly Dick’s mind was made up. “One string settles it, does it, Arlington?” he asked. “That will be all you will care for,” laughed Chet. “You will get all the satisfaction you want in one string.” “Get off your coat,” said Dick. “I will bowl you one string.” Among the spectators who gathered around were a few sympathizers with Chester. These chaps were in every instance dissatisfied fellows, who themselves had failed to be particularly successful at anything, through lack of determination or industry, and who were envious of others who succeeded. Chet joyously removed his coat and hung it on a hook. He also took off his collar and tie and rolled up his sleeve, displaying his forearms. A coin was flipped to decide who should lead off, and the lead fell on Arlington. “Get them right on the spot, every one of them, boy!” he called to Smart. “I will do it,” retorted Ted. “It will be such a beautiful sight to see them standing there after you roll! They will be all up for Merriwell when you get through!” Arlington examined the balls, and picked out and placed aside two that were slightly marred. Then, having weighed several of them in his hands, he selected one and slightly dampened his fingers with the sponge. As Chet started to roll Buckhart started to say something, but Dick silenced him with a gesture and a look. With his eyes on the pins, Arlington balanced himself on the balls of his feet, ran lightly forward three steps, and sent the ball spinning whirringly down the polished surface of the alley. It struck the head pin squarely and cut a hole through the bunch, leaving five standing, three on one side and two on the other. “Hard luck!” exclaimed one of the fellows who sympathized with him. “Oh, that’s all right!” retorted Chet with supreme confidence. “I will clean them off.” He then assumed a new position on the alley and rolled for three pins on one side. It seemed that he would hit them perfectly, but the ball missed the pin in advance by the narrowest margin and clipped off the other two. “Now that was hard luck!” he exclaimed. “Never mind; I will take the two on the other corner and start with nine.” “That’s the talk!” cried a spectator. Chester rolled with care and hit the nearest pin, which set its mate swaying, and the latter finally fell. “Nine pins!” announced Gardner, who was scoring. “I don’t believe Smart had them on the spots,” declared Chet, standing with his hands on hips and glaring at the two pins left upright. “That ball should have taken them, sure.” “What a shame!” cried Smart. “I am so disappointed!” “That will do for you!” flared Chet. “While you’re setting up pins, you’re supposed to be dead!” Arlington sat down with an air of dissatisfaction. It was now Dick’s turn, and he was ready by the time Ted had the pins up.