“Well, you must think me a very forgiving chap!” said Chester, with a sneer. “You know how you got into this scrape. You did it trying to hurt me. You misjudged Thor. You had no doubt about his using the plans, and so you placed yourself in his hands. But he did not use them. Instead he turned the papers over to Lawyer Bradbury, who sealed them up and delivered them to Dick Merriwell. In the meantime, you had made arrangements to have the blame of stealing the papers thrown on my shoulders. But it did not work, and you found yourself in the soup when Thor confronted you a few minutes ago in Merriwell’s room and swore that you gave him the papers. “The jig is up, Bunol. By this piece of business you have ruined yourself here at Fardale, and you will have to leave the academy. Dick Merriwell gives you until morning to depart. He will let you go without punishment if you get out quietly. You’ll have to go.” Bunol leaned gracefully against the side of the fireplace. “If I go,” he said, “you go with me.” Chester’s heart leaped. “Why, hang it!” he exclaimed; “what do you mean?” “I mean the thing that I say. You bring me here to Fardale, I take you with me when I go from here.” “I guess not! You’ll go, and I shall stay.” “Then soon you will be expelled in disgrace, which will please your mother, which will give your sister great happiness, which will make your father proud!” “Expelled?” “I say it, for I shall go to Professor Gunn, and I shall tell him all the many things you do, of which I know. I shall tell him how you do so many things to injure Deck Merriwell. How you cut down the bridge, so that Merriwell and the girl come so near to drown. I shall tell who was there, so they be called to prove my word. I shall tell how——” “See here, Bunol, what’s your price? I will pay you——” “Now you talk sense!” said Bunol, in satisfaction. “You know well I can ruin you quick. You should not think my price it is small. If so you think it is to fool yourself.” Chester was desperate. Already he had drawn so heavily upon his mother that he feared to ask for more money. His mother had confidence in him; she believed him the finest lad alive; it would not do to let her know that he must have money in order to hush the tongue of this fellow who might disgrace him. “If you ask for much,” said Arlington desperately, “you will not get it, for I cannot get it myself.” “You get all money you want.” Chester explained how impossible it was for him to pull another large sum, but his words did not seem to impress Bunol, who grimly said: “It is one thousand dollars I will have if I go.” “And you know I can’t get it! Confound you! you’re crazy!” The Spanish lad shrugged his shoulders. “It is the price,” he said coldly. Arlington paced the room, his face pale and his eyes gleaming. His hands were thrust deep into his pockets. “I was a lunatic to place myself in your power!” he finally snarled.