As they walked along he noticed that Higgins was perfectly steady, and although there was a slight flush on his face, there was no sign that he had been drinking. The flush undoubtedly was due to mortification and excitement. "See here, Higgins," said Frank, at length, in a quieter tone, "don't you know that those Princeton students, as you call them, were trying to disable you?" "I never dreamed of such a thing." "It's a fact." "How do you know, Merriwell?" "I saw the attempt made, and for that matter you got kicked in the shins and tumbled over, didn't you?" "Yes, but I supposed that was an accident of the scrimmage." "It was nothing of the kind; it was a put-up job, and if I hadn't sailed in it might have lamed you so that you couldn't jump. That was what they were after." "Whew!" exclaimed Higgins. "I think I'm a good Yale man, if I am a freshman, and I hate Princeton and all the rest of them, but, on my honor, Merriwell, I didn't think that a student of any college would resort to such a low-down trick." "I don't believe it, either," said Frank. "Well, that----" "What made you think those fellows were students?" "Why, they said they were; they gave the year of their class, which made them out to be seniors. They had big wads of money that they wanted to bet, and they got into conversation with me by asking what odds would put up on myself in the high jump." Frank grunted to express his disgust, and asked: "Did they talk like students?" "I thought so." "I don't believe they were," said Frank, "for there was something in their manner that didn't make them seem like students, and besides that, I can't believe any more than you that Princeton men would try to win out in these contests by deliberately disabling any of our fellows. "Of course, I can understand how, in an exciting match like a game of football, a man's temper might get the best of him, but to try to lame a fellow in cold blood hours before the beginning of the event is a little too much for me to think of when it comes to a student, whether he's from Princeton, Harvard or anywhere else." "Then, who were these fellows?" asked Higgins. "They may be New York gamblers, for all I know," Frank answered, "but in any case I think they are men not connected with Princeton in any way, who are trying to make sure of their bets by disabling the leading contestants in the other colleges." "Then but for you I suppose I might have been seriously lamed?" "I don't know, Higgins; I'm taking no credit for what I did, but I hope you see that you made a grave mistake in not coming back to the Murray Hill on time." "I do, and will look out that such a thing doesn't happen again." "Where's Mellor?" asked Frank, suddenly. "I don't know." "Didn't he start out with you?" "Yes, but we didn't keep together long." "Where did he go?"