"Yes, I saw him," nodded Harry. "And did you tell him I said I would settle that little bill?" "Sure." "That's kind of you. Did he seem convinced?" "He said he was." "Was what?" "Convinced that you lied." This provoked a laugh. When the laughing had ceased, Griswold sagely observed: "It is remarkable that man is the only animal that can lie standing up." "Say, you chaps," called Frank, "drop this sort of chatter, and answer my question. How many of you are in for spending the summer vacation in a bicycle trip across the continent?" "You'll have to excuse me," said Griswold, as he followed Stubbs' example and lighted a cigarette. "I'm going down to Bar Harbor, and play tennis on my vacation." "I can't endure tennis," drawled Browning. "I should say not. Too much exertion for you." "It is not that. I don't like to be around where others are playing it." "Don't? Why not?" "Because it is so noisy." "Noisy? Christmas! How do you make that out?" "Why, you can't play it without a racket," said Browning. Griswold staggered and clutched at his heart. "What papers have you been reading?" he gasped. Diamond spoke up for the first time: "I'll tell you what I'll do, Merriwell--I'll go on this bicycle trip across the continent, if I can secure my mother's consent?" "Will you?" cried Frank, eagerly. "Then see her as soon as possible. I couldn't ask for a better fellow than you. Harry thinks he can go, and that makes three of us. We'll do the trick, even if we can't get another fellow. Is it agreed?" "It is agreed if I can get my mother to agree to it," assured Jack. "Well, let's talk about another matter," said Bruce. "The tournament at Madison Square Garden is right upon us. Are you on for anything, Merriwell?" "Yes," answered Frank, "I shall take part in several contests." "How about the mile run?" questioned Diamond. "I believe Yates is in for that," said Merriwell. "That's something I want to speak to you about," drawled Bruce. Frank was rather surprised, as Browning had taken very little interest in athletics of late. During his early days at Yale, Bruce had been a pusher in athletic matters, being at that time an athlete himself, as he kept himself in form and held back the threatening development of flesh by the severest sort of training. But Bruce could not continue to resist the temptations of his appetite, and it became more and more difficult for him to keep in trim. As long as he was a freshman he had done so, but when he became a sophomore he gradually abandoned the struggle. Still he had remained active as a leader, and had been known at one time as "the King of the Sophomores." His final effort at training had been when he put himself in condition to meet Merriwell in a four-round hard-glove contest. The bout had been pronounced a draw, but Browning afterward acknowledged that he must have been knocked out had it continued to a finish. From that time Browning's interest in athletic matters waned.