THE HIGH SCHOOL CAPTAIN OF THE TEAM

or Dick & Co. Leading the Athletic Vanguard

By H. Irving Hancock

CONTENTS

CHAPTERS I. "Kicker" Drayne Revolts II. A Hint from the Girls III. Putting the Tag on the Sneak IV. The Traitor Gets His Deserts V. "Brass" for an Armor Plate VI. One of the Fallen VII. Dick Meets the Boy-With-A-Kick VIII. Dick Puts "A Better Man" in His Place IX. Could Dave Make Good? X. Leading the Town to Athletics XI. The "King Deed" of Daring XII. The Nerve of the Soldier XIII. Dick Begins to Feel Old XIV. Fordham Plays the Gentleman's Game XV. "We'll Play the Gentleman's Game XVI. Gridley's Last Charge XVII. The Long Gray ColumnXVIII. The Would-Be Candidates XIX. Tom Reade Bosses the Job XX. When the Great News was Given Out XXI. Gridley Seniors Whoop It Up XXII. The Message From the UnknownXXIII. The Plight of the Innocent XXIV. Dave Gives Points to the Chief of Police XXV. Conclusion

CHAPTER I

"Kicker" Drayne Revolts

"I'm going to play quarter-back, " declared Drayne stolidly. 

"You?" demanded Captain Dick Prescott, looking at the aspirantin stolid wonder. 

"Of course, " retorted Drayne. "It's the one position I'm bestfitted for of all on the team. "

"Do you mean that you're better fitted for that post than anyoneelse on the team?" inquired Prescott. "Or that it's the positionthat best fits your talents?"

"Both, " replied Drayne. 

Dick Prescott glanced out over Gridley High School's broad athleticfield. 

A group of the middle men of the line, and their substitutes, had gathered around Coach Morton. 

On another part of the field Dave Darrin was handling a squadof new football men, teaching how to rush in and tackle the swinginglay figure. 

Still others, under Greg Holmes, were practicing punt kicks. 

Drayne's face was flushed, and, though he strove to hide the fact, there was an anxious look there. 

"I didn't quite understand, Drayne, " continued the young captainof the team, "that you were to take a very important part thisyear. "

"Pshaw! I'd like to know why I'm not, " returned the other boyhotly. 

"I think that is regarded as being the general understanding, "continued Dick. He didn't like this classmate, yet he hated togive offense or to hurt the other's feelings in any way. 

"The general understanding?" repeated Drayne hotly. "Then I cantell the man who started that understanding. "

"I think I can, too, " Prescott answered, smiling patiently. 

"It was you, Dick Prescott! You, the leader of Dick & Co. , agang that tries to boss everything in the High School!

"Cool down a bit, " advised young Prescott coolly. "You know wellenough that the little band of chums who have been nicknamed Dick& Co. Don't try to run things in the High School. You know, too, Drayne, if you'll be honest about it, that my chums and I havesometimes sacrificed our own wishes to what seemed to be the greatestgood of the school. "

"Then who is the man who has worked to put me on the shelf infootball?" insisted the other boy, eyeing Dick menacingly. 

"Yourself, Drayne!"

"What are you talking about?" cried Drayne, more angry than before. 

"Don't be blind, Drayne, " continued the young captain. "And don'tbe silly enough to pretend that you don't know just what I mean. You remember last Thanksgiving Day?"

"Oh, that?" said Drayne, contemptuously. "Just because I wouldn'tdo just what you fellows wished me to do?

"I was there, " pursued Captain Prescott, "and I heard all thatwas said, saw all that was done. There was nothing unreasonableasked of you. Some of the fellows were a good bit worried asto whether you were really in shape for the game, and they talkedabout it among themselves. They didn't intend you to over hear, but you did, and you took offense. The next thing we knew, youwere hauling off your togs in hot temper, and telling us thatyou wouldn't play. You did this in spite of the fact that wewere about to play the last and biggest game of the season. "

"I should say I wouldn't play, under such circumstances! Norwould you, Prescott, had the same thing happened to you. "

"I have had worse things happen to me, " replied Dick coolly. "I have been hectored to pieces, at times, both on the baseballand football teams. The hectoring has even gone so far that Ihave had to fight, more than once. But never sulked in dressingquarters and refused to go on the field. "

"No!" taunted Drayne. "And a good reason why. You craved toget out, always, and make grand stand plays!"

"I suppose I'm as fond of applause from the grand stand as anyother natural fellow, " laughed Dick good-humoredly. "But I'lltell you one thing, Drayne: I never hear a murmur of what comesfrom the grand stand until the game is over. I play for the successof the team to which I belong, and listening to applause wouldtake my mind off the plays. But, candidly, what the fellows haveagainst you, is that you're a quitter. You throw down your togsat a critical moment, and tell us you won't play, just becauseyour fearfully sensitive feelings have been hurt. Now, a sportsmandoesn't do that. "

"Oh, it's all right for you to take on that mighty superior air, and try to lecture me, " retorted Drayne gruffly. 

"I'm not lecturing you. But the fellows chose me to lead theteam this year, and the captain is the spokesman of the team. He also has to attend to its disagreeable business. Don't blameme, Drayne, and don't blame anyone else-----"

"Captain Prescott!" sounded the low, but clean-cut, penetratingvoice of Mr. Morton, submaster and football coach of the GridleyHigh School. 

"Coming, sir!" answered Dick promptly. 

Then he added, to Drayne:

"Just blame your own conduct for the decision that was reachedby coach and myself after listening to the instructions of thealumni Athletics Committee. "

Dick moved away at a loping run, for football practice was limitedto an hour and a half in an afternoon, and he knew there wasno time to be frittered. 

"Oh, you sneak!" quivered Drayne, clenching his hands as he scowledat the back of the captain. "It was you who brought up the olddispute. It is you who are keeping me from any decent chancethis last year of mine in the High School. I won't stand it!I'll shake the dust from my feet on this crowd. I won't remainin the squad, just for a possible chance to sub in some smallgame!"

His face still hot with what he considered righteous indignation, Drayne felt better as soon as he had decided to shake the crowd. 

In an instant, however, he changed his mind. A sly, exultantlook came into his eyes. 

"On second thought I believe I won't quit, " he grinned to himself. "I'll stay---I'll drill---and I'll get good and square with thischeap crowd, captained by a cheap man! Gridley hasn't lost agame in years. Well, you chaps shall lose more than one gamethis year! I'll teach you! I'll make this a year that shallnever be forgotten by humbled Gridley pride!"

Just what Phin Drayne was planning will doubtless be made plainere long. 

Readers of the preceding volumes in this series are already familiarwith nearly all the people, young and old, of both sexes, whomthey are now to meet again. In the first volume, "_The High SchoolFreshmen_, " our readers became acquainted with Dick Prescott, Dave Darrin, Greg Holmes, Dan Dalzell, Tom Reade and Harry Hazelton, six young chums who, back in their days in the Central GrammarSchool Gridley, had become fast friends, and had become knownas Dick & Co. 

These chums played together, planned together, entered all sportstogether. They were inseparable. All were manly young fellows. When they entered Gridley High School, and caught the fine HighSchool spirit prevailing there, they made the honor of the schooleven more important than their own companionship. 

In the first year at High School the boys, being mere freshmen, couldnot expect to enter any of the school's athletic teams. Yet, as our readers know, Dick and his friends found many a quiet wayto boost local interest and pride in High School athletics. Dick& Co. Also indulged in many merry and startlingly novel pranks. Dick secured an amateur position as space reporter on "The Blade, "the morning newspaper of the little city, and was assigned, amongother things, to look after the news end of the transactions ofthe Board of Education. The "influence" that young Prescott securedin that way doubtless saved him from having grave trouble, orbeing expelled when, owing to Dr. Thornton's ill-health, AbnerCantwell, a man with an uncontrollable temper, came temporarilyto the principal's chair. To everybody's great delight, at thebeginning of this their senior year, Dr. Thornton had returnedto his position fully restored to his former vigor and health. 

In "_The High School Pitcher_" Dick & Co. , then sophomores, wereshown in some fine work with the Gridley High School nine, andDick had serious, even dangerous, Trouble, with mean, treacherousenemies that he made. 

In "_The High School Left End_, " Dick & Co. , juniors, made theirreal entrance into High School athletics by securing places inthe school football eleven. It was in this year that there occurredthe famous strife between the "soreheads" and their enemies, whomthe former termed the "muckers. " The "soreheads" were the sonsof certain aristocratic families who resolved to secede from footballin case any of the members of Dick & Co. Or of other poor Gridleyfamilies, were allowed to make places on the team. As the groupof "soreheads" contained a few young men who were really absolutelynecessary to the success of the Gridley High School football eleven, the strife threatened to put Gridley in the back row as far asfootball went. 

But Dick, with his characteristic vigor, went after the "soreheads"in the columns of "The Blade. " He covered them with ridiculeand scorn so that the citizens of the town began to take a handin the matter as soon as their public pride was aroused. 

The "soreheads" were driven, then, to apply for places in thefootball squad. Only those most needed, however, had been admitted, and the rest had retired in sullen admission of defeat. 

Two of the latter, Bayliss and Bert Dodge, carried matters sofar, however, that they were actually forced out of the High Schooland left Gridley to go to a preparatory school elsewhere. 

The hostile attempts of young Ripley, of Dodge, Drayne and othersto injure Dick & Co. Have been fully related in the four volumesof the "_High School Boys' Vacation Series_. " This series dealswith the good times enjoyed by Dick & Co. During their firstthree summers as high school boys. These stories are repletewith summer athletics, and a host of exciting adventures. Thefour volumes of this Vacation Series are published under the titles:"_The High School Boys' Canoe Club_, " "_The High School Boys inSummer Camp_, " "_The High School Boys Fishing Trip_" and "_TheHigh School Boys' Training Hike_. "

This present year no "sorehead" movement had been attempted. Every student who honestly wanted to play football presented himselfat the school gymnasium, on the afternoon named by Coach Mortonfor the call, including Drayne, who had been one of the original"soreheads. " Drayne afterwards returned to the football fold, behaving with absurd childishness at the big Thanksgiving game, as our readers will recall. 

Leaving Coach Morton, Captain Prescott hurried away to take chargeof the practice. 

"Come, Mr. Drayne!" called Coach Morton "Get into the tacklingwork, and be sure to mix it up lively. "

"Just a moment, coach, if you please, " begged Drayne. 

"Well, Drayne?" asked Mr. Morton

"Captain Prescott has just been telling me that I'm to be onlya sort of sub this year. "

"Well, he's captain, " replied the submaster. 

"Huh! I thought it was all Prescott's fine work!" sneered Phin. 

"You're wrong there, Mr. Drayne, " rejoined the coach frankly. "As a matter of fact, it was I who suggested that you be castfor light work this year. "

"Oh!" muttered Drayne

"Yes; if you feel like blaming anyone, blame me, not Prescott. You know, Drayne, you didn't behave very well last ThanksgivingDay. "

"I admit that my behavior was unreasonable, sir. But you know, Mr. Morton, that I'm one of the valuable men. "

"There's a crowd of valuable men this year, Drayne, " smiled thesubmaster. 

"On the strongest pledge that I can give you, Mr. Morton, willyou allow me to play regular quarter-back this season?" beggedthe quitter of the year before. 

"I would give the idea more thought if Prescott recommended it;but I doubt if he would, " answered Mr. Morton slowly. "Personally, Drayne, I don't approve of putting you on strong this year. Thequitter's reputation Drayne, is one that can't ever be reallylived down, you know. "

Though coach's manner was mild enough, there was look of the resoluteeyes of this famous college athlete that made Phin Drayne realizedhow I hopeless it was to expect any consideration from him. 

"All right then Mr. Morton, " he replied huskily. "I'll do mybest on a small showing, and take what comes to me. "

Yet, as he walked slowly over to join the tacklers around theswinging figure, the hot blood came again to young Drayne's face. 

"I'll make this year a year of sorrow Gridley!" he quivered indignantly. "I'll hang on, and make believe I'm meek as a lamb, but I'llspoil Gridley's record for this year! There was in olden timesa chap who had a famous knack for getting square with people whoused him the wrong way. I wish I could remember his name at thismoment. "

Drayne couldn't recall the name at the time, but another namethat might have served Drayne to remember at this instant was---

Benedict Arnold. 

CHAPTER II

A Hint from the Girls

There had been nothing rapid in Dick Prescott's elevation to thecaptaincy of the eleven. 

Back in the grammar school he had started his apprenticeship inathletics. During his freshman year in High School he had keptup his training. In his sophomore year he had trained hard forand had won honors in the baseball nine. In his junior year, after harder training that ever, he had performed a season's brilliantwork, playing left end in all the biggest games of the season. 

So now, in his senior and last year at Gridley High School hehad come by degrees to the most envied of all possible positionsin school athletics. 

The election to the football captaincy had not been sought byDick. In his junior year it had been offered to him, but he haddeclined it, feeling that Wadleigh, both by training and judgement, was better fitted to lead the eleven on the gridiron. But now, having reached his senior year, Dick was by far the best leaderpossible. Coach and football squad alike conceded it, and theAlumni Association's Athletics Committee had approved. 

Dick Prescott had grown in years since first we saw him, but notin conceit. Like all who succeed in this world, he had a gooddegree of positiveness in his make-up; but from this he left outstrong self-conceit. In all things, as in his school life, hewas prepared to sacrifice himself along whatever lines pointedto the best good. 

Dave Darrin, of all the chums, was nearly as well fitted as wasPrescott to lead, though not quite. So Dave, with Dick's ownkind of spirit, fell back willingly into second place. This yearDave was second captain of the eleven, ready to lead to victoryif Dick should become incapacitated. 

Beyond these, any of the four other chums were almost as wellqualified for leadership. Ability to lead was strong in all the"partners" of Dick & Co. 

While they were on the field that afternoon all of the six workedas though football were the sole subject on earth that interestedthem. That was the Gridley High School way, and it was the spiritthat Coach Morton always succeeded in putting into worthy youngmen. Once back in dressing quarters, however, and under the showerbaths, the talk turned but little on football. 

As soon as they had rubbed down and dressed Dick & Co. Went outsideand started back to town---on foot. Time could be saved by takingthe street car, but Dick and his friends believed that a briefwalk, after the practice served to keep the kinks out of theirjoints and muscles. 

"What ailed old Drayne this afternoon, Dick?" asked Tom Reade. 

"Why, he told me that he had hoped to play quarter this season. "

"Regular quarter?" demanded Dan Dalzell, opening his eyes verywide. 

"That was what I gathered, from what he said, " nodded Dick. 

"Well, of all the nerve!" muttered Hazelton. 

"The star position---for a fellow with a quitter's record!"

"I was obliged to say something of the sort" smiled Dick, "thoughI tried to say it in a way that wouldn't hurt his feelings. "

"You didn't succeed very well in salving his feelings, if hislooks gave any indication. " laughed Greg Holmes quietly. 

"Drayne went over to coach afterwards, " added Dave Darrin. "Mr. Morton didn't seem to give the fellow any more satisfaction thanyou did, Dick. "

"Who is to be quarter, anyway?" asked Harry Hazelton. 

"Why, Dave is my first and last choice, " Prescott answered frankly. "But, personally, I'm not going to press him any too hard forthe post. "

"Why not?" challenged Greg. 

"Because everyone will say that I'm playing everything in theinterest of Dick & Co. "

"Dave Darrin is head and shoulders above any other possibilityfor quarter-back, " insisted Greg, with so much conviction thatDarrin, with mock politeness, turned and lifted his cap in acknowledgmentof the compliment. 

"Then coach and the Athletics Committee are intelligent enoughto find it out, " answered the young football captain. 

"That suits me, " nodded Dave. "I want to play at quarter; yet, if I can't make everyone concerned feel that I am the man forthe job, then I haven't made good to a sufficient extent to beallowed to carry off the honors in a satchel. "

"That's my idea, Darrin, " answered Dick. "I believe you have madegood, and so good at that, that I'm going to dodge any chargeof favoritism, and leave it to others to see that you're forcedto take what you deserve. "

"Of course I want to play this season, and I'm training hard tobe at my best, " said Reade. "Yet when it's all over, and we'vewon every game, good old Gridley style, I shall feel mighty happy. "

"Yes, " nodded Harry Hazelton, "and the same thing here. "

"That's because you two are not only attending High School, butalso trying to blaze out your future path in life, " laughed Dave. 

"Well, the rest of you fellows had better be serious about yourcareers in life, " urged Tom. "It isn't every pair of fellows, of course, who've been as fortunate as Harry and I. "

"No; and all fellows can't be suited by the same chances, whichis a good thing, " replied Prescott. "For my part, I wouldn'tfind much of any cheer in the thought that I was going to be allowedto carry a transit, a chain or a leveler's rod through life. "

"Well, we don't expect to be working in the baggage departmentof our profession forever, " protested Harry Hazelton, with somuch warmth that Dave Darrin chuckled. 

Tom and Harry had decided that civil or railroad engineering, or both, perhaps, combined with some bridge building, offeredthem their best chances of pleasant employment in life. 

Mr. Appleton, a local civil engineer with whom the pair had talkedhad offered to take them into his office for preliminary training. Because at the High School, Tom and Harry had already qualifiedin the mathematical work necessary for a start. 

No practicing civil engineer in these days feels that he has thetime or the inclination to take a beginner into his office andteach him all of the work from the ground up. On the other hand, a boy who has been grounded well in algebra, geometry and trigonometrymay then easily enter the office of a practicing civil engineerand begin with the tools of the profession. Transit manipulationand readings, the use of the plummet line, the level, compass, rod, chain and staking work may all be learned thus and a knowledgeof map drawing imparted to a boy who has a natural talent forthe work. 

It undoubtedly is better for the High School boy to go to a technicalschool for his course in civil engineering; yet with a foundationof mathematics and a sufficient amount of determination, the HighSchool boy may go direct to the engineer's office and pick uphis profession. Boys have done this, and have afterwards reachedhonors in their profession. 

So Tom and Harry had their future picked out, as they saw it. As soon as they had learned enough of the rudiments, both wereresolved to go out to the far West, and there to pick up more, much more, right in the camps of engineers engaged in surveyingand laying railroads. 

"You fellows can talk about us going to work in the baggage departmentof our profession, " pursued Tom Meade, a slight flush on his manlyface. "But, Dick, you and Dave are in the dream department, foryou fellows have only a hazy notion that---perhaps---you may beable to work your way into the government academies at West Pointand Annapolis. As for Greg and Dan, they don't appear to haveeven a dream of what they hope to do in future. "

"You fellows haven't been spreading the news that Dave and I wantto go to Annapolis and West Point, have you!" asked Dick seriously. 

"Now, what do you take us for?" protested Tom indignantly "Don'twe understand well enough that you're both trying to keep it closesecret?"

As the young men turned into Main Street the merry laughter ofa group of girls came to their ears. 

Four of the High School girls of the senior class had stoppedto chat for a moment. 

Laura Bentley and Belle Meade were there, and both turned quicklyto note Dick and Dave. The other girls in the group were FaithKendall and Jessie Vance. 

"Here comes the captain who is going to spoil all of Gridley achances this year, " laughed Miss Vance. 

"Hush, Jess, " reproved Belle, while Laura looked much annoyed. 

I see you have a wholly just appreciation of my merits, Miss Jessie, "smiled Dick, as the boys raised their hats. 

"Oh, what I said is nothing but the silly talk of him Dra-----"began Jessie lightly, but stopped when she again found herselfunder the reproving glances of Laura and Belle. 

Dick glanced at one of the girls in turn, his glance beginningto show curiosity. 

Laura bit her lip; Belle locked highly indignant. 

Prescott opened his month as though to ask a question, them closedhis lips. 

"I guess you might as well tell them, Laura, " hinted Faith Kendall. 

"Oh, nonsense. " retorted Miss Bentley, flushing. "It's nothingat all, especially coming from such a source. "

"Then some one has been giving me the roasting that I plainlydeserve?" laughed Captain Prescott. 

"It's all foolish talk, and I'm sorry the girls couldn't holdtheir tongues, " cried Laura impatiently. 

"Then I won't ask you what it was, " suggested Dick, "since youdon't like to tell me voluntarily. "

"You might as well, Laura, " urged Faith. 

"It's that Phin-----" began Jessie. 

"Do be quiet, Jess, " urged Belle. 

"Why, " explained Laura Bentley, "Phin Drayne just passed us, andstopped to chat when Jessie spoke to him-----"

"I didn't, " objected Miss Vance indignantly. "I only said goodafternoon, and---"

"I asked Drayne if he had been out to the field for practice, "continued Laura. "He grunted, and said he'd been out to see howbadly things were going. "

"Then, of course, Laura flared up and asked what he meant by suchtalk, " broke in the irrepressible Jessie. "Then---ouch!"

For Belle had slyly pinched the talkative one's arm. 

"Mr. Drayne had a great string to offer us, " resumed Laura. "Hesaid football affairs had never been in as bad shape before, andhe predicted that the team would go to pieces in all the stronggames this year. "

"We have a rule of unswerving loyalty in the history of our eleven, "said Prescott, smiling, though a grim light lurked in his eyes. "I guess Phin was merely practicing some of that loyalty. "

"None of us care what Drayne thinks, anyway, " broke in Dave Darrincontemptuously. "He wants to play as a regular, and he's slatedonly as a possible sub. So I suppose he simply can't see howthe eleven is to win without him. But, making allowances forhuman nature, I don't believe we need to roast him for his grouch. "

"I didn't think his talk was worth paying any attention to, " addedLaura. "I wouldn't have said anything about it, if it hadn'tleaked out. "

Jessie took this rebuke to herself, and flushed, as she rattledon:

"I guess it was no more than mere 'sorehead' talk on Phin Drayne'spart, anyway. Mr. Drayne said he had saved a good deal of hispocket money, lately, and that he was going to win more moneyby betting on Gridley's more classy opponents this season. "

"There's a fine and loyal High School fellow for you!" mutteredGreg. 

"Suppose we all change the subject, " proposed Dick good-humoredly. 

Two or three minutes later Dick & Co. Again lifted their caps, then continued on their way. 

"Dick, " whispered Dave, "on the whole, I'm glad that was repeatedto us. "

"Why?"

"It ought to put us on our guard?"

"Guard? Against whom?"

"I should say against Phin Drayne. "

"But he's merely offering to bet that we can't win our biggestgames this year, " smiled Prescott. "That doesn't prove that wecan't win, does it?"

"Oh, of course not. "

"Any fellow that will lower himself enough to make wagers on sportingevents shows too little judgment to be entitled to have any spendingmoney, " pursued Prescott. "But, if Drayne has money, and is goingto bet, he won't be entitled to any sympathy when he loses, willhe?"

"Humph!" grunted Dave. "I'd like to have this matter followedup. Any fellow who is betting against us ought not to be allowedto play at all. "

"Oh, it was just the talk of a silly, disappointed fellow, " arguedDick. "I suppose a boy is a good deal like a man, always. Thereare some men who imagine that it lends importance to themselveswhen they talk loudly and offer to wager money. I'm not goingto offer any bets, Dave, but I feel pretty certain that Drayneis just talking for effect. "

"His offering to bet against his own crowd would be enough tojustify you in dropping Drayne from the squad altogether, " hintedGreg Holmes. 

"Yes, of course, " admitted Dick. "But we had enough of footballsoreheads last year. Now, wouldn't it make us look like soreheadsif we took any malicious delight in dropping Drayne from the squadjust because he has been blowing off some steam?"

"But I wouldn't trust him on the job, " snapped Dan Dalzell. "Ibelieve Phin Drayne would sell out any crowd for sheer spite. "

"Even his country?" asked Dick quietly. 

And there the matter dropped, for the time. Had Dick & Co. Andsome other High School fellows but known it, however, Draynewould have borne close watching. 

CHAPTER III

Putting the Tag on the Sneak

Anything that Dick Prescott had charge of went along at leapsand bounds. Hence the football eleven was in good shape ten daysearlier than Coach Morton could remember to have happened before. 

"Your eleven is all ready to line up in the field, now, Captain, "announced coach, one afternoon not long after, as the squad cameout from dressing quarters for practice. 

"I'm glad you think so, sir, " replied Dick, a flush of pleasuremantling his cheeks. 

"You have every man in fine condition. Condition couldn't bebetter, in fact, for those of the men who are likely to get onthe actual battle line. And all the work is well understood, too. In fact, Captain, you can all but rest on your oars duringthe next fortnight, up to your first game. "

"Hadn't we better go on training hard every day, sir?" inquiredthe young captain. 

"Not hard, " replied coach, shaking his head. "If you do, you'llget your men down too fine. Now, there's almost more danger inhaving your men overtrained than in having them undertrained. Your men can be trained too hard and go stale. "

"I've heard of that, " Dick nodded thoughtfully. 

"Yes, " continued coach, "and I've seen school teams that sufferedfrom training down too fine. Boys can't stand it. They haven'tas much flesh in training down hard, and they haven't as muchendurance as college men, who are older. Captain, you will trainyour men lightly, three afternoons a week. For the rest, seeto it that they stick to all training orders, including diet andhygiene and no tobacco. But don't work any of the men hard, withan idea of getting them in still better shape. You can't do it. "

"Then I'd like to make a suggestion, Coach. "

"Go ahead, Captain. "

"You never saw a school team, did you, sir, that understood itssignal work any too well?"

"Never, " laughed Mr. Morton. 

"Then I would suggest, sir, that most of our training time, fromnow until the season opens, be spent on drilling in the signals. We ought to keep at practicing the signals. We ought to getthe signals down better than ever a Gridley team had them before, sir. "

"You've just the right idea, Captain!" cried Mr. Morton heartily, resting one hand around Dick's shoulders. "I was going to orderthat, but I'm glad you anticipated me. "

"Hudson, " called out Prescott, "you head a scrub team. Take themen you want after I've chosen for the school team. "

Dick rapidly made his choice for the school team. He played centerhimself, putting Dave Darrin at quarter, Greg Holmes as left tackleand Tom Reade as right end. Dalzell and Hazelton were left out, but they understood, quite well, that this was to avoid showingfavoritism by taking all of Dick & Co. On the star team for practice. 

"Let me play quarter, Hudson, " whispered Drayne, going over tothe acting captain of the "scrub. "

"Not this afternoon, anyway, " smiled Hudson. "I want Dalzell. "

Drayne fell back. He was not chosen at all for the scrub team. Yet, as he had nearly a score of companions, out of the largefootball squad, he had no special reason to feel hurt. Thosewho had not been picked for either team lined up at the sides. There was a chance that some of them might be called out as subs, though practice in signal work was hardly likely to result inany of the players being injured. 

Drayne did not appear to take his mild snub very seriously. 

In fact, after his one outbreak before the team captain, and hissubsequent remarks to the girls, Drayne had appeared to fall inline, satisfied even to be a member of the school's big squad. 

The ball was placed for a snap-back, and Coach Morton soundedthe whistle. 

"Twelve-nine-seventeen---twenty-eight---four!" called Dave Darrin. 

Then the scrimmage was on in earnest. As soon as the play hadproperly developed Mr. Morton blew his whistle, for this waspractice only in the signal part. 

Then Hudson took the ball and Dalzell called off:

"Nine---eight---thirteen---two!"

Again the ball was put in play, to be stopped after ten seconds. 

So it went on through the afternoon's work. The substitutes onthe side lines watched with deep interest, for they, too, hadto learn all the signal work. 

Within three afternoons of practice Dick had nearly all of hisplayers so that they knew every signal, and were instantly readyto execute their parts in whatever was called for. 

But there was no danger of knowing the signals too well. CaptainPrescott still called out the squad and gave signal work unceasingly. 

"The Gridley boys never jumped so swiftly to carry out their signalsbefore, Captain, " spoke Mr. Morton commendingly. 

"I want to have this line of work ahead of anything that Tottenvillecan show next Saturday, " Dick replied. 

"I guess you have the Tottenville boys beaten all right, " noddedMr. Morton. 

Tottenville High School always gave one of the stiffest gamesthat Gridley had to meet. This season Tottenville was first onthe list. Prescott's young men knew that they had a stiff fight. It was to take place on the Gridley grounds---that was comfortto the home eleven. 

The entire student body was now feeling the enthusiasm of theopening of the season on Saturday. 

The townsmen of Gridley had subscribed as liberally as ever tothe athletics fund. There had also been a fine advance sale ofseats, and the Gridley band had been engaged to make the occasiona lively one. 

"You'll win, if ever the signs were worth anything, Captain, "remarked Mr. Morton to Prescott, at recess Thursday forenoon. 

"Of course we'll win, sir, " laughed Dick. "That's the Gridleyway---that's all. We don't know how to be whipped. I've beentaught that ever since I first entered the High School. "

"Pshaw!" muttered Drayne, who was passing. 

"Don't you believe our chances are good, Mr. Drayne?" asked Mr. Morton, smiling. 

"I look upon the Gridley chances as being so good, sir, " repliedPhin, "that, if I weren't a member of the squad, and a studentof the High School, I think I'd be tempted to bet all I couldraise on Tottenville. "

"Betting is too strong a vice for boys, Mr. Drayne, " replied thesubmaster, rather stiffly. "And doubt of your own comrades isn'tvery good school spirit. "

"I was talking, for the moment, as an outsider, " replied PhinDrayne, flushing. 

"Change around then, Mr. Drayne, and consider yourself, like everyother student of this school, as an insider wherever the Gridleyinterests are involved. "

Drayne moved away, a half-sneer on his face. 

"I don't like that young man, " muttered Mr. Morton confidentiallyto the young captain of the team. 

"I have no violent personal admiration for him, " Prescott answered. 

Then the bell sounded, calling all the boys and girls back totheir studies. 

At just about the hour of noon, a young caller strode into theyard, paused an instant, studying the different entrances of theHigh School building, then kept straight on and entered. 

"A visitor for Mr. Prescott, in the reception, room, " announcedthe teacher in charge of the assembly room. 

Bowing his thanks, Dick passed out of the room, crossed the hall, entered a small room, and turned to greet his caller. 

A fine-looking, broad-shouldered, bronzed young man of nineteenrose and came forward, holding out his hand. 

"Do you remember me, Mr. Prescott?" asked the caller heartily. 

"I've played football against you, somewhere, " replied Dick, studyingthe other's face closely. 

"Yes, I guess you have, " laughed the other. "I played with Tottenvillelast year. I'm captain this season. Jarvis is my name. "

"Oh, I'm downright glad to see you, Mr. Jarvis, " Dick went on. "Be seated, won't you?"

"Yes; if you wish. Though I've half a notion that what I haveto say may bring you jumping out of your seat in a moment. "

"Anything happened that you want to postpone the game?" inquiredPrescott, taking a chair opposite his caller. 

"No; we're ready for Saturday, and will give you the stiffestfight that is in us, " returned Jarvis. "But see here, Mr. Prescott, I'll come direct to the point. Is 'thirty-eight, nine, eleven, four' your team's signal for a play around the left end, afterquarter has passed the ball to tackle and he to the end?"

Dick started, despite himself, for that was truly the signal forthat play. 

"Really Mr. Jarvis, you don't expect me to tell you our signals!"laughed Dick, pretending to be unconcerned. 

But Jarvis called off another signal and interpreted it. 

"From your face I begin to feel sure that I'm reeling off theright signals, " pursued the Tottenville youth. "Now, I'll getstill closer to the point, Mr. Prescott. "

From an inside pocket Jarvis drew forth four typewritten pages, clamped together and neatly folded. 

"Run your eye over these pages, Mr. Prescott, or as far as youwant to go. "

As Dick read down the pages every vestige of color faded fromhis face. 

Here was Gridley's whole elaborate signal code, laid down in blackand white to the last detail. It was all flawlessly correct, too. 

"Mr. Jarvis, " said Dick, looking up, "you've been a gentlemanin this matter. This is our signal code, signal for signal. It's the code on which we relied for our chance to give your teama thrashing on Saturday. I thank you for your honesty, sir. "

"Why, I always have rather prided myself on a desire to do themanly thing, " smiled Captain Jarvis. 

"May I ask how this came into your possession?" demanded Dick. 

"It was in our family mail box, this morning, and I took it outon my way to school, " replied Jarvis. "You see, the heading onthe first sheet shows that the document purports to give the Gridleysignals. "

"And it does give them, to a dot, " groaned Prescott, paling again. 

"So I showed it to our coach, Mr. Matthews, and to some of themembers of the team, " continued Mr. Jarvis. "I would have broughtthis to you, in any case, and I'm heartily glad to say that everyone of our fellows agreed that it was the only manly thing todo. "

"You have won the Gridley gratitude, " protested Dick. "This codecouldn't have been tabulated by anyone but a member of our ownsquad. No one else had access to this list. There's a BenedictArnold somewhere in our crowd, " continued Dick, with a suddenrush of righteous passion. "Oh, I wish we could find him. Butthis typewriting, I fear, will give us no conclusive evidence. Was the address on the envelope in which this came also typewritten?"

"No, " replied Mr. Jarvis. "I opened this communication on thestreet, while on my way to school. I tossed the envelope away. Then I fell to studying this document. "

"You must have thought it a hoax, " smiled Dick wearily. 

"I did, at first, yes, " continued the Tottenville football captain. "In fact, I was half of that mind when I left Tottenville tocome here. But I was determined to find out the truth of thematter. Mr. Prescott, I'm very nearly as sorry as you can be, to have to bring you this evidence that you have a sneak in GridleyHigh School. "

"I'd far rather have lost Saturday's game, " choked Prescott, "thanto discover that we've such a sneak in Gridley High School. I'mfearfully upset. I wish I had any kind of evidence on which tofind this sneak. "

"Have you any suspicions?"

"That would be too much to say yet. "

"Of course, Mr. Prescott, " continued the Tottenville youth, "you'llnow have to revise all your signals. It will be a huge undertakingbetween now and Saturday. If you wish to postpone the game, I'llconsent. Our coach has authorized me to say this. "

"I think not, " replied Dick, "though on behalf of the team I thankyou. I'll have to speak to our coach, and Mr. Morton is in hisclassroom, occupied until the close of the school session. "

"I'll meet you anywhere, Mr. Prescott, after school is over. "

"You're mighty good, Mr. Jarvis, " murmured Dick gratefully. "Now, by the way, if we're to catch the sneak who has done this dastardlything, we've got to work fast. We ought not to let the traitorsuspect anything until we're ready to act. Mr. Jarvis, do youmind leaving here promptly, and going to 'The Morning Blade' office?If you tell Mr. Pollock that you're waiting for me, he'll giveyou a chair and plenty to read. "

"I'm off, then, " smiled Jarvis, rising and reaching for his hat. 

"I want to shake hands with you, Jarvis, and to thank you againfor your manly conduct in bringing this thing straight to me. "

"Why, that's almost insulting, " retorted Jarvis quizzically. "Why shouldn't an American High School student be a gentleman?Wouldn't you have done the same for me, if the thing had beenturned around?"

"Of course, " Dick declared hastily. "But I'm glad that this fellinto your hands. If we had gone into the game, relying on thissignal code-----"

"We'd have burned you to a crisp on the gridiron, " laughed Jarvis. "But what earthly good would it do our school to win a game thatwe got by clasping hands with a sneak and a traitor? Can anyschool care to win games in that fashion? But now, I'm off for'The Blade's office---if your Mr. Pollock doesn't throw me out. "

"He won't, " Dick replied, "I'm a member of 'The Blade' staff. "

"Don't go back into assembly room with a face betraying as muchas yours does, " whispered Captain Jarvis, over his shoulder. 

"Thank you for the tip, " Dick responded. 

When young Prescott stepped back into the general assembly roomhis face, though not all the color had returned to it, wore asmiling expression. He stepped jauntily, with his head well up, as he moved to his seat. 

For fifteen minutes or more Dick made a pretense of studying histrigonometry hard. Then, picking up a pen with a careless gesture, he wrote slowly, with an appearance of indifference, this note:

_"Dear Mr. Morton: Something of the utmost importance has comeup in connection with the football work. Will you, without mentioningthis note, and without doing anything that can sound the warningto any other student, meet me at 'The Blade' office as soon aspossible after school is dismissed? I shall go to 'The Blade'office just as soon as I get away from here, and I shall awaityou in the greatest anxiety. 

"Prescott. "_

This note Dick carried forward and left on the general desk. It was addressed to Mr. Morton, and marked "immediate. "

When the reciting classes returned, and the teachers followed, Mr. Morton read his note without change of expression. 

A moment later school was dismissed. 

"In a hurry, Dick?" called Dave, racing after his leader as theyoung men made a joyous break away from the school building. 

"Yes, " breathed Prescott. "Come along, Dave. But I don't wantthe others, for I don't want a crowd. "

"Why, what-----"

"Quiet, now, old fellow, " murmured Dick. "You'll have a big enoughsurprise in a few moments. "

They got away together before their other chums had a chanceto catch up. 

"From the look in your face, I'd say that there was somethingqueer in the air, " guessed Dave. 

"There is, Darrin. But wait until the moment comes to talk about it. "

Walking rapidly, the two chums came to "The Blade" office. Jarvis, who had been sitting at the back of the office, rose as the twoGridley boys entered. Dick quietly introduced Dave to the youngman from Tottenville who greeted him cordially. 

"Now, we're waiting for one more before we talk, " smiled Dickanxiously. 

At that moment the door opened again, and Mr. Morton entered briskly. 

"Now, Captain, what is your news?" called coach, as he came forward. 

"Why, this is one of the Tottenville team, isn't it?"

"Mr. Morton, Captain Jarvis, of the Tottenville High School team, "replied Dick, and the two shook hands. 

Then Dick drew the typewritten document from his pocket. Theycould talk here, for Mr. Pollock had been the only other occupantof the room, and that editor has just stepped out to the composingroom. 

"Captain Jarvis received this in the mail this morning, sir, "announced Prescott, in a voice that quivered with emotion. 

Coach glanced through the paper, his face showing plainly whathe felt. Then Dick took the paper and passed it to Dave Darrin, who sat consumed by curiosity. 

"The abominable traitor---whoever he is!" cried Dave, risingas though he found his chair red hot. "And I think I can comepretty near putting the tag on the sneak!"

CHAPTER IV

The Traitor Gets His Deserts

Mr. Morton hesitated a moment, ere he trusted himself to speak. 

"Yes, " he murmured. "I fear we all suspect the same young man. "

"Phin Drayne!" cried Dave, in a voice quivering with anger. 

"I didn't intend to name him, " resumed the coach. "It's a seriousthing to do. "

"To sell out one's school---I should say 'yes'!" choked Darrin. 

"No; I meant that it is a fearful thing to accuse anyone untilwe have proof that can't be disputed, " added Mr. Morton gravely, though his muscles were twitching as though he had been strickenby palsy. 

"Listen, " begged Dick, "while Mr. Jarvis tells you all he knowsof this dastardly business. "

The Tottenville captain repeated his short tale. Then Coach Mortonasked several rapid questions. But there was no more to be toldthan Dick Prescott already knew. 

"I'm tremendously sorry about that envelope, " protested Jarvis. "I'd give anything to be able to hand that envelope over to you, but I'm afraid I'll never see it again. "

"We appreciate your anxiety to help, Mr. Jarvis, as deeply aswe appreciate your manliness in coming to us without an instant'sdelay, " replied Mr. Morton, earnestly. 

At this moment the office boy entered with the mail sack. 

"Mr. Pollock!" he bellowed, tossing the sack down on the editor'sdesk. Then the office boy hurried to the rear of the building, intent on other duties. 

Mr. Pollock returned to his desk, opening the mail. The footballfolks in the further corner lowered their voices almost to whispers. 

"Letter for you, Dick, " called Mr. Pollock, tossing aside an envelope. 

Excusing himself, Dick darted over to get his mail. In an instanthe came back, with a flushed face. 

"Here's something that may interest you all, " whispered Dick, shaking as though fever had seized him. 

Mr. Morton took the sheet of paper, from which he read:

_"Dear Old Gridleyites: If the enclosed is a fake, it won't work. If there's really a traitor in your camp you ought to know it. Milton High School doesn't take any games except by the use ofits own fair fighting devices. Decker, Captain, Milton High SchoolFootball Team. "_

"And here's a duplicate set of our signals, returned by our Miltonfriends, " went on Dick, with almost a sob in his voice. "Fortunately, Mr. Decker thought to preserve the envelope that contained oursignal code. Here is the envelope, addressed in some person'shandwriting. "

Coach Morton seized the envelope, staring at it hard. He studiedit with the practiced eye of a school teacher accustomed to overlookingexamination papers in all styles of handwriting. 

"The writer has tried to conceal his handwriting, " murmured thecoach, rather brokenly. "Yet I think we may succeed in tracingit back and fixing it on the sender. "

"Oh!" growled Dave Darrin savagely. "I believe I know on whomto fasten this handwriting right now. "

"I have a possible offender in mind, " replied Mr. Morton moreevenly. "In a case of this kind we must proceed with such absolutecaution and reserve that we will not be obliged to retract afterwardsin deep shame and humiliation. "

"I think I've done all that I can, gentlemen, " broke in Mr. Jarvis. "I think it is my place, now, to draw out of this painful business, and leave it to you whom it most concerns. But I am happy inthe thought that I have been able to be of some service to you. I will now state that I am authorized to offer to postpone Saturday'sgame, if you wish, so that you may have time in, which to trainup under changed signals. "

"If you consent, sir, " proposed Dick, turning to the coach, "we'llgo on with Saturday's game just the same. There has been a bigsale of tickets, the band has been engaged, and a good many arrangementsmade that will be expensive to cancel. "

"Can you do it?" asked Mr. Morton, looking doubtfully at theeyoung captain of the team. "It's Thursday afternoon, now. "

"I feel that we've got to do it, sir, " Dick replied doggedly. "Yes, sir; we'll make it, somehow. "

So the matter was arranged. The Gridleyites followed Jarvis outto the sidewalk, where they renewed their assurances of regardfor the attitude taken by Tottenville High School. Then Jarvishurried away to catch a train home. 

"Now, young gentlemen, " proposed Mr. Morton, "we'll go home andsee whether we can engender the idea of eating any lunch, afterthis unmasking of villainy in our own crowd. But at half pasttwo promptly to the minute, meet me at the High School. Remember, we've practice on for half past three. "

"Of all the mean, contemptible-----" began Darrin, after the submasterhad left them. 

"Stop right there, Dave!" begged his chum. "This is the mostfearful thing we've ever met, and we both want to think carefullybefore we trust ourselves to say another word on the shamefulsubject. "

So the two chums walked along in silence, soon parting to taketheir different ways home. 

At half-past two both chums met Mr. Morton at the High School. The submaster led the way to the office, producing his keys andunlocking the door. They had moved in silence so far. 

"Take seats, please, " requested Mr. Morton, in a low voice. "I'llbe with you in a moment. "

The submaster then stepped over to a huge filing cabinet. Unlockingone of the sections, he looked busily through, then came backwith a paper in his hand. 

"I think I know whom you both suspect, " began coach. 

"Phin Drayne, " spoke Dick, without hesitation. 

"Yes. Well here is Drayne's recent examination paper in modernliterature. It is, of course, in his own handwriting. "

Eagerly the two football men and their coach bent over to compareDrayne's handwriting with that on the envelope that had come backfrom Milton. 

"There has been an attempt at disguise, " announced Mr. Morton, using a magnifying glass over the two specimens of writing. "YetI am rather sure, in my own mind, that a handwriting expert wouldpronounce both specimens to have been written by the same hand. "

"We've nailed Drayne, then, " muttered Darrin vengefully. 

"It looks like it, " assented Mr. Morton. "However, we'll go slowly. For the present I'll put this examination paper with our other'exhibits' and secure them all carefully in my inside pocket. Now, then, let us make our pencils fly for a while in gettingup a revised code of signals. "

It was not a long task after all. From the two typewritten copiesDick copied the first half of the plays, Dave the latter. ThenCoach Morton went over the new sheets, rapidly jotting down newfigures that should make all plain. 

"Ten minutes past three, " muttered coach, thrusting all the papersin his inside pocket and buttoning his coat. "Now, we'll haveto take a car and get up to the field on the jump. "

"But, oh, the task of drilling all the new calls into the fellowsbetween now and Saturday afternoon!" groaned Dave Darrin, in atone that suggested real misery. 

"We'll do it, " retorted Captain Dick. "We've got to!"

"And to make the boys forget all the old calls, so that they won'tmix the signals!" muttered Dave disconsolately. 

"We'll do it!"

It was Coach Morton who took up the refrain this time. And itwas Prescott who added:

"We've got to do it. Nothing is impossible, when one must!"

It was just twenty-five minutes past three when the coach andhis two younger companions turned around the corner of the athleticgrounds and slipped in through the gate. 

Most of the fellows were in the dressing quarters. 

Phin Drayne sat on the edge of a locker chest. One of his feetlay across the knee of the other leg. He was in the act of unlacingone of his street shoes when Coach Morton called to him. 

"Me?" asked Phin, looking up quickly. 

"Yes, " said Mr. Morton quietly. "I want to post you about something. "

"Oh, all right; right with you, sir, " returned Phin, leaping upand following the coach outside. 

"What is it?" asked Phin, beginning to feel uneasy. 

"Come along where the others can't hear, " replied Mr. Morton, taking hold of Drayne's nearer elbow. 

Phin turned white now. He went along, saying nothing, until Mr. Morton halted by the outer gate. 

"Pass through, Drayne---and never let us see your face insidethis gate again. "

"But why? What----"

"Ask your conscience!" snapped back the coach. "You'd bettertravel fast! I'm going back to talk to the other fellows!"

Mr. Morton was gone. For an instant Phin Drayne stood there asthough he would brave out this assertion of authority. Then, seized by another impulse, he turned and made rapidly for a town-boundstreet car that was heading his way. 

"What's up?" asked two or three of the fellows of Dick Prescott. Perceiving something out of the usual, they spoke in the samebreath. 

"Oh, if there's anything to tell you, " spoke Prescott, suppressinga pretended yawn, "Mr. Morton may tell you----some time. "

But Mr. Morton was soon back. Knocking on the wall for attention, he told, in as few and as crisp sentences as he could command, the whole story, as far as known. 

"Now, young gentlemen, " wound up the coach, "we must practicethe new signals like wild fire. There's mustn't be a single slipnot a solitary break in our game with Tottenville. And that gamewill begin at three-thirty on Saturday!

"In reverting to Drayne, I wish to impress upon you all, withthe greatest emphasis, that this must be treated by you all withthe utmost secrecy until we are prepared, with proofs, to go further!If it should turn out that we're wrong in our suspicions, we'llturn and give Phineas Drayne the biggest and most complete publicapology that a wronged man ever received. "

"All out to practice the new signals!" shouted Prescott, theyoung captain of the team. 

CHAPTER V

"Brass" for an Armor Plate

Thursday night and Friday morning more copies of the betrayedsignals poured in upon Captain Dick. 

Wherever these signals had been received by captains of otherschool teams, it soon appeared, these captains of rival elevenshad punctually mailed them back. It spoke volumes for the honorof the American schoolboy, for Gridley High School was fearedfar and wide on the gridiron, and there was not an eleven in thestate but would have welcomed an honorable way of beating Prescott'smen. 

Moreover, working on Dick's suggestion, Mr. Morton busied himselfwith securing several letters that had been received from Drayne'sfather. 

These letters were compared, Friday evening, with the copies ofthe signals that had been sent to other elevens. Under a magnifyingglass these collected papers all exhibited one fact that the lettersand the copies of the signal code had been struck off on a machinehaving the same peculiarities as to worn faces of certain types. It was thus rather clearly established that Phin Drayne musthave used the typewriting machine that stood in his father's office. 

Drayne was not at school on Friday. Instead, an excuse of illnesswas received from him. 

Nor did Mr. Morton say anything to Dr. Thornton, the principal, until the end of the school week. 

Just after school had been dismissed, at one o'clock Friday afternoon, Mr. Morton called Dr. Thornton to the private office, and therelaid before him the charges and the proofs. 

That fine old gentleman was overwhelmed with grief that "one ofhis boys" should have done such an utterly mean, wanton and dishonorablething. 

"This can't be passed by, Mr. Morton, " exclaimed Dr. Thorntonbrokenly. "If you will kindly leave the proofs in my hands, Iwill see that the whole matter is taken up officially. "

Friday afternoon the football squad met for more practice withthe new signals. Friday evening each young man who was scheduledas being even likely to play the next day studied over the signalsat home, then, under orders, burned his copy of the code. Saturdaymorning the squad met for some more practice, though not much. 

"I believe all of us are in trim now, sir, " Captain Prescott reportedto the coach. "I am rather sure all of our men know the new signalsby heart, and there'll be no confusion. But, of course, for thefirst game, the old snap of our recent practice will be missing. It has been a hard blow to us. "

"If we have to lose to-day's game, " muttered Mr. Morton, "I'llbe almost satisfied to lose it to Tottenville, after the manlyand straightout conduct of Mr. Jarvis!"

"That same line of thought would make us content to go througha losing season, for all the fellows in other towns who receivedthat betrayed code sent the information right back to us, " smiledPrescott. "But we're not going to lose to-day's game, Mr. Morton, nor any other day's. Drayne's treachery has just about crazedthe other fellows with anger. They'll win everything ahead of'em, now, just for spite and disgust, if for no better reason. "

"Sometimes anger serves a good purpose, " laughed Mr. Morton. "But it was pitiful to look at poor old Dr. Thornton yesterdayafternoon. At first I thought he was going to faint. He seemedsuddenly to grow ten years older. It cut him to the quick. Heloves every one of his boys, and to have one of them go bad isjust as painful to him as to see his own son sent to the penitentiary. "

"Is Dr. Thornton coming to the game this afternoon, sir?"

"Yes; he has never missed one yet, in any year that he has beenprincipal of Gridley High School. "

"Then we'll make that fine old American gentleman feel all rightagain by the grand game that we'll put up, " promised Dick vehemently. "I'll pass the word, and the fellows will strain themselves tothe last drop. "

Orders were issued to the gate tenders to throw Drayne out ifhe presented himself at the gate. 

Drayne did put in an appearance, and he got through the gate toa seat on the grand stand, but it was no fault of the gate tenders. 

Drayne had spent some of his spare money at the costumer's. Withhis trim, rather slim figure Phin Drayne made up rather well asa girl. He wore black---mourning throughout, perhaps in memoryof his departed honor---and a heavy veil covered his face. Inthis disguise Drayne sat where he could see what would happen. 

At the outset it was Gridley's kick off, and for the next tenminutes Tottenville had the ball, fighting stubbornly with it. But at last, when forced half way down the field between centerand its own goal line, Gridley blocked so well in the three followingplays that the pigskin came to the home eleven. 

Dick bent over, holding the ball for the snapback, while his battlefront formed on each side of him. 

Dave Darrin, quarter-back, raced back a few steps, then halted, looking keenly, swiftly over the field. 

Phin Drayne drew his breath sharply. Then his heart almost stoppedbeating as he listened. 

"Thirty-eight---nine---eleven---four!" sounded Darrin's voice, sharp and clear. 

"That's the run around the left end!" throbbed Phin Drayne. 

But it wasn't. A fake kick, followed by a cyclonic impact atthe right followed. 

"They've changed the signals!" gulped the guilty masquerader behindthe black veil. "Then they've found out. "

With this came the next disheartening thought:

"That's the reason, then, why the coach ordered me out of the fieldThursday afternoon. Morton is wise. I wonder if he has told itall around?"

Gridley High School was doing some of its brilliant, old-styleplay now. Prescott was proving himself an ideal captain, quick-witted, full of strategy, force, push and dash, yet all the while displayingthe best of cool judgment in sizing up the chances of the hardbattle. 

But that which Phin Drayne noted most of all was that every signalused had a different meaning from that employed in the code hehad mailed to the captains of the other school teams. 

"It was all found out, and Gridley wasn't hurt, " thought Phin, gnashing his teeth. "Good luck always seems to follow that fellowPrescott! Can't he be beaten? We shall see! Prescott, my finebully, I'm not through with you yet. "

The first half ended without either side scoring. Impartial onlookersthought that perhaps formidable Tottenville had had rather thebetter of it, but no one could tell with certainty which was thebetter team. 

When neither side scores in the first half that which remainsto be determined is, which side will show the bigger reserve ofvitality in the second half. 

And now the ball was off again, with twenty-two men pursuing andfighting for it as though the fate of the nation hung on the result. Dick, too, soon had things moving at a gait that had all Gridleystanding up and boosting with all the powers of lungs, hands andfeet. 

All that remained to interest Phin Drayne was to discover whetherhis late comrades had sufficiently mastered their new signalsnot to fail in their team work. 

Once in the second half there was a brief fluster. Two Gridleymen went "woozy" over the same signal. But alert Dave Darrinrushed in and snatched a clever advantage out of momentary confusion. 

After that there was no more confusion. Gridley took the gameby a single touchdown, failing in the subsequent kick for goal. Five minutes later time expired. 

Feeling doubly contemptible now, and sick at heart, Phin Draynecrawled weakly down from the grand stand. He made his way outin the throng, undetected. He returned to the costumer's, gotoff his sneaking garb and donned his own clothing, then slippedaway out through a back door that opened on an alleyway. 

Not until Sunday afternoon did Drayne yield to the desire toget out of doors. His training life had made outer air a necessityto him, so he yielded to the desire. But he kept to back streets. 

Just as luck would have it, Drayne came suddenly face to facewith Dr. Thornton. 

The good old principal had a fixed belief which followed the practiceof American law, to the effect that every accused man is innocentuntil he has been proved guilty. 

In addition, the doctor had recovered a good deal from his firstdepression. Therefore he was able to meet this offending pupilas he would want to under the circumstances. 

"Good afternoon, Mr. Drayne, " was Dr. Thornton's courteous greeting. "It is beautiful; weather to be out, isn't it?"

"It is a perfect day, sir, " Drayne replied. 

Once he had gotten past the principal the young wretch gave wayto his exultation. 

"No charge has been made, then, " he told himself gloatingly. "If I had been denounced, the Prin. Could hardly have been asgracious. Well, hang it all, what are charges going to amountto, anyway?"

At the High School Monday morning, both before school and at recess, the members of the football squad cut Drayne dead. 

"They suspect me, but they can't prove anything, anyway, " chuckledthe traitor to himself. "Brass, Phin, my boy! Brass! That isbound to win out when the clodhoppers can't prove a blessed thing. "

As none of the students outside of the squad showed any especialinclination to cut him, Phin felt almost wholly reassured. 

"It would be libelous, anyway, if the gang passed around a wordthat they couldn't prove, " chuckled Drayne. "So I guess thosethat may be doing a heap of thinking will have caution enoughto keep their mouths shut, anyway, "

That afternoon, after luncheon, Phin Drayne took a long trampover country roads at the back of the big town. It was five o'clockwhen he returned. 

"Here's a note for you, on High School stationery, " said Mrs. Drayne, putting an envelope in her son's hand. "It came sometime ago. "

Something warned the fellow not to open the envelope there. Hetook it to his room, where he read the letter. It was from Dr. Thornton, and said only:

_"You are directed to appear before the Board of Education atits stated weekly meeting to-night. This is urgent, and you arewarned not to fail in giving this summons due heed. "_

In an instant Phin was white with fear. His legs trembled underhim, and cold sweat stood out on his neck, face and forehead. 

For some moments the young man acted as though in danger of collapse. Then he staggered over to the tap at his washbowl, and gulpeddown a glass of water. He paced the room restlessly for a longtime, and finally went over and stood looking out of the window. 

"Young man, " he said to himself severely, "you've got to brace, and brace hard. If you haven't any nerve, then getting squareis too strenuous a game for you? Now, what can that gang prove?They can suspect, and they can charge, but my denial is fullyas good as any other man's affirmation. Go before the Board of Education? Of course I will. And I'll make any accuser of minelook mighty small before that august board of local duffers!"

Brave words! They cheered the young miscreant, anyway. Phinate his supper with something like relish. Afterwards he setout for the High School building, in which the Board had its offices. Nor did his courage fail him until he had turned in through thegate. 

A young man, whistling blithely, came in behind him. It was DickPrescott, erect of carriage, and brisk and strong of stride, asbecomes a young athlete whose conscience is clear and wholesome. 

"Hullo, Prescott, what are you doing around here to-night?" hailedDrayne. 

But Dick seemed not to have heard. Not a note did he drop inthe tune that he was whistling. Springing up the steps ahead, Dick vanished behind the big door. 

"Oh, of course he goes here to-night, " thought Phin, with suddendisgust. "Prescott scribbles for 'The Blade' and the Board ofEducation is one of his stunts each week. "

CHAPTER VI

One of the Fallen

For a few moments Drayne hung about outside, irresolute. Thenhis native shrewdness asserted itself. 

"Not to go in, after having been seen here in the yard would beto confess whatever anyone wants to charge, " muttered Phin. "Ofcourse I'll go in. And I'll just stand there and look more andmore astounded every time that anyone says anything. Brass, Phin---brass! Oh, I'd like to see anyone down me!"

So, with all the swagger he could put on, this young BenedictArnold of the school stepped into the Board room. As he entered, the clerk of the Board hastened toward him. 

"Step into this anteroom at the side, Mr. Drayne, until you'recalled, " the clerk directed. "There will be some routine businessto be transacted first. Then, I believe, the Board has a fewquestions it desires to ask you. "

Left by himself, the young man began to be a good bit frightened. He was brave enough in matters requiring only physical courage. But in this instance the culprit knew that he had been guiltyof a contemptibly mean act, and the knowledge of it made a moralcoward of him. 

"What are they doing? Trying to sentence, me to solitary confinement?"wondered the young man, when minute after minute went by withoutany call for him. In the Board room he could hear the droningof voices. 

"And that Dick Prescott is out there, sitting at a reporter'stable, ready to take in all that happens, " muttered Phin savagely. "Won't he enjoy himself, though?"

At last it seemed to Phin as though a hush fell over those inthe next room. But it was only that voices had been much lowered. 

Then a door opened, the clerk looking in and calling:

"Mr. Drayne, will you come before the Board now?"

Phin passed into the larger apartment. Seated in one chair wasDr. Thornton; in another chair Mr. Morton. And Dick Prescottwas there, but gathering up his writing materials as though aboutto go. 

The chairman waited in silence until Prescott had passed out ofthe Board room. After the clerk had closed the door the chairmanannounced:

"The Board is now in executive session. Dr. Thornton, we willlisten to the matter which we understand you wish to bring beforeus for consideration. "

Composedly Dr. Thornton stepped to the edge of the table, standingthere, resting his left hand on the table as he began to speak. 

In simple words, without any visible emotion, the High Schoolprincipal stated what he understood of the receipt of copies ofthe football signal code by the captains of rival football elevens. 

Next Mr. Morton took the stand, so to speak, and went much moreinto detail. He told what the reader already knows, producingseveral of the copies returned by the honorable captains of otherschool teams. 

Then Mr. Morton put in evidence, with these copies of the code, copies of business letters received from Drayne's father, andpresumably written on the Drayne office machine. 

"If you examine these exhibits, gentlemen, I think you will agreethat the betrayed code and the business letters were written onone and the same machine. The use of the magnifying glass makesit even more plain. "

Then Mr. Morton sat down. 

"Now, young Mr. Drayne, what have you to say?" demanded the presidingofficer. 

"Why should I say anything, sir?" demand Drayne, with an impudentassumption of swaggering ease. 

"Then you admit the truth of the charges, Mr. Drayne?"

"I do not. "

"Then you must really have something to say. "

"I have heard a charge made against me. I am waiting to haveit proved. "

"Do you admit, " asked the presiding officer, "that these copiesof the code were written on your father's office machine?"

"I do not, sir. But, if it be true, is that any proof that Imade those copies of the signal code? Is it argued that I alonehave access to the typewriter in my father's office. For thatmatter, if I have an enemy in the High School and I must haveseveral---wouldn't it be possible for that enemy, or several ofthem, to slyly break into my father's office and use that particulartypewriting machine?"

This was confidently delivered, and it made an undoubted impressionon at least two or three members of the Board. But now Mr. Mortonbroke in, quietly:

"I thought some such attempt as this might be made. So I waiteduntil I saw what the young man's line of defense might be. Hereis an envelope in which one of the copies was received by thecaptain of a rival football team. You will note that the sender, while understanding something about the use of a type machine, was plainly a novice in directing an envelope on the typewriter. So he addressed this envelope in handwriting. Here is the envelopein question, and here is one of Mr. Drayne's school examinationpapers, also in his own handwriting. I will ask the members ofthe Board to examine both. "

There was silence, while the copies passed from hand to hand, Drayne losing color at this point. 

"Be brassy!" he whispered to himself. "You'll pull through, Phin, old boy. "

"I am sorry to say, Mr. Drayne, that the evidence appears to beagainst you, " declared the chairman slowly. 

"It may, sir, " returned the boy, "but it isn't conclusive evidence. "

"Have you anything more to say, Mr. Morton?" asked the chairman, looking at the submaster. 

"Plenty, Mr. Chairman, if the Board will listen to me. "

"Proceed, Mr. Morton. "

The football coach thereupon launched into a swiftly spoken tiradeagainst the "brand of coward and sneak" who would betray his schoolin such a fashion. Without naming Phin, Mr. Morton analyzed themotives and the character of such a sneak, and he did it mercilessly, although in the most parliamentary language. Nor did he looktoward the boy, but Phin was squirming under the lash, his facealternately red or ghastly. 

"For such a scoundrel, " continued Mr. Morton, "there is no hopegreater than the penitentiary! He is fit for nothing else. Sucha traitor would betray his best friend, or his country. Sucha sneak would be dead to all feelings of generosity. The smallestmeannesses must envelop his soul. Why, sir, the sender of thesecopies of the signal code was so mean, so small minded, so sneakingand so utterly selfish"---how Phin squirmed in his seat!---"that, in sending the envelopes through the mail he was not even manenough to pay full postage. Four cents was the postage requiredfor each envelope, but this small-souled sneak, this ungenerousleech actually made the receivers pay half of the postage on 'due-postage'stamps. "

"I didn't!" fairly screamed red-faced Phin, leaping up out ofhis chair. "I stuck a four-cent stamp on each envelope myself!I remem-----"

Of a sudden he stopped in his impetuous burst of language. Agreat hush fell in the room. Phin felt himself reeling with anew fright. 

"Then, " demanded Mr. Morton, in a very low voice, his face white, "why did you deny having sent out these envelopes containing thecopies of the code?"

There was a shuffling of feet. Two or three of the Board laughedharshly. 

"Oh, well!" burst almost incoherently from the trapped boy. "Whenyou employ such methods as these you make a fellow tell on himself!"

All his 'brass' was gone now. He looked, indeed, a most pitiableobject as he stood there, his lower jaw drooped and his cheekstwitching. 

"I think you have said about all, Mr. Drayne, that it is necessaryfor you to say, " interposed the chairman. "Still, in the interestof fair play we will allow you to make any further statements thatyou may wish to make. Have you anything to offer?"

"No!" he uttered, at last, gruffly. 

At a sign from the chairman the clerk stepped silently over, tookPhin by one elbow, and led him to the door. Phin passed on outof the building, stumbling blindly. He got home, somehow, andinto bed. 

In the morning, however, even a sneak is braver. 

"What can they do to me, anyway?" muttered Phin, as he dressed. "I didn't break any of the laws of the state! All anyone cando is to cut me. I'll show 'em all how little I care for theircontempt. "

So it was not wholly in awe that Phin Drayne entered the generalassembly room the next morning, a few minutes before opening time. Several of the students greeted him pleasantly enough. Phinwas quick to conclude that the news had not leaked anyway, beyondthe members of the football squad. 

Then came the opening of the session. The singing books lay onthe desks before the students. Instead, however, of calling outthe page on which the morning's music would be found, Dr. Thorntonheld his little gavel in his hand, after giving a preliminaryrap or two on his desk. 

"I have something to say to the students of the school this morning, "began Dr. Thornton, in a low but steady voice. "It is somethingwhich, I am happy to state, I have never before been called uponto say. 

"One of the most valuable qualities in any man or woman is loyalty. All of us know, from our studies in history and literature, manyconspicuous and noble examples of loyalty. We have also, in ourmind's eye, some examples of the opposite qualities, disloyaltyand treachery. Outside of sacred history one of the most conspicuousexamples of betrayal was that of Benedict Arnold. "

Every boy and girl now had his eyes turned fixedly on the oldprincipal. Outside of the football squad no student had any ideawhat was coming. Phin tried to look wholly unconscious. 

Dr. Thornton spoke a little more on the meanness of treacheryand betrayal. Then, looking straight over at the middle of thethird aisle on the boys' side of the room, the principal commanded:

"Mr. Drayne, stand by your desk!"

Phin was up, hardly knowing how he accomplished the move. Everypair of eyes in the room was focused on him. 

"Mr. Drayne, " continued the principal, and now there was a steelyglitter of contempt in the old man's eyes, "you were displeasedbecause you did not attain to as high honors on the football elevenas you had hoped. In revenge you made copies of the code signalsof the team, and mailed a copy to the captain of nearly everyteam against which Gridley High School is to play this year. "

There came, from all parts of the room, a gasp of incredulousamazement. 

"Your infamy, your treachery and betrayal, Mr. Drayne, weretraced back to you, " continued the principal. "You were forcedto admit it, last night, before the Board of Education. ThatBoard has passed sentence in your case. Mr. Drayne, you are foundutterly unfit to associate with the decent manhood and womanhoodto be found in the student body of this High School. By the decisionof the Board you are now expelled from this school. You willtake your books and belongings and leave instantly. You willnever presume to enter through the doors of this school again. Go, sir!"

From Phin came an angry snarl of defiance. He tried to shoutout, to tell the principal and his late fellow students how little, or less than little, he cared about their opinions. 

But the words stuck in his throat. Ere he could try again, ahiss arose from one quarter of the room. The hiss grew and swelled. Phin realized, though he dared not look about him any longer, that the hissing came as much from the girls as from the boys. 

Drayne did not attempt to bend over his desk. Instead, he marchedswiftly down the half of the aisle, then past the platform towardthe door. 

"Mr. Drayne, " called Dr. Thornton, "you have not taken your books, or paper or other desk materials. "

"I leave them, sir, " shouted Phin, above the tumult of hissing, "for the use of some of your many pauper students. "

Then he went out, slamming the door after him. He darted downto the basement, then waited before the locker door until oneof the monitors came down, unlocked the door, and allowed Phinto get his hat. But the monitor never looked at him, or spoke. 

Once out of the building, Phin could keep back the choking soband tears no longer. Stealing down a side street, where he wouldhave to pass few people, Phin gave way to his pent-up shame. Yet in it all there was nothing of repentance. He was angrywith himself---in a fiendish rage toward others. 

Afterwards, he learned that the books and other contents of hisdesk were burned in the school yard at recess, to the singingof a dirge. But, even for the purpose of making a bonfire ofhis books the students would not touch the articles with theirhands. They coaxed the janitor to find a pair of tongs, and withthis implement Phin's books and papers were conveyed to the purifyingblaze. 

Behind the door in the privacy of his own room Phin Drayne shookhis fist at the surrounding air. 

"I have one mission in life, now, anyway!" raged the boy. "I'vegot some cruel scores to pay. You, Dick Prescott, shall comein for a large share of the payment! No matter how long I haveto wait and plan, or what I have to risk, you shan't get awayfrom me!"

CHAPTER VII

Dick Meets the Boy-with-a-Kick

Evil thoughts can never be cherished, day after day, without leadingthe more daring or brutal into some form of crime. 

Phin, the first three or four times he tried to appear on MainStreet, was "spotted" and hissed by High School boys. 

Even the boys of the lower schools heard the news, and took upthe hissing with great zest. 

So Phin was forced to remain indoors during the day, which drovehim out by night, instead. 

Had he been older, and known more of human nature, he would haveknown that the hissing would soon die out, and thereafter he wouldmeet only cold looks. 

At home, be sure Phin was not happy. His mother, a good woman, suffered in silence, saying little to her son. 

Phin's father, a hard-headed and not over scrupulous man of business, looked upon the incident of expulsion as a mere phase in life. He thought it "would do the boy good, and teach him to be moreclever. "

Gridley met Milton High School and scored another victory, Miltontaking only two points on a safety that Gridley was forced tomake. 

And now the game with Chester was looming up ahead. It was duefor the coming Saturday. 

Three times a week, Dick Prescott had his squad out for drilland practice, though he was careful to follow Mr. Morton's suggestionnot to get the young men trained down "too fine. "

Early one evening in mid-week, Dick sat at his desk in "The Blade"office, "grinding out" some local copy. He was in a hurry tofinish, for he was due to be in bed soon. Every member of teamand squad was pledged to keep early hours of retiring on everynight but Saturday. 

In another chair, near by, sat Dave Darrin, who dropped in tospeak with his chum, and was now waiting until they could strolldown Main Street together. 

"I've just thought of something I want to do, Dick, " mutteredDave suddenly. "I'll jump out and attend to it, now. Walk downMain Street, when you're through, and you'll run into me. "

Prescott, nodding, went on with his writing, turning out pageafter page. Then he rose, placing the sheets on News Editor Bradley'sdesk. 

"I'm pretty sure you'll find it all right, Mr. Bradley, " declaredDick. "Now, I must get home, for I'm due in bed in half an hour. "

"Training and newspaper work don't go well together, " laughedthe news editor. "However, your football season will soon beover. This time next year you'll be through with High School, and I hope you'll be with us then altogether. "

"I don't know about that, Mr. Bradley, " smiled Dick, picking uphis hat and starting for the door. "But I do know that I likenewspaper work mighty well. When a fellow is writing for a paperhe seems to be alive all the time, and right up to the minute. "

"That youngster may come to us for a while, after he gets outof High School, " called Mr. Pollock, across the room, after Prescotthad, gone out. "But he won't stay long on a small daily. A youngsterwith all his hustle is sure to pull out, soon, for one of thebig city dailies. The country towns can't hold 'em. "

Dick went briskly down the street, whistling blithely, as a boywill do when he's healthy and his conscience is clear. 

A block below another boy, betraying the hang-dog spirit onlytoo plainly, turned the corner into Main Street. 

It was Phin Drayne, out for one of his night walks. Fearing thathe might be insulted, and get into a fight with some one, Draynehad armed himself with one of his father's canes. The stick hada crook for a handle. 

Prescott caught a glimpse of the other boy's face; then he turnedaway, hastening on. 

"I'm not even worth looking at, " muttered Phin to himself. 

Just as Dick went past, Phin seized the cane by the ferule end, and lunged out quickly. 

The crook caught neatly around one of Dick's ankles just as thefoot was lifted. 

Like a flash Prescott went down. One less nimble, and havinghad less training, might have been in for a split kneecap. ButDick was too much master of his body and its movements. He wentdown to his hands, then touched lightly on his knees. 

Phin laughed sneeringly as Dick sprang up, unhurt. 

"Keep out of my way, after this---you less-than-nothing!" mutteredDick between his teeth. "I don't want to have to even hit a thinglike you!"

"You'll show good judgment, Mr. Big-head, if you don't try it, "jeered Drayne, menacing Dick with the cane. 

The color came into Dick's face. Leaping forward, with all theadroitness of the born tackler, he caught that cane, just as itdescended, and wrenched it out of Phin Drayne's cowardly, hand. 

Crack! Dick broke it in two across his knee, then tossed thepieces into the street. 

"You'll never be able to do anything better than a sneaky act, "muttered Dick contemptuously, turning to walk on. 

With a smothered cry Phin Drayne leaped forward to strike Prescottdown from behind. 

Dick was around again like a flash, one fist striking up the armwith which the sneak had aimed his blow. 

"Stand off, and keep away, " advised Prescott coldly. 

"I won't; I'll thrash you!" hissed Phin. 

There was nothing for Dick to do but put up his guard, which hedid with great promptness. Drayne danced around him, seekinga good point at which to close in. 

Prescott had no notion of fighting; neither did he propose totake an assault meekly. 

"Look out!" yelled Drayne, suddenly rushing in. 

"Certainly, " mocked Prescott coolly. 

He shot up Phin's arm as easily as could have been desired. Withhis right he parried another blow. 

"Get out of this, and go about your business, " advised Dick sternly. 

"Think I'll take any orders from you?" snarled Phin. "I'll-----"

He continued to crowd in, hammering blows. Dick parried, butdid not attempt to retaliate. The truth was, he felt secretlysorry for the fellow who had fallen as low as Phin. 

But Drayne was no coward physically, when his blood was up. Itdrove him to fever heat, now, to see how easily the captain ofthe football team repulsed him. 

"I'll get your wind going, and then I'll hammer you for fair!"snarled Drayne. 

"Mistake there, somewhere, " retorted Dick coolly. 

But Drayne was coming in, harder and harder. Dick simply hadto do something. So, after he had parried more than a score ofblows the young football captain suddenly took a springy stepforward, shot up Phin's guard, and landed a staggering blow onthe nose. Phin began to reel. Dick hit him more lightly on thechest, yet with force enough to "follow up" and send to his knees. 

"Here, what's this?" called a voice, and a heavy hand seized Dickby the collar behind, pulling him back. 

It was Heathcote Drayne, Phin's father, a powerful man, who nowheld Prescott. 

Phin was quickly upon his feet and start forward. 

From across the street sounded a warning cry, followed by footsteps. 

"Now, I've got you!" cried Phin exultantly. He struck, and landed, on Dick's cheek. 

"Stop that, Phin!" shouted his father, without letting go of Dick'scollar, however. Phin, however, instead of obeying, aimed anotherblow, and would have landed, had not another figure bounded inand taken the blow, next hurling Phin back against a brick wall. 

It was Len Spencer, "star" reporter of "The Blade, " who had thusinterfered. And now Dave Darrin was dancing in front of HeathcoteDrayne, ordering:

"Let go of Prescott! What sort of fair play is this?"

"Mind your own business!" ordered Mr. Drayne. "I'm stopping afight. "

Not an instant did impulsive Darrin waste in arguing the matter. He landed his fist just under Heathcote Drayne's left eye, causingthat Heathcote to let go of Dick in a hurry. 

"You young scoundrel!" glared Mr. Drayne, glaring at Dave. 

"Opinions may differ as to who the scoundrel is, " retorted Daveunconcernedly. "My own notions of fair play are against holdingone of the parties in a fight so that the other may hammer him. "

"I'll have you arrested for this assault, " stormed Mr. Drayne, applying a handkerchief to the bruised spot under his eye. "Bothyou and Prescott---your ruffian friend for assaulting my son. 

"Go ahead and do it, " retorted Dave. "As it happens, your sondid all the assaulting, and Prescott, who didn't care about fightingwith such a thing, only defended himself. We saw it all fromacross the street, but we didn't come across to interfere untilwe had to. "

"I'll take some of your impudence out of you in the police court, "insisted Mr. Drayne. 

"Yes, I would, if I were you, " broke in Len Spencer coolly. "Isaw this whole business, too, and I'll take pleasure in testifyingagainst you both. Mr. Drayne, you didn't see the start of thisthing, and I did. But you, at least, know that your son is amoral leper kicked out of the High School because he was not decentenough to associate with the other students. I wouldn't be surprisedif he gets some of his bad qualities from you, sir"

"You'll sing a different tune in court, " asserted Heathcote Drayneheatedly. 

"So will you, " laughed Len Spencer. "By the way, I see a policemandown the street. If you want to prefer a charge, Mr. Drayne, I'll blow my police whistle and bring the officer here. "

Spencer took a whistle from his pocket, moving it toward his lips. 

"Do you want the officer!" challenged the reporter. 

But Mr. Drayne began to see the matter in a somewhat differentlight. He knew much about the nature of his son, and here weretwo witnesses against him. Besides, one was a trusted staff writerfor the local paper, and the whole affair was likely to resultin a disagreeable publicity. 

"I'll think this all over before I act, " returned Mr. Drayne stiffly, as he took his son by one arm. "Come along, Phin. "

As the Draynes moved away each held a handkerchief to his face. 

"I don't think much of fighting, and I don't like to do it, "muttered Darrin, who was beginning to cool down. "But if HeathcoteDrayne had had to do more fighting when he was younger he mighthave known how to train that cub of his to be more of a man. "

CHAPTER VIII

Dick Puts "A Better Man" in His Place

Of course Dick heard no more from the Draynes. He didn't expectthat he would. 

Phin, however, was noticed no more on the streets of the littlecity. Then, in some way, it leaked out that his father had senthim to a military boarding school where the discipline was creditedwith being very rigid. 

"I guess papa has found that his little boy was none too muchof an angel, " laughed Dave Darrin when discussing the news withhis chums. 

The first four games of the season went off successfully for Gridley, though all were hard battles in which only fine leadership andsplendid team work by all saved the day. 

Two of these games had been played on the home grounds, two awayfrom home. The fifth game of the season was scheduled to be playedon the home grounds. The opponent for this game was to be HallamHeights High School. The Hallam boys were a somewhat aristocraticlot, but not snobbish, and the Gridley young men looked forwardto an exciting and pleasant game. It was the first game everplayed between Gridley and Hallam Heights. Coach Morton talkedabout the strangers one rainy afternoon in the gymnasium. 

"I believe you're going to find yourselves up against a hardproposition, " declared coach slowly "These young men attend a HighSchool where no expense is spared. Some of the wealthy men of thetown engage the physical director, who is one of the best men inhis class. Speight, who was at college with me, is engaged inaddition as the football coach. I remember Speight as one of thecleverest and most dangerous men we had at college. He could thinkup a whole lot of new field tricks overnight. Then again, most ofthe Hallam Heights boys are young fellows who go away for athleticsummers. That is, they are young fellows who do a lot of boating, yachting, riding, tennis, track work, and all the rest of it. They are young fellows who glory in being in training all theyear around. Speight writes me that he thinks he has the finest, strongest and most alert boys in the United States. "

"We'll whip them, just the same, " announced Dick coolly. 

"Gridley will, if anyone can---I know that, " agreed Mr. Morton. "You've won all four games that you've played this season. HallamHeights has played five games and won them all. The Hallam youngstersare out to capture the record that Gridley has held for some timethat of capturing all the games of the season. "

"Bring 'em on!" begged Darrin. "I wish we had 'em here to playjust as soon as the rain lets up. "

"Don't make the mistake of thinking that, because the Hallam boyshave rich fathers, they're dudes, who can't play on wet ground, "laughed Mr. Morton. 

"If Hallam sends forth such terrors, " grinned Dick, rising fromthe bench on which he had been sitting, "then we must get in trimfor 'em. Come on, fellows; some of the light speedy exercises. I'll work you up to all the speed you can take care of, thisafternoon. "

For the next ten minutes Dick was as good as his word. Then, after a brief breathing spell, Prescott ordered his men to therunning track in the gallery. 

"Three laps at full speed, with a two-minute jog between eachspeed burst, and a minute of breathing between each kind of running, "called out Dick. 

Then, after he had seen the fellows started, he turned to thecoach. 

"If I never learned anything else from you, Mr. Morton, I thinkI've wholly absorbed the idea that no man is in condition unlesshe can run well; and that nothing will make for condition likejudicious running. "

"As to what you've learned from me, Captain Prescott, " repliedthe coach, "I fully believe that you've learned all that I haveto teach. I wouldn't be afraid to go away on a vacation and leavethe team in your hands. "

"Him!" smiled Dick. "Without you to back me up, Mr. Morton, I'mafraid some of the fellows might kick over the traces. "

"They wouldn't kick over but once, " laughed the coach. "The firsttime any fellow did that you'd drop him from the team. And thefellows know it. I haven't noticed the young men attempting tofrisk you any. "

"One did. "

"I know whom you mean, " replied the submaster, his brow clouding. "But he got out of the team, didn't he?"

"Yes; but I didn't put him out. "

"You would have put him off the team if it had been left for youto do it. "

As soon as he thought the squad had had enough exercise to keepthem in tone, Dick dismissed them. 

"But every one of you do his level best to keep in condition allthe time until we get through with Hallam Heights, " urged theyoung captain. "That applies, too, not only to team members, but to every man in the squad. If the Hallam fellows are swiftand terrific, we can't tell on whom we may have to pounce forsubstitutes. "

This was to be a mid-week game, taking place Wednesday afternoon. Wednesday morning word reached school that Hudson, who was downto play right guard, and Dan Dalzell, right end, were both athome in bed, threatened with pneumonia. In each case the doctorwas hopeful that the attack would be averted, but that didn'thelp out the afternoon's game any. 

"Two of our prize men out, " muttered Dick anxiously to Dave atrecess. 

"And it's claimed that misfortunes always travel by threes, " returnedDarrin, half mournfully. 

"Don't!" shivered Prescott. "Let us off with two misfortunes. "

Afternoon came along, somewhat raw and lowering. Rain might preventthe game. Less than three quarters of the people who bought seatsin advance appeared at the grounds. The sale of spot seats wasnot as brisk by half as it would have been on a pleasanter day. 

But the Hallam Heights boys came along early, bounding and fullof fun and dash. 

They were a fine-looking lot of boys. The Gridley youngsterstook to their opponents instantly. 

"I wonder what's keeping Dick?" muttered Dave Darrin, half anxiously, in dressing quarters. 

"Anyway, we won't worry about him until we have to, " nodded Mr. Morton. "Our young captain is about the promptest man, as a rule, in the whole squad. "

"That's just why I am uneasy, " grunted Dave. 

Hardly had he spoken when Dick Prescott came in---but limpingslightly!

And what a rueful countenance the young captain of the teamdisplayed!

"Suffering Ebenezer, man, but what has happened?" gasped Dave. 

All the other Gridley youngsters stopped half way in their toggingto listen for the reply. 

"Nothing much, " grunted Dick. "Yet it came near to being toomuch. A man bumped me, as I was getting on the car, and droveme against the iron dasher. It was all an accident, due to theman's clumsiness. But it barked my knee a good bit. "

"Let me see you walk about the room, " ordered Coach Morton. Hewatched closely, as Dick obeyed. 

"Sit down, Prescott, and draw the trousers leg off on that side. I want to examine the knee. "

While Mr. Morton went to work the other members of the team crowdedabout, anxiety written on all their faces. 

"Does it hurt more when I press?" asked the submaster keenly. "Ah, I thought so! Prescott, you're not badly hurt for anythingelse; but your knee is in no shape to play this afternoon!"

A wail of dismay went up from the team members. The rueful lookin Dick's face deepened. 

"I was afraid you'd bar me out, " he confessed. "I never feltso ashamed in my life. "

"It wouldn't be of any use for you to play, for that knee wouldn'tstand it in any rough smash, " declared the coach, shaking hishead solemnly. 

"It's all off with us, then, " groaned one of the fellows. "We mayas well ask Hallam if they'll allow us to hand 'em a score of sixto nothing on a platter, and then stay off the field. "

"Hush your croaking, will you?" demanded Dave Darrin angrily, glaring about him. "Is that the Gridley way? Do we ever admitdefeat? Whoever croaks had better quit the team altogether. "

Under that rebuke the boy who had ventured the opinion shrankback abashed. 

"You're sure I'll be in no shape to go on, Coach?" asked Dickanxiously. 

"Why, of course you could go on, " replied Mr. Morton. "And youcould run about some, too, unless your knee got a good deal stiffer. But you wouldn't be up to Gridley form. "

"Have I any right to go on, with a knee in this shape?" queriedDick. 

"You certainly haven't, " replied Mr. Morton, with great emphasis. 

"Dave, " called the young football chief, "you're second captainof the team. Get in and get busy. Put up the best fight youcan for old Gridley!"

"Aye, that I will, " retorted Dave Darrin, his eyes sparkling, cheeks glowing. "I'll go in like a pirate chief, and I'll breakthe neck of any Gridley man who doesn't do all there is in himthis afternoon. "

"Listen to the fire eater, " laughed Fenton. Dave grinnedgood-humoredly, but went insistently:

"All right. If any of you fellows think I take less than thebest you can possibly do, try it out with me. "

Then Darrin came over to rest a hand on Prescott's shoulder. 

"Dick, you'll give me any orders you have before we go on, andbetween the halves, won't you?"

"Not a word, " replied Dick promptly. "Dave, you can lead as wellas ever I have done. If you're going to be captain to-day you'llbe captain in earnest. I'll hamper you neither with advice nororders. "

With so important a player as Dick Prescott out of the team Davehad a hard task in rearranging the eleven. In this he soughtdirection from Mr. Morton. Rapidly they sketched the new line-up. 

Darrin himself would have to drop quarterback and go to center. For this latter post Dave was rather light, but he carried theknack of sturdy assault better than any other man in the teamafter Prescott. 

Tom Reade was called to quarter. Shortly afterwards all the detailshad been completed. 

"As to style, you'll gather that from the signals, " muttered Darrin. "The only rule is the one we always have---that we can't be beatand we know we can't. "

There came a rap at the door. Then a bushy mop of football hairwas thrust into the doorway. 

"Talking strategy, signals or anything we shouldn't hear?" askedthe pleasant voice of Forsythe, captain of the Hallam Heightsboys. 

"Not a blessed thing, " returned Dave. "Come in, gentlemen. "

Captain Forsythe, in full field toggery, came in, followed bythe members of the visiting team, all as completely attired forwork. 

"We're really not intruding?" asked Forsythe, after he had steppedinto the room. 

"Not the least in the world, " responded Dave heartily. "Mr. Forsythe. Let me introduce you to Mr. Morton, our coach, and to Mr. Prescott, the real captain of this tin-pan crowd of pigskin chasers. "

"Oh, I mistook you for Prescott, " replied Forsythe, as he acknowledgedthe introductions. 

"No; I'm Darrin, the pewter-plate second captain---the worst you'vegot to fear to-day, " laughed Dave, as he held out his hand. 

"Why---what----anything happened?" asked Captain Forsythe, lookingtruly concerned. 

"Captain Prescott has had his knee injured, and two of our othercrack men are in bed, sick, " replied Mr. Morton cheerfully. "Otherwisewe're all quite well. "

"Your captain and two other good men out?" asked Forsythe in realsympathy. "That doesn't sound fair, for we came over here preparedto put up the very best we had against you old invincibles. I'mawfully sorry. "

"Captain Forsythe, we all thank you for your sympathy, " Dickanswered, "but Captain Darrin can lead at least as well as Ican. I believe he can do it better. As for the team that we'reputting in the field to-day, if you can beat it, you could aseasily beat anything we could offer at any other time. So, asfar as one may, with such courteous opponents as you are, Gridleyhurls back its defiance and throws down the battle gage! Butplay your very best team, Captain Forsythe, and we'll do ourbest in return. "

CHAPTER IX

Could Dave Make Good?

Dave Darrin, a good deal disheveled and covered with soil andperspiration on his face and neck, came striding in after timehad been called on the first half. 

Dave's generalship had kept Hallam Heights from scoring, but Gridleyhadn't put away any points, either. 

"You saw it all from the side lines, Dick?" Dave asked, as thechums, arm in arm, strolled into dressing quarters. 

"Yes. "

"What are your instructions for the second half. "

"I haven't any. "

"Your advice, then?"

"I haven't any of that, either. Dave, any fellow who can holdthose young human cyclones back as you've done doesn't need anypointers in the game. "

"But we simply couldn't score against them, " muttered Darrin. "So I know there's something wrong with my leadership. Whatis it?"

"Nothing whatever, Darrin. It simply means that you're up againstthe hardest line to get through that I've ever seen Gridley tackle. Why, yesterday I was looking over the record of these Hallamboys, and I find that they've already whipped two college secondteams. But you'll get through them in the next Dave, if there'sany human way of doing it. So that's all I've got to say, forI'm not out there on the gridiron, and I can't see things fromthe side line the same as you can on the ten-yard line. PerhapsMr. Morton may have something to offer. "

But the coach hadn't. 

"You're doing as well as any man of Gridley could do, Darrin, "the submaster assured the young second captain. "Of course, withPrescott at center, and yourself jumping around as quarter-backthe team would be stronger. But in Prescott's enforced absence, I don't see how you can play any point of the line more forcefullythan you've been doing. "

But Dave, instead of looking puffed up, replied half dejectedly:

"I was in hopes you could both show me where I'm weak. "

"You're not weak, " insisted Coach Morton. 

"That throws me back on thinking hard for myself, " muttered Darrin. 

Where a weaker man would have been pleased with such direct praiseDave felt that he was not doing his duty because he had not beenable to lead as brilliantly as Dick had done in earlier games. 

"Brute strength isn't any good against these Hallam fellows, "Darrin told himself, as he returned to the field. "They're allA-1 athletes. Even if Gridley played a slugging game, it wouldn'tbear these Hallam boys down. As to speed and scientific points, they seem to be our masters. Whatever we do against them, itmust be something seldom heard of on the gridiron something thatwill be so brand new that they can't get by it. "

Yet twice in the half that followed Gridley barely escaped havingto make a safety to save their goal line. Each time, however, Dave wriggled out of it. 

When there were but seven minutes left neither team had scored. 

Gridley now had the ball for snap-back at its own twenty-five-yardline. 

The most that home boosters were hoping for now was that Gridleywould be able to hold down the game to no score. 

Dave had been thinking deeply. He had just found a chance tomutter orders swiftly. 

Fenton, little, wiry and swift, was to-day playing at left end, the position that Dick himself had made famous in the year before. 

"Eighteen---three--eleven---seven---nine!" called Tom Reade, crisply. 

The first four figures called off the play that Gridley was tomake, or to pretend to make. But that nine, capping all at theend, caused a swift flutter in Gridley hearts. For that nine, at the end of the signal, called for a fake play. 

Yet the instant that the whistle trilled out its command everyGridley player unlimbered and dashed to the position ordered. 

Only three men on the team understood what was contemplated. Coach Morton, from the side lines, had looked puzzled from themoment that he heard the signal. 

Dick Prescott, eager for his chum's success, as well as the team's, stood as erect as he could beside Mr. Morton, trying to take inthe whole field with one wide, sweeping glance. 

As Tom Reade caught the ball on its backward snap, he straightenedup, tucking the ball under his left arm and making a dash forGridley's right end. 

Immediately, of course, Hallam rushed its men toward that point. 

Yet the movements of Gridley's right wing puzzled the visitors. For all of Dave's right flankers dashed forward, making an effectiveinterference. 

Surely, reasoned Captain Forsythe, Tom Reade didn't mean to tryto break through by himself with the pigskin. 

That much was a correct guess. Tom didn't intend anything ofthe sort. 

All in a flash Reade, as prearranged, dropped the ball, puntingit vigorously. 

Up it went, soaring obliquely over Gridley's left flank and farbeyond. 

Just a second before the ball itself started, little Fenton hadput himself in motion. By the time that the ball was in the airFenton was past Hallam's line and scorching down the field. 

Now Forsythe and every Hallam man comprehended all in a flash. 

Fenton had caught the ball with a nicety that brought wild whoopsfrom the Gridley boosters, now standing on their seats and wavingthe Gridley colors. 

"That little fellow looks like a streak of light, " yelled oneGridley booster. 

The description wasn't a bad one. Fenton was doing some of thefinest sprinting conceivable. Before him nothing menaced butbig Harlowe, Hallam's fullback. Harlowe, however, was hurlinghimself straight in the impetuous way of little Fenton. 

It looked like a bump. There could be but one result. Fentonwould have to go down to save the ball. 

Harlowe reached out to tackle. 

Fenton came to a quivering stop, just out of reach. Then, almostinstantly, the little left end dashed straight forward again. 

But the move had been enough to fool Harlowe. Of course, he assumedthat Fenton would spring to one side. Harlowe imagined that itwould be a dodge to the left, and Harlowe leaped there to tacklehis man. 

But Fenton, actually going straight ahead, fooled the calculationof his powerful adversary and got past on the clever trick. 

Harlowe dashed after his sly opponent. But Fenton, still almostwith his first big breath in his lungs, was running as fast asever. A man of Harlowe's size was no one to send after a greasedmosquito like Fenton. 

So nothing hindered. Amid the wildest, noisiest rooting, Fentonstepped it over Hallam's now undefended goal line, reached downand pressed the pigskin against the earth for a touchdown. 

On the grand stand the noise was deafening. The whistle soundedand the flushed players of both teams came back to range up forthe kick from field. Dave, his cheeks glowing, took the kick. He sent a clean one that scored one more point for Gridley. 

The cheering and the playing of the band still continued whenthe two elevens again lined up for play during the last five minutesof the game. The referee was obliged to signal to the leaderto stop his musicians. 

Forsythe looked hot and weary. His expectation of an easy victoryhad come to naught. Unless he and ten other Hallam boys couldwork wonders in five minutes. 

But they couldn't and didn't. The time keeper brought the gameto a close. 

"Gridley has handed us six to nothing, " muttered Forsythe, ashe led his disheartened fellows from the field. "That puts uswith the other second-rate teams in the state. "

"A great lot of orders you needed, didn't you?" was Captain DickPrescott's happy greeting as Dave met him beyond the side lines. 

"You won that game for us, just the same, " retorted Dave. 

"I?" demanded Dick, in genuine amazement. 

"Yes; you, and no one else. "

"How?"

"You refused to give me a hint. You threw me down hard, on myown resources. I saw all those hundreds of people demanding thatGridley win, " retorted Dave. "What could I do? I had to makethe fellows do something like what they've been doing under DickPrescott, or confess myself a dub. I couldn't lean on a wordfrom you, Dick. So you fairly drove me into planning somethingthat would either carry off the game or make us look like chromosof football players. You wouldn't say a word, Prescott, thatwould take any of the blame on yourself! So didn't you forceme to win!"

"That's ingenious, but not convincing, " retorted Dick, as thetwo chums stepped into dressing quarters. "To tell you the truth, Dave, I think a good many people now believe that you ought tobe the regular captain. "

But Darrin only grinned. He knew better. 

Some of the fellows tried to praise Fenton to his face. 

"Quit! You can't get away with that, " chuckled the fast littleleft end. "Some one had to take that ball and drop it behindHallam's goal line. I was the one who was ordered to do it. If I hadn't, what would you fellows have said about me?"

By the time that the Hallam Heights young men were dressed severalof them came to the Gridley quarters, Forsythe at their head. 

"We want to shake hands, " laughed Forsythe, "and to make surethat you have no hard feelings for what we tried to do to you. "

Dick and Darrin took this in laughing goodfellowship. 

"If you call this your dub team to-day, " continued Forsythe, abit more gloomily, "we shudder to think what would have happenedto us had you put in your regular line-up. "

"There isn't any dub team in Gridley, " spoke Dick quickly. "Allof our fellows are trained in the same way, by the same coach, and we stake all our chances on any line-up that's picked forthe day. It was hard on you, gentlemen, that my knee put me outfor the day. Darrin is twice as crafty as I am. "

"Oh, Darrin is crafty, all right, " agreed Forsythe cheerfully. "But, somehow, I like him for it. "

On some of the side streets Gridley boys were allowed to lightbonfires that evening, and there was general rejoicing of a livelynature. From the news that had come over concerning the HallamHeights team there had been a good deal of fear that Gridleywould, on this day, receive a set-back to its rule of alwayswinning. 

CHAPTER X

Leading the Town to Athletics

"Mr. Morton, we want a little word with you. "

"All right---anything to please you, " laughed the submaster, lookingat Dick and Dave as they came up to him in the yard at recess. 

"We've been thinking over a plan, " Dick continued. 

"It has something to do with athletics, then!" guessed the submaster. 

"Yes, sir, " nodded Dave. 

"High School athletics, at that, " continued Mr. Morton. 

"There you're wrong, sir, for once, " smiled Prescott. "Mr. Morton, we've been thinking of the High School gym. It's a big place. Pretty nearly three hundred gymnasts could be drilled there atonce. "

"Yes; I know. "

"There's a fine lot of apparatus there, " went on Dick. "It costthousands and thousands of dollars to put that gym. In shape. "

"And it's worth every dollar of the cost, " contended Mr. Mortonfirmly. 

"Mr. Morton, " challenged Dick, "who paid for it?"

"The city government, " replied the submaster. 

"Where did the city government get the money?"

"From the citizens, of course. "

"Now, Mr. Morton, " went on Prescott, "how many of the citizensget any direct benefit out of that gym. ? Only about a quarterof a thousand of High School students! Couldn't the city's moneybe spent so that a far greater number would have the use of andbenefit from the city's big investment!"

"Why, " replied the submaster, looking puzzled, "the youngstersin the lower schools have their needs provided for, in some way, in their own school buildings. "

"True, " agreed Dick. "But what of the small army of clerks andfactory employees of Gridley? Aren't they citizens, even if theyhaven't the time to attend High School? Haven't our smaller businessfry a right to the health and good spirits that come out of gymnasticand athletic work? Haven't our typewriters, our salesgirls andfactory girls a right to some of the good things from the gym. ?Aren't they all citizens, and isn't the gym. Their property asmuch as it's anyone else's!"

"Excellent, " nodded Mr. Morton. "But how do you propose to getthem interested in the use of their property, even if the Boardof Education will permit it?"

"The willingness of the Board of Education can be dropped outof sight, " argued Dick. "The Board is the servant of the people, and must do what the people want. What Dave and I want to seeis to have the High School gym. Turned over to the young workingpeople of the city in the evening time. Say, two evenings a weekfor young men and two evenings for the young women. We believeit will result in big gains for Gridley. When you put new lifeand brighter blood into the toilers, it increases the wealth ofthe whole city, doesn't it?"

"I declare, I think it ought to, " replied Mr. Morton. "But seehere, how are two boys---or, let us say, two boys and asubmaster---going to bring about any such result as this?"

"By presenting it properly through the leading daily of Gridley, "replied Prescott, with great promptness. 

"Have you received any assurance that Mr. Pollock, of 'The Blade, 'will be for this big scheme of yours?" asked Mr. Morton. 

"When we've explained it all, I don't see how he can help beingfor it, " rejoined Prescott. "If 'The Blade' takes hold and boomsthis idea, day in and day out, it won't be very long before eveninggym. Classes will be filled to overflowing. And the Board ofEducation would have to give way before the pressure. "

Then Dave took hold of the subject for a while, talking with greatearnestness. Mr. Morton listened with increasing interest. 

"I think, boys, that you've hit upon an idea that will be of greatservice to our city, " remarked the submaster. "Yet what put allthis into your heads!"

"Why, sir, it's our last year at the High School, " replied Dick, smiling though speaking with great earnestness. "After four yearsof the fine training we've had here, Dave and I feel that it'sour place to do something to leave our mark behind. We've beentalking it all over, and we've hit upon this idea. Will you standby us in it?"

"Why, yes; all that I can, you may be sure. But just what doyou boys expect me to be able to do!"

"Why, help us form the plans and back us up in them. You arereally the leader in school athletics in this town, Mr. Morton, "explained Prescott. "I can quote you in 'The Blade' as to thebenefits that would result in giving gym. Training to workerswho can't attend High School. And, in the spring, after a winterin the gym. , young men and women could form outdoor squads forrunning and other outside training. Altogether, sir, we thinkwe might make Gridley famous as a place where all who possessany real energy go in to keep it up through public athletics. And such classes of young men and women could have the use ofour athletics field. "

By the time that recess was over the submaster certainly had enoughthoughts to keep him busy. 

That afternoon Dick and Dave took Mr. Morton around to "The Blade"office. Right at the outset Mr. Pollock jumped at the idea. 

"Prescott, " he cried, "you've sprung a big idea. 'The Blade'will feature this idea for days to come. You may have a column, or a column and a half every day, and 'The Blade' will also backit up on the editorial page. Now, go ahead and get your stuffin shape. Above all, have interviews with prominent men, especiallyemployers, setting forth the benefit that ought to come to theyoung people and to the city at large. Take as your keynote theidea that the city's duty is just as great to provide physicaleducation as it is to supply learning out of textbooks. You'llknow how to go ahead on that line, Prescott. "

By the next day Gridley had something new to talk about. By thetime three days had passed the matter was being discussed withgreat seriousness. 

Employers saw, and said that the time young men spent in a gym. Would not be spent in billiard rooms or other resorts of a harmfulor useless character. Young women who went to the gym. Wouldbe home and in bed early, instead of staying up most of the nightat a dance. All who entered the gym. Classes would begin to thinkabout their bodily condition and plan to improve it. Improvedbodies meant a better grade of work and increased pay. 

Dick wrote splendidly on the subject. "The Blade, " editorially, gave Dick & Co. Full credit for springing the idea. The Boardof Education, at its next meeting, authorized the superintendentof schools to throw the High School gym. , open evenings for thepurpose indicated. It also voted Mr. Morton an increase of payon condition that he take charge of the evening gym. Classes foryoung men. One of the women teachers was granted a like increasefor assuming charge of the evening gym. Classes for young women. 

Dick Prescott, on behalf of the High School boys, guaranteed thatthe most skilled in athletics among the High School boys wouldbe on hand to aid in training the young men, and in getting upsports and games for the gym. In winter, and for the athleticfield in the spring. 

As soon as the classes were opened they were crowded to theirutmost capacity. All of the younger portion of Gridley seemedsuddenly anxious to go in for athletics. 

"Prescott and his well-known comrades of the High School appearto be leading in the very vanguard of athletics this year, " stated"The Blade" editorially. 

Dick and his friends could not, however, give as much aid to thenew scheme now as they intended to do later. They were in themiddle of the football season, and that had to be carried throughfirst of all. 

Yet it was a big evening for Dick, Dave and their chums when theHigh School gym. Was thrown open for the forming of the gymnasticclass for young men. 

Almost three hundred presented themselves for enrollment. Scoresof the leading citizens were also on hand to see how the new planwould take. Among these latter was Herr Schimmelpodt, the retiredcontractor, who was always such an enthusiastic booster for HighSchool athletics. 

"I tell you, Bresgott, it vos a fine idea of yours, " cried thebig German, as he stood in a corner, looking on, while Dick talkedwith him. "This vill keep young folks out of drouble, and putdem in health. It vill put Gridley to being twice as good a town, alretty. "

"Hullo, Mr. Schimmelpodt, " called a young clerk, passing in trunksand gym. Shoes. "Don't you get into a squad to-night? This woulddo you a lot of good. "

"Maype, if I go in for dis sort of thing, I crowd out some youngmans who needs it as much as you do, " retorted the German, blinking. 

"But don't you think you need it, also" laughed the clerk?

"Now, led me see, " pondered the German. "Young man, you thinkyou gan run?"

"I know I can, " laughed the clerk, leaping lightly up and downon his soft gym. Shoes. 

"I yonder if you could reach dot door ofer dere so soon alrettyas I gan?" queried Herr Schimmelpodt. 

"Will you run me a race?" grinned the clerk. 

"Vell, you start, und ve see apout it. "

Tantalizingly, the clerk started. Then he glanced back over hisshoulder. There was a great noise on the floor of the gym. HerrSclhimmelpodt had started. He was so big that he made a gooddeal of noise when he traveled. But he was going like a streak, and the clerk began to sprint in earnest. 

It was all in vain, however. With a few great bounds Herr Schimmelpodtwas close enough to reach out one of his big arms and lay holdof the fleeing clerk. That clerk stopped suddenly, with a jolt. 

"Vy don't you go on running, ain't it?" demanded Herr Schimmelpodt. 

A crowd formed about them. 

The reason why the clerk didn't continue his running was a verygood one. One of the German's big hands encircled the clerk'sthin arm like a bracelet of steel. The clerk struggled, but hemight as well have tried to break out of irons. 

"You vant me to bractise running, so dot I gan catch you, eh?"grunted the German. "You vant me to eat breakfast sawdust fora dyspepsia vot I ain't got, huh? You vant me to dake breathingeggsercises ven I can dake more air into my lungs, alretty, danyour whole body gan disblace? You vant me to do monkey-tricksmit a dumb-pell, yen I gan do things like dis?"

Suiting the action to the word, Herr Schimmelpodt grasped theclerk by one shoulder and one thigh. Up over his head the Germanraised the unhappy young man. Herr Schimmelpodt's arms fell androse as he "exercised" with the young man for a wand. 

Everything in the gym. Had stopped. All eyes were on this novelperformance. Roars of laughter greeted some new stunts that HerrSchimmelpodt performed with his human wand. The great Germanwas the only one who seemed unconscious of the hurricane of laughterthat he was causing. 

At last the German put his victim back on the floor. 

"Yah, young mans, I am much oblige dot you show me how I needeggsercise. I feel much better alretty. "

Red-faced, the clerk fled to the other side of the room, followedby the laughter of the other gymnasts. 

Yet Herr Schimmelpodt's good-natured performance had great value. It taught many of the young men present how far this generationhas fallen behind in matters of personal strength. Mr. Mortonhad easier sailing after that. 

CHAPTER XI

The "King Deed" of Daring

"Yes; that performance helped a lot. "

Herr Schimmelpodt was prevailed upon, by Mr. Morton, to come aroundon another evening to show some further feats with his great strength. 

Around the waist-line the German was flabby; the fat rolled inheavy ridges. Feeling aware of this defect in personal appearanceHerr Schimmelpodt determined to devote some of his abundant leisureto getting his belt line into smaller compass. But the Germanwould not do this before all eyes in the public, gym. So he andsome other well-to-do business men who were conscious that theyears had dealt too generously by them in the matter of flesh, hired a small hall and converted it into a private gym. 

It was all the doings of Dick & Co. , just the same. 

The town was ripe, now, for performances in extraordinary athletics. Fate willed it that there should be a chance. 

Once a year an opera company of considerable prominence appearedat Gridley for one evening. 

Whenever this evening came around, it was made the occasion fora big time in local society. The women of the well-to-do familiesturned out in their most dazzling finery. 

This year "Lohengrin" was to be sung at the local opera house. Dick could have obtained, at "The Blade" office, free seats forDave and himself for this Friday night. But they were still inclose training, and there was a game on for the afternoon of theday following. For that reason nine o'clock found both of theyoung men in bed and asleep. 

Near the opera house the street was thronged with carriages. Carriage after carriage drove up and discharged its load of handsomelydressed women and their more severely attired escorts. All ofGridley that could attend the opera were in evening dress. 

During the evening a half gale of wind sprang up. While all waslight and warmth inside, outside the wind howled harder and harder. By the time that the music lovers began to pour out, the blastwas furious. 

Leaning on the arm of her escort, as her carriage drove up tothe door, one beautifully gowned woman stepped out. Over herhair was thrown a black, filmy scarf in which nestled a numberof handsome diamonds. 

Just as she reached the curb, but before she could step into thewaiting carriage, this woman gave a shriek of dismay. 

The gale had caught at her diamond-strewn head-covering. Likea flash that costly creation was caught up from her hair and borneon the wind. 

Others standing by saw the costly thing whisked obliquely up intothe air. It was still ascending on the blast when it passedout of the range of vision. 

"O-o-o-oh! My beautiful jeweled scarf!" sobbed the woman hysterically. The crowd quickly formed about her. She was recognized as Mrs. Macey, the wife of a wealthy real estate operator. 

"It was careless not to have it fastened more securely, but it'sno use to cry over what can't be helped now, my dear, " repliedher husband. "Get into the carriage and I'll see if any tracecan be found of the scarf. "

Still sobbing, Mrs. Macey was helped into the carriage. ThenMr. Macey enlisted the help of the bystanders. 

In every direction the street was searched. The fronts of thebuildings opposite were examined; the gratings in the sidewalkwere peered through. But there was no trace, anywhere, of thejeweled scarf. 

"It will be worth two hundred and fifty dollars for anyone tofind it and return it to me, " shouted Mr. Macey. That scatteredthe searchers more widely still. Presently a woman friend drovehome with Mrs. Macey, while her husband remained to push the search. He kept at it until two o'clock in the morning, half a hundredmen and boys remaining in the search. 

Then Mr. Macey gave it up. The gaudy, foolish trifle was worthabout five thousand dollars. As the night wore on Mr. Macey beganto have a pessimistic notion that perhaps some one had found thescarf but had been too "thrifty" to turn in such a precious articlefor so small a reward. 

"I guess it may as well be given up, " sighed Mr. Macey, aftertwo in the morning. "I'm going home, anyway. "

The readers of "The Blade" that crisp October morning knew ofMrs. Macey's loss. 

There was much talk about the matter around the town. Peoplewho walked downtown early that morning peered into gutters anddown through sidewalk gratings. Then, at about seven o'clocka sensation started, and swiftly grew. 

One man, glancing skyward, had his attention attracted to somethingfluttering at the top of the spire of the Methodist church, morethan half a block away from the opera house. It was fabric ofsome sort, and one end fluttered in the breeze, though most ofthe black material appeared to be wrapped around the tip of theweather vane in which the spire staff terminated. 

"That's the jeweled scarf, I'll bet a month's pay!" gasped thediscoverer. Then, mindful of the reward, he dashed to thenearest telephone office, asking "central" to ring insistentlyuntil an answer came over the Macey wire. 

"Hullo, is that you, Mr. Macey?" called the discoverer, a teamster. "Then come straight up to the Methodist church. I'll be there. I've discovered the jeweled scarf. "

"How---how many jewels are left on it?" demanded Mr. Macey. 

"Come right up! I'll tell you all about it when you get here. "

Then the teamster rang off, after giving his name. The real estateman came in a hurry, in a runabout. His wife, pallid and hollow-cheeked, rode in the car with him. To Mr. Macey the teamster pointed outthe barely visible bit of black fluttering a hundred and sixtyfeet above the pavement. 

"Now how about the reward, Mr. Macey?" demanded the teamster. 

"That will be paid you, if you return the scarf to Mrs. Macey, "replied the real estate man dryly. 

The teamster's jaw dropped. For the uppermost eighteen feet ofthe spire consisted of a stout flagpole. Below this was the slopingslate roof of the top of the steeple proper. Only a monkey ora "steeplejack" could get up there, and on a day like this, witha half gale still blowing, a steeplejack might be pardoned fordeclining the task. 

Swiftly the news spread, and a great crowd collected. Dave Darrinheard of it right after breakfast, and hurried to get Dick Prescott. Together the chums joined the crowd. 

"You'll have to get a steeplejack for the job, Mr. Macey, " thechums heard one man advise the real estate operator. 

Only one was known. His home was some forty miles away. Mr. Macey tried patiently to get the man over the long distance telephone. Some member of the man's family answered for him. The expertwas away, and would not be home, or available, for three daysto come at least. 

"Never mind, Macey, " laughed the friend, consolingly. "It'llwait. No one in Gridley will take the scarf. It's safe up there. "

"Huh! Is it, though?" snorted the real estate man. "At any minutethe strong wind may unwind it and send it whirling off over thetown. Or the gale may tear it to pieces, scattering the diamondsover a whole block, and not one in ten of the stones would everbe found. "

Mrs. Macey sat in the runabout, a picture of mute misery. 

Herr Schimmelpodt elbowed his way through the outskirts of thecrowd and stood absorbing his share in the local excitement. 

"Ach! I am afraid dere is von thing dot you gan't do, Bresgott, "smiled the German. "Ach! By chimminy, though, I don't know yet. "

"I was wondering myself whether I could make a good try at steepleclimbing, " laughed Dick eagerly. "The money sounds good to meanyway. "

"No; I don't know. I think it would be foolish, " replied HerrSchimmelpodt. 

"I believe you could get up there, Dick, " muttered Darrin, ina low voice. 

"Then you could, Dave. "

"I think I could, " nodded Darrin. "And, by crickets, if you werehere, Dick, I'd certainly try it. "

"Try it anyway, then, " urged Prescott. 

"Not unless you balk at it, " returned Darrin. 

"I'm not going to balk at it, " retorted Dick, flushing just abit. "But you spoke of it first, Dave, and I think you oughtto have first chance at the reward. "

"Tell you what I'll do, " proposed Darrin, seriously. "We'll tossfor it, and the winner has the try. "

"I'll go you, " nodded Prescott. 

Herr Schimmelpodt, regarding them both seriously, saw that theymeant it. 

"Boys, boys!" he remonstrated. "Don't think of it yet!"

"Why not?" asked Dick. 

"You would be killed, " remonstrated the big German. 

"Is that the best opinion you have of us, after the way you'vebeen praising us athletes for two years?" laughed Prescott. 

"I'll toss you for it, Dick, " nudged Dave. 

"What's this?" demanded Mr. Macey. 

"Prescott and I are going to toss for it, to see who shall havethe first chance to climb the spire and flagstaff, " replied Dave. 

"Nonsense! Out of the question, " almost exploded Mr. Macey. "It would be like murder to allow either of you to try. That'swork for a regular steeplejack. "

"Well, what is a steeplejack?" demanded Dick. "He's a fellowof good muscle and nerve, who can stand being in high places. Either of us could climb a flagpole from down here in the street. Why can't either of us go up there, just as well, and climb fromthe steeple roof?"

"Prescott, have you any idea of the strength of the wind up there?"demanded the real estate man. "It's blowing great guns up there!"

"Get some one to toss the coin, and either you or I call, " insistedDarrin. 

Some one told Mrs. Macey what was being proposed. 

"Oh, stop them!" she cried, leaning forward from the runabout. "Boys, boys! Don't do anything wildly rash like that! I'd soonerlose the scarf than have lives risked. "

"She needn't worry, " sneered some one in the crowd. "The HighSchool dudes are only bluffing. They haven't either o' them thesand to do a thing like that. "

Both Prescott and Darrin heard. Both flushed, though that wasall the sign they gave. 

"Herr Schimmelpodt, you must have a cent, " suggested Dick. "Tossit, will you, and let Darrin call the turn. "

Grumbling a good deal the German produced the required coin. He fingered it nervously, for a moment, then flipped it high inthe air. 

"Tails!" called Dave. 

It came down heads. 

"Oh, well, the best two out of three, " insisted Dick. 

"That fellow's nerve is going already, " laughed some one. "He'sanxious for the other fellow to get the honor. "

There was a grim twitching at the corners of prescott's mouth, but he said nothing. 

Again the coin was tossed. This time Dick called:

"Heads!"

He won. 

"I'm ready, " announced Dick quietly. 

"I congratulate you, old fellow, " murmured Dave eagerly. "AndI'm going with you to the base of the flagpole! The last climbis yours you've won it!"

CHAPTER XII

The Nerve of the Soldier

Again Mrs. Macey sought to interpose. Her husband, too, was atfirst against it. 

But, now that the die was fairly cast, Herr Schimmelpodt firmlychampioned the boys. 

"Eider von of dem gan do it---easy!" declared the big German. "You don't know dem boys----vot? Ach, I do. Dey got der brain, der nerves und der muscle. "

"It's a crime to let such youths attempt the thing, " shiveredan anaemic-looking man in the crowd. "Whichever one goes up thatflagstaff will come down again faster. He'll be killed!"

"Cheer up some more, " advised Herr Schimmelpodt stolidly. "Itdon't gost you nottings, anyway. If Dick Bresgott preak his necksoon, I gif him der bulliest funeral dot any boy in Gridley eferhat. "

"But what good-----" began the nervous man tremulously. 

"Talk ist cheap, " retorted Herr Schimmelpodt, with a wink, "middot's all I haf to bay for dot funeral. Dick Bresgott ain't foolenough yet to preak der only neck he has. "

At this a jolly laugh went around, relieving the tension a bit, for there were many in the crowd who had begun to feel mightyserious as soon as they realized that Dick was in earnest. 

Some one brought the janitor of the church. A hardware dealernear by came along with two coils of rope, which he thought mightbe handy. 

Mr. Macey went inside with the janitor and the two chums. A scoreor two more would have followed, but the janitor called to HerrSchimmelpodt to bar the way, which the big German readily did. 

Then the four inside began to climb the winding staircase to thebell loft. 

"Go slowly, Dick; loaf, " counseled Dave. "Don't waste a bit ofyour wind foolishly. "

At the bell loft all four paused to look down at the crowd. 

Now up a series of ladders the four were obliged to climb, insidethe spire top. This spire top was thirty-six feet above the floorof the bell loft; but eight feet from the top of the spire a windowlet out upon a narrow iron gallery that ran around the spire. 

"I---I don't believe I'll step out there, " faltered Mr. Macey, who was stout and apoplectic-looking. 

"I don't blame ye any, " agreed the janitor. "It ain't just theplace, out there, for a man o' your weight and years. "

"Don't look down at the street, Dick, " begged Dave. 

"Why not?" asked Prescott, deliberately disobeying. "If I couldn'tdo that without getting dizzy, it would be foolish to climb thepole. "

"Prescott, you'd better not try it, " protested Mr. Macey. "Justlisten to how strong the wind is at this height. I'm afraid you'llbe dashed down to the ground. Gracious! Hear the flagstaff rattle. "

"I expected it, " replied Dick, sitting down, inside the spiretop. 

"What are you doing?" demanded the real estate man. 

"Taking off my shoes, " Dick replied coolly. 

"Do you really mean to make the attempt?"

"You don't think a Gridley boy would back out at this late moment?"queried Dick, in surprise. 

"Ye couldn't stop these younkers, now, by force, " chuckled thejanitor. 

"I certainly wouldn't care to try force, " remarked Mr. Macey dryly. "These young men are too well developed. "

Dave was now on the floor, getting off his shoes. 

"What are you going to do, old fellow?" asked Prescott. 

"Going to follow you as far as the top of the spire, " repliedDarrin quietly. "Who knows but I may be able to be of some use?"

Dave stepped out first on the little iron balcony. The crowdbelow saw him, but at the distance could not make out clearlywhich boy it was. Then Prescott followed. 

"Give me one foot, " called Dave, kneeling and making a cup ofhis hands. 

Dick placed his foot, then started to climb the sloping surfaceof slate, Darrin aiding. 

As Dave straightened to a standing position Dick reached up, gettinghold of the base of the flagstaff. 

"Hold on there, a minute, " advised Dave, as his chum stood onthe little ledge at the top of the spire. "And don't be foolishenough to look down into the street. "

Dave darted inside, picking up the lighter of the ropes. Goingout on the balcony again Darrin tossed one end of the rope toDick, who made it fast around the flagpole. 

Using the rope, Dave went easily up and stood beside Prescott. 

"There is a fearful wind here, " muttered Dick, as both swayedwhile holding to the stout, vibrating mast. "But you can makeit, old fellow. "

It had been the original intention in building the church to usethis mast as a flag pole. Then some doubt had arisen among themembers of the parish. A weather vane had been put at the topof the pole, and the question of connecting flag tackle had beenleft to be decided at a later date. 

Had the flag tackle been there now Dick could have made an easierproblem of the ascent; yet, even with the rope, it would havebeen an undertaking from which most men would have shrunk. 

"I'm going to start now, " said Dick very quietly. 

"Good luck, Dick, old fellow!" called Dave cheerily. "You'llget through. "

Darrin still remained standing on top of the spire after Dickhad started to climb. 

The only way that Prescott could move upward was to wrap armsand legs around the pole. 

How the wind swayed, jarred and vibrated it! Once, when ten feetof the ascent had been accomplished, Dick felt his heart failhim. 

A momentary impulse, almost of cowardice, swept over him. 

Then he steeled himself, and went on and up. 

That staff must be more than a mile high, it now seemed to theboy, hanging there in momentary danger of his life. 

Dave, standing below, looking up, knew far more torment. 

Watching Dick, Darrin began to feel wholly responsible for thewhole awful predicament of his chum. 

"I urged him on to it, " thought Dave, with a rush of horror thathis own peril could not have brought to him. "Oh, I hope thesplendid old fellow does make this stunt safely!"

It seemed as though thousands were packed in the street below, every face upturned. The breath of the multitude came short andsharp. Two women and a girl fainted from the strain. 

In a window in the building across the street a photographer poisedhis camera. Behind the shutter was a long-angled lens, fittedfor taking pictures at a distance. 

Just as Dick Prescott's arms were within two feet of the weathervane the photographer exposed his plate. 

Dick, in the meantime, was moving in a sort of dumb way now. The keenness of his senses had left him. He moved mechanically;he knew what he was after, and he kept on. Yet he seemed largelyto have lost the power to realize the danger of his position. 

A-a-ah! He was up there now, holding to the weathervane! Hislegs curled doggedly around the flagstaff. He had need now touse all the strength in his legs, for he must use one hand todisentangle the black scarf, which lay twisted about the vanejust over his head. But it was the right scarf. The glint anddazzle of the diamonds was in his eyes. 

How the extreme end of that flag pole quivered. It seemed tothe boy as though the pole must bend and snap, what with the pressureof the heavy wind and the weight of his body!

Slowly, laboriously, mechanically, like one in a trance, Dickemployed his left hand in patiently disentangling the black webfrom the trap in which it had been caught. 

At last the scarf was free. Most cautiously Dick lowered hisleft hand, tucking the jeweled fabric carefully into the innerpocket of his coat. 

"I---I---guess---it safe---in there, " he muttered, hardlyrealizing that he was saying any thing. 

Dave, from below, had looked on, fascinated. Now that he sawthe major part of the daring feat accomplished, Darrin did notmake the mistake of shouting any advice to his comrade. He knewthat any sudden shout might attract Prescott's attention in away to cause him to lose his head. 

Slowly---oh, so slowly! Dick came down. It seemed as though, at last, he understood his danger to the full and was afraid. The truth was, Prescott realized that, with all the vibratingof the staff in the wind, his muscular power was being sappedout of him. 

Dave Darrin was down again, crouching on top of the spire, whenDick reached him. 

"Just touch your feet, Dick!" Darrin called coolly. "Then standholding to the pole until I get down into the balcony. "

Dick obeyed as one who could no longer think for himself. 

This done, Dave slipped down the spire's slope, by the aid ofthe rope, until his feet touched the balcony's floor. Now hestood with upturned face and arms uplifted. 

"Use the rope and come down, Dick, " hailed. Darrin softly. "I'mhere to catch you, if you need it. "

Down came Prescott, holding to the rope, but helped more by Dave'sloyal arms. 

"Help Prescott inside, you two, " Dave ordered sharply. Then, after the men inside the spire top had obeyed, Dave swung himselfin. He left the rope fastened above, for whoever cared to goand get it. 

Mr. Macey, ashen faced and shaking, stared at Dick in a sort offascination. 

"I---I got it, " said Dick, when he could control his voice. "Hereit is, safe in my pocket. "

"I forgot to ask, " rejoined Mr. Macey tremulously. "I'm sickof that bauble. Ever since you started aloft, Prescott, I'vebeen calling myself all sorts of names for being a party to thisthing. "

"Why, it's all right, " laughed Dick, only a bit brokenly. "Itwas easy enough---with a fellow like Dave to help. "

"Did he go up the flagstaff, too?" demanded Mr. Macey, openinghis eyes wider. 

"No, " declared Darrin promptly. "Prescott did it. "

"But good old Dave was right at hand to help, " Dick contendedstaunchly. 

"Get yourselves together, boys. Then we'll get down out of here, "urged Mr. Macey. "I haven't done anything, but I feel as thoughI'd be the one to reel and faint. "

"Take this scarf, now, please, " begged Dick, holding open hiscoat. 

The real estate man looked over the bauble that had placed twomanly lives in such desperate jeopardy. The fabric was much torn, but all the precious stones still appeared to be there. 

Mr. Macey folded the scarf and placed it in one of his own innerpockets. 

"Now, let us get down out of here, " begged the real estate man. "This place is giving me the horrors. "

"You can start ahead, sir, " laughed Dave. "But we want time toput our shoes on. "

Two or three minutes later the four started below, going slowlyover the ladder part of the route. When they struck the windingstaircase they went a bit more rapidly. 

Down in the street it seemed to the watchers as though ages hadpassed since the two boys had been seen going inside from theiron balcony. 

But now, at last, Herr Schimmelpodt heard steps inside, so hethrew open the heavy door at once. 

As Dick and Dave came out again into the sunlight what a mightyroar of applause and cheering went up. 

Then Herr Schimmelpodt, advancing to the edge of the steps, andlaying one hand over his heart, bowed profoundly and repeatedly. 

That turned the cheering to laughter. The big German held uphis right hand for silence. 

"Ladies und chentlemen, " shouted Herr Schimmelpodt, as soon ashe could make him self heard, "I don't vant to bose as a hero!"

"That's all right, " came with a burst of goodhumored laughter. "You're not!"

"It vos really nottings vot I did, " continued the German, withanother bow. 

"True for you. "

"Maybe, " continued Herr Schimmelpodt, "you think I vos afraidwhen I climb dot pole. But I wos not---I pledch you mein vord. It is nottings for me to climb flagpoles. Ven I vos ein poyin Germany I did it efery day. But I will not dake up your timemit idle remarks. I repeat dot I am not ein hero. "

The wily old German had played out his purpose. He had turnedthe wild cheering, which he knew would have embarrassed Prescott, into a good-natured laugh. He had diverted the first big burstof attention away from the boys, much to the relief of the latter. 

But now the crowd bethought itself of the heroes that a crowdalways loves. Hundreds pressed about to shake the bands of Prescottand Darrin. 

"Get into my car! Stand up in front of Mrs. Macey and myselfuntil we can get out of this crowd, " urged Mr. Macey, bustlingthe boys toward the runabout. 

Mrs. Macey, whitefaced, was crying softly and could not speak. But her husband, with the two boys standing up before him, honkedhis horn and turned on the power, starting the car slowly. Apath was thus made for their escape through the crowd, thoughthe cheering began again. 

"Now, you can put us down, if you will, sir, ", suggested Dick, when they had reached the outer edge of the crowd. 

"Not yet, " retorted Mr. Macey. 

"Why not, sir?"

"You've a little trip to make with me yet. "

"Trip?"

"Wait a moment, and you'll see. "

Less than two minutes later Mr. Macey drove his car up in frontof one of the banks and jumped out. 

"Come on, boys, " he cried. "I want to get that reward off mymind. "

"You run in, Dick, " proposed Dave, on the sidewalk. "I'll waitfor you. "

"You'll go with me, " Prescott retorted, "or I won't stir inside. "

So Darrin followed them into the bank. 

"I'm so thankful to see you boys safely out of the scrape, " declaredMr. Macey, inside, "that I'm going to pay the full reward to eachof you. "

"No you won't, " retorted Dick very promptly. "You'll pay no morethan you offered. Dave and I'll divide that between us. "

"Not a cent for me!" propounded Darrin, with emphasis. 

"If you don't share the reward evenly, I won't touch a cent ofit either, Dave Darrin, " rejoined Dick heatedly. 

Dave tried to have his way, but his chum won. Mr. Macey madeanother effort to double the reward, but was overruled. 

So young Prescott received the two hundred and fifty dollars incrisp, new bills, and as promptly turned half of the sum overto his chum. 

Now that it was safely over with, it had not been a bad morning'swork!

CHAPTER XIII

Dick Begins To Feel Old

Despite the strain of what they had gone through Dick and Daveled the Gridley boys through a fierce gridiron battle that sameafternoon, and won again by a score of 13 to 5. 

But the people of Gridley paid little heed to the score that day, or the next. The sensation that Dick and Dave had supplied wasthe talk of the town, to the exclusion of other topics relating tohigh School boys. 

Mr. Pollock bought a copy of the photograph showing Dick closeto the weather vane on his climb. A half-tone cut made from thisphotograph was printed in "The Blade. "

"This young man is now a member of 'The Blade' staff, reportingschool and other matters, " ran the comment under the spiritedpicture. "We believe that Mr. Prescott will continue to be amember of the staff, and to grow with 'The Blade. '"

"What about that, Dick?" laughed Darrin. 

"I've told Mr. Pollock and Mr. Bradley that I believe my planswill carry me a good distance away from 'The Blade' office afterthis year, " replied Dick, with a meaning smile. "If they won'tbelieve me now, perhaps they'll wake up later. "

The town had not been wanting in croakers at the outset of thefootball season, who had predicted that Dick Prescott and hischums would "drag down" the football team and its fine traditionsfrom past years. 

But the eleven, mainly under Dick and under Dave's captaincy intwo fierce gridiron battles, had gone right along winning games. 

The last three battles had been fought out to a successful finishin November. There now remained only the Thanksgiving Day gameto complete the season. 

By all traditions each football team in the country strives tohave its biggest fight take place on Thanksgiving Day. By anothertradition, every team seeks to have this game take place on thehome grounds. 

In the latter respect Gridley lost this year. The game, whichwas against Fordham High School, was scheduled to take place atFordham. 

Enthusiasm, however, was at top notch. Citizens hired the GridleyBand to go along with the young men and help out on noise. Aspecial train in two sections was chartered, for some sevenhundred Gridleyites had voted in favor of an evening dinner onThanksgiving Day; they were going along to see the game. 

Fordham had lost two games, against exceptionally strong teams, earlier in the season, but had of late a fine record. Fordhamhad dropped several of its original players, putting in heavieror better men, and a new coach had been employed. The Fordhamboys were now believed to be able to put up a strenuous game. 

"I hope you're going to win, Prescott, " said Mr. Macey, meeting Dick on the street one afternoon not long before Thanksgiving. 

"Have you any doubts, sir?" smiled the captain of the Gridleyteam. 

"Well, you see, Fordham was my native town. I run down thereoften, and I know a good deal of what's going on there. Fordham'ssecond coach has attended the last two games you played, and hehas been stealing all your points that he could get. "

"He has, eh?" muttered Prescott. "That's news to me. Oh, well, it's legitimate to learn all you can about another team's play. "

"From the reports Fordham has of your play the young men overin that town are certain that they're enough better to be ableto bring your scalps into camp. "

"Perhaps they'll do it, " laughed Dick pleasantly. "We'll admitthat we're about due for a walloping whenever the crowd comesalong that can do it. "

"I am only telling you what I hear from Fordham, " continued Mr. Macey. 

"And I'm glad you did, sir. We'll try to turn the laugh on Fordham. "

"Then you think you can beat 'em?"

"No, sir. We never think we can. We always know that we can!That's the Gridley way---the Gridley spirit. We always win ourbattles before we go into them, Mr. Macey. We make up our mindsthat we can't and won't be beaten. It isn't just brag, though. We base all our positiveness on the way that we stick to ourtraining and coaching, and on our discipline. Mr. Macey, thisis the third year that I've been playing on different GridleyHigh School teams. I remember a tie game, but no defeats. "

"I guess Fordham will find it a hard enough proposition to downyou young men, " remarked Mr. Macey. 

"They're going to discover, sir, that they simply can't do it. Gridley never goes onto any field to get beaten. "

"Und dot isn't brag, neider, " broke in a man who had halted tolisten. "Ven dese young men pack deir togs to go away, dey packder winning score in der bag, too. Ach! Don't I know dot? Don'tI make mineself young vonce more by following dese young athletesabout?"

Herr Schimmelpodt looked utterly shocked that anyone should thinkit possible for another High School eleven to take a game fromGridley. 

Dick soon encountered Dave and told him the news he had gleanedfrom Mr. Macey. 

"Been sending their second coach over to watch our play, havethey?" laughed Darrin softly. "That seems to show how much theyfear us in Fordham. "

"I believe we are going to have a stiff game, " muttered Prescott. "Hallam Heights and Fordham are the only two teams that thinkenough of the game to hire two coaches. "

"Well, we have Hallam's scalp dangling down at the gym. , " laughedDave Darrin. 

"And we'll have Fordham's in the same way, " predicted Dick confidently. 

It barely occurred to the young captain of the team to wonderwhat it would mean for him if the game to Fordham should be lost. Dick would be the first captain in years who had lost a footballgame for Gridley. It would be a mean record to take out of HighSchool life. But Dick gave no thought to such a possibility. 

"Of course we're going to wallop Fordham, " he thought. "I wishonly one thing. I'd like to see the Fordhams play through a stiffgame just once. "

It was too late, however, to give any real thought to this, forFordham's next and last game of the season was to be the one withGridley. 

"Are you girls going to the game?" asked Dick, when he and hischum met Laura Bentley and Belle Meade before the post office. 

"Haven't you heard what the girls are doing, Dick?" questionedLaura, looking at him in some surprise. 

"I have heard that a lot of the girls are going to the game. "

"Just forty-two of us, to be exact, " Laura continued. "We girlsand our chaperons are to have one car in the first section. Yousee, we've arranged to go right along with the team. We haveour seats all together at Fordham, too. "

"My, what a lot of noise forty-two girls can make in a momentof enthusiasm!" murmured Dave. 

"We can, if you give us any excuse, " advanced Belle. 

"Oh, we'll give you excuse enough. See to it that you keep thenoise up to the grade of our playing. "

"Mr. Confident!" teased Belle. 

"Why, you know, as well as we do, that we'll come home with Fordham'sscalp!" retorted, Darrin. 

"You've heard some of the talk about Fordham's confidence in winning, haven't you?" asked Laura, a bit anxiously. 

"Yes, " nodded Dick. "But that doesn't mean anything. You knowthe Gridley record, the Gridley spirit and confidence. "

"Still, " objected Belle, "one side has to lose, and the Fordhamboys have all the stuff ready to light bonfires on Thanksgivingnight. "

"Have you any particular friends over in Fordham?" asked DaveDarrin, with a sudden swift, significant look. 

"No, I haven't, " retorted Belle hastily. "And I hope, with allmy heart, that Gridley gains the only points that are allowed. Yet, sometimes, so much confidence all the while seems just abit alarming. "

"I won't say another word, then, until after the game, " promisedDarrin meekly. 

"And then-----?"

"Oh, I'll turn half girl, and say 'I told you so, '" mimickedDave good-humoredly. 

It would have been hard to find anyone in Gridley who would havesaid openly that he expected the home boys to be beaten; but therewere many who knew that they were more than a bit anxious. Beforethe game, anyway, Fordham's brag was just as good as Gridley brag. 

"Won't you be glad, anyway, when the Thanksgiving game is over?"asked Laura. 

"Yes, and no, " smiled Prescott seriously. "When I come back fromFordham I shall know that I have captained my last game on a HighSchool team. That tells me that I am getting along in life---thatI am growing old, and shall soon have to think of much more seriousthings. But, honestly, I hate awfully to think of all these grandold High School days coming to an end. I mustn't think too muchabout it until after the game. It makes me just a bit blue. "

"Won't you be captain of the basket ball team this winter?" askedLaura quickly. 

"No; I can't take everything. Hudson will probably head the basketball team. "

"Why, I heard that you were going in hard for basket ball. "

"So I am. Mr. Morton is so busy, with the new evening trainingclasses, that he has asked me to be second coach to the basketball crowd. I'll undoubtedly do that. "

"Oh, then you'll still be leading the athletic vanguard at theHigh School, " murmured Laura, and, somehow, there was a note ofcontentment in her voice. 

"I shall be, until I'm through with the High School, " Prescottanswered. "But think---just think---how soon that will comearound for all of us!"

CHAPTER XIV

Fordham Plays a Slugging Game

For half an hour before the first section of the special pulledout, the Gridley Band played its liveliest tunes. A part of thetime the band played accompaniment to the school airs, which thecrowd took up with lively spirit. 

There is a peculiar enthusiasm which attaches to the ThanksgivingDay game. This is due partly to the extra holiday spirit of theaffair. Then, too, there is the high tension that precedes thelast game of the season. 

With a team that has won every game to that point, yet often withgreat difficulty, the tension of spirits is even higher. 

As the first section of the special rolled in at the railway stationthe part of the crowd that was "going" began to break up intogroups headed for the different parts of the train. 

Herr Schimmelpodt went, of course, to the car that carried theteam. The boys wouldn't have been satisfied to start or to travelwithout him. The big German had come to be the mascot of GridleyHigh School. 

Just before the train started Herr Schimmelpodt waddled out tothe rear platform of the car. 

In his right hand he brandished a massive cane to which the GridleyHigh School colors were secured. 

"Now, listen, " he bellowed out. "Ve come back our scalps notwigs! You hear dot, alretty?"

While the cheering was still going on, and while the band wascrashing out music, the first section pulled out, making roomfor the second section. 

A run of a little more than an hour at good speed, and with noway stops, brought the Gridley invading forces to Fordham. 

At the depot, the local team's second coach awaited the players. He had two stages at hand, into which the team and subs piled. A wagon followed, carrying the kits of the Gridley boys. Therewere two more stages for the band. All the other travelers hadto depend on the street-car service. 

Finding the stages rather crowded, Dick nudged Darrin, then madefor the kit wagon. 

"I really believe we'll have more comfort, Dave, " proposed Prescott, "if we get aboard, this rig and ride on top of the tog bags. "

The suggestion was carried out at once. 

"I'll drive along fast, if you want, " proposed the driver, "andget the togs down to the grounds ahead of your team. "

"If you please, " nodded Dick. "Our boys will want everythingready when they reach the grounds. "

So the two chums were quickly carried beyond the noise and confusion. A few minutes later the wagon turned in at the Fordham Athleticgrounds. 

The Fordham High School boys were out in the field, practicing. As seen in their padded togs they were an extra-bulky lookinglot. 

"Great Scott!" grunted Darrin, half disgustedly. "Each one ofthose Fordham fellows must weigh close to a ton. "

"The more weight the less speed, anyway, " laughed Dick good-humoredly. 

"And, look! I wonder how old some of those fellows are, " continuedDarrin. "I wonder if, in this town, men wait until they've madetheir fortunes and retired, before they enter High School. Why, some of these Fordham fellows must have voted for president thelast two times. "

"Hardly as bad as that, I guess, " smiled Prescott. "Still, theseFordham boys do look more like a college eleven than a High Schoolcrowd. "

Dave continued to gaze over at the home team, and to scowl, untilthe wagon was halted before dressing quarters. Here the teamsterand another man made short work of carrying in all the tog-bags. 

A few minutes later the other fellows arrived. 

"Say, which team is it we're fighting to-day?" demanded Hudson. "Harvard, or Yale?"

There was general grumbling comment. 

"I think, " insisted Tom Reade, "that the Fordham team wouldn'tlike to stand a searching hunt into the eligibility of some oftheir players. "

"They've surely brought in some who are not regular, fair-and-squareHigh School students, " contended Dan Dalzell. 

There was much more talk of this sort, some of the Gridley boysinsisting that Fordham ought to be compelled to account for thesize and seeming age of some of the home players. 

"We're up against a crooked line-up, or I'll give up, " mutteredGreg Holmes. 

"Now, see here, fellows, " laughed Captain Dick. "I don't believein making any fuss beforehand. We'll just go ahead and take whatcomes to us. "

"It would be too late to make a kick after we've played, " criedsome one. 

"You fellows, " continued Dick, "make me think of what I heardMr. Pollock say to Wilcox, chairman of the campaign committeeback home. "

"What was that?" demanded half a dozen. 

"Why, " chuckled Prescott, "Mr. Pollock said to Wilcox: 'Now, seehere, there's always a chance that the election will go our way. So never yell fraud until after the election is over. '"

"I guess that's the wisest philosophy, " laughed Coach Morton, who had taken no part in the previous conversation. 

"If that's the Fordham team, " continued Dick, "it's one of prettysizable fellows. But we'll do our plain duty, which is to pileout on to the field and proceed to stroll through any line thatis posted in our way. "

Just before the Gridley youngsters were ready to go out for preliminarypractice the big Fordham fellows came off the field. 

"Hullo!" piped Dave, as the Gridley boys strolled out to the gridiron. "You ought to feel happy, Dick. There's a big section of WestPoint over on the grand stand. "

Nearly two hundred young men in black and gray cadet uniformsof the United States Military Academy pattern sat in a solid blockat one point on the grand stand. 

"No, they're not West Pointers, " sighed Dick. "See here, thosefellows, of course, are students at the Fordham Military institute. They wear the West Point uniform. And that's the military schoolthat Phin Drayne went to. "

"The sneak!" grunted Dave. "I wonder if he's over in that bunch, now. "

"I'm not even enough interested to wonder, " returned Prescott. "He's where he can't do us any harm, anyway. "

"But, if the Fordham boys put anything over us, I'll bet Draynehas things timed so that the military boys will do a big andnoisy lot of boasting. "

"They will, anyway, if we allow them a chance, " answered Dick. "Now, spread out, fellows, " he called, raising his voice. 

In the next moment the ball was in lively play. 

The first time that a fumble was made a jeering chorus soundedamong the military school boys. 

"I expected it, " growled Darrin. 

"We don't care, anyway, " smiled Dick. "Let 'em hoot! I don'tdraw the line until they throw things. "

"If they knew Phin Drayne as we do, they'd throw him first, " grimacedDarrin. 

A minute later another hoot went up. It was plain that the militaryschool boys had been primed for this. 

But the gray-clad youths, it was very soon evident, were not theonly ones who had come out to make a noise. Half of the Fordhamcrowd present joined in the volleys of derision that were showereddown on the practicing boys from Gridley. 

"It's nothing but a mob!" declared Darrin, his eyes flashing. 

"Careful, old fellow, " counseled Prescott coolly. "They're tryingto get our nerve before the game begins. Don't let 'em do it. "

This excellent instruction Dick contrived to pass throughout histeam. Thereafter the Gridley boys seemed not to hear the harshwitticisms that were hurled at them from all sides of the field. 

Just in the nick of time the Gridley Band began playing. Thatstopped the annoyance for a while, for Fordham had neglected toprovide a band. 

Yet when the Gridley High School song was started by the band, and the Gridley boosters joined in the words, the answer fromFordham came in the form of a "laughing-song, " let loose withsuch volume that the Gridley offering to the merriment was drownedout. 

"I hope we can give this rough town a horrible thumping---that'sall, " muttered Dave, his eyes flashing. 

"Don't let them capture your 'goat, ' and we will, " Dick promised, as quietly as ever. 

The plain hostility of the home crowd was wearing in on more thanone of the Gridley boys. Dick felt obliged to call his eleventogether, and to give them some quiet, homely but forcible advice. Coach Morton followed, with more in the same line. 

Yet it came as a welcome relief to the Gridley youngsters whenthe referee and the other officials came to the field and gamewas called. 

Dick Prescott won the toss, and took the kickoff. 

That, of course, sent the ball into Fordham ranks. In an instantthe solid Fordham line emitted a murmur that sounded like a bear'sgrowl, then came thundering down upon the smaller Gridley youngsters. 

There was a fierce collision, but Gridley held on like a herdof bulls. The ball was soon down. 

For five minutes or so there was savage playing. Fordham playeda "slugging" game of the worst kind. Several foul tackles werequickly made by home players, yet so quickly released that thereferee could not be sure and could not inflict a penalty. Slyblows were struck when the lines came together. 

The average football captain would have claimed penalties, andfought the matter out. 

But Dick Prescott let matters run by. He was waiting his opportunity. 

So hard was the "slugging, " so overbearing and ruthlessly unfairwas the Fordham charge that, at the end of five minutes, Gridleywas forced to make a safety, losing two points at the outset. 

"Yah!" sneered an exultant voice from the ranks of the militaryschool. "That's the fine Captain Prescott we've heard about!"

Tom Reade, in togs, was standing among the Gridley subs at theside line. 

Tom recognized, as did all the Gridley boys, the voice of PhinDrayne. 

"Yes!" bellowed Tom, facing the gray-clad group. "And that lastspeaker was a fellow who was expelled from Gridley High Schoolfor selling out his team!"

It was a swift shot and a bull's-eye. The Fordham Institute boyshad no answer ready for that. Half of them turned to stare atPhin Drayne, whose guilty face, with color coming and going inflashes seemed to admit the truth of Reade's taunt. 

"Dick, " growled Darrin, as they moved forward, after the safety, to Gridley's twenty-five yard line, "these Fordham fellows aresimply ruffians. They're fouling us every second, and they'llsmash half our fellows into the hospital. "

"We'll see about that!"

Dick Prescott's voice was as quiet and cool as ever, but therewas an ominous flash in his eyes. 

CHAPTER XV

"We'll Play the Gentleman's Game. "

At the next down Dan Dalzell held up his hand, making a dash forthe referee. 

"I claim a foul!" he called. 

"Captain, this is for you, " announced the referee, turning toDick. "Be quick, if you've any complaint to make. "

"Come here, Dalzell, " called Prescott. "What was the foul?"

The Fordham players crowded about, muttering in an ugly way---allexcept one man, who skulked at the rear. 

"There's the hoodlum, " continued Dan excitedly, one hand overhis left breast. He pointed to the Fordham player skulking atthe rear. "That fellow deliberately gave me the elbow over theheart when we came together. "

"What have you to say, Captain Barnes?" demanded the referee, turning to the Fordham leader. 

"It's not true, " retorted Barnes hotly. "Daniels, come here. "

The matter was argued quickly and hotly, Gridley accusing, Fordhamhotly denying. 

"Can't you Gridley fellows play with anything but your mouths?"snarled Captain Barnes. 

"We play a straight game, " retorted Dick coldly. "We play likegentlemen. "

"Do you mean that we're not?" demanded Barnes swaggeringly. 

"So far you've played like a lot of sluggers. "

"See here! I've a good mind to thrash you, Prescott!" quiveredBarnes. 

"It's always the truth that stings, " retorted Dick, with a coolsmile. 

"My fist would hurt, too. "

"That's what we're asking you to do---to save all your sluggingand bruising tactics until after a straight and gentlemanly gamehas been played, " retorted Dick, with spirit. 

Barnes clenched his fists, but the referee stepped squarely inbetween the rival captains. 

"Cut it!" directed that official tersely. "I'll do all the talkingmyself. Captain Barnes, return to your men and tell them thatslugging and tricky work will be watched for more carefully, andpenalized as heavily as the rules allow. If it goes too far I'lldeclare the game forfeited to the visiting team. "

"This is a shame!" fumed Barnes. "And the whole charge is a massof lies. "

"I'll watch out and see, " promised---or threatened---the referee. "Back to your positions. Captain Barnes, I'll give you thirtyseconds to pass the word around among your men. "

"That black-haired prize-fighter with the mole on his chin triesto give me his knee every time we meet in a scrimmage, " growledHudson to Dick. "If he carries it any further, I think I knowa kick that will put his ankle out of business!"

"Then don't you dare use it, " warned Dick sternly. "No matterwhat the other fellows do, our team is playing a square, honestgame every minute of both halves!"

The referee had signaled them to positions. The Gridley boysleaped into place. 

Play was resumed. In the next three plays Fordham, under thenow more keenly watchful eyes of the officials, failed to makethe required distance, and lost the ball. 

Gridley took the ball, now. In the next two plays, the smallerfellows advanced the ball some twelve yards. But in the nextthree plays following, they lost on downs, and Fordham again carriedthe pigskin. 

"The Fordham fellows are passing a lot of whispers every chancethey get, " reported alert Dave. 

"I don't care how much they whisper, " was Dick's rejoinder. "Butwatch out for crooked tricks. "

Minute after minute went by. Gridley got the ball down to theenemy's fifteen-yard line, then saw it slowly forced back intotheir own territory. 

Now Fordham began to "slug" again; yet so cleverly was it donethat the officials could not put their fingers on a definite instancethat could be penalized. 

Bravely fighting, Gridley was none the less driven back. Fromthe ten-yard line Fordham suddenly made a right end play on whichthe whole weight and force of the team was concentrated. In themad crush, three or four Gridley boys were "slugged" in the slyestmanner conceivable. Fordham broke through the line, carryingthe pigskin over the goal line with a rush. 

Fordham boosters set up a roar that seemed to make the groundshake, but the two hundred boys from the military school tooklittle or no part in the demonstration. Tom Reade's reply toPhin Drayne had silenced them. 

Swaggering like swashbucklers Fordham followed the ball back forthe kick for goal. It was made, securing six points, which wereadded to the two received from Gridley being forced to make thatsafety earlier in the game. 

"Of all the miserable gangs of rowdies!" uttered Dave Darrin, as the teams rested in quarters between the halves. 

"I have two black-and-blue spots to show, I know I have, " mutteredHudson. 

"We'll have some of our men on stretchers, if this thing keepsup, " growled Greg Holmes. 

"What are you going to do about this business, Captain?" demandedtwo or three of the fellows, in one breath. 

"As long as we play, " replied Dick Prescott, "we'll play the samegentleman's game, no matter what the other fellows do. We mayquit, but we won't slug. We won't sully Gridley's good name forhonest play. And we won't quit, either, until Mr. Morton ordersus from the field. "

"You have it right, Prescott, " nodded the coach. "And I shan'tinterfere, either, unless things get a good deal worse than theyhave been. But the Fordham work has been shameful, and I don'tblame any of you for feeling that you'd rather forfeit the gameand walk off the field. "

Besides being coach, Mr. Morton was also manager. At his callthe team would have left the field instantly, despite any otherorders from the referee. It always makes a bad showing, however, for a team to leave the field on a claim of foul playing. 

"All out for the second half!" sounded a voice in the doorway. 

The Gridley boys went, fire in their hearts, flame in their eyes. 

CHAPTER XVI

Gridley's Last Charge

"Remember, Captain Barnes!" called the referee significantly. 

"Why don't you talk to Prescott, too?" demanded the Fordham captainsulkily. 

"I don't need to. "

"You----don't---need to?" demanded Barnes, opening his eyes inpretended wonder. 

"No; Prescott and his fellows have a magnificent reputation forfair play, and they've won it on merit. "

"You're down on us, " growled Captain Barnes. 

"I'm only waiting till I can put my finger on some slugging tostop the game and hand it to Gridley, " retorted the referee, witha snap. 

"Be mighty careful, fellows; be clever, " whispered the Fordhamcaptain to his most "dependable" men. 

"Are we going to throw the game?" demanded the slugger who hadso angered Hudson. 

"No; but don't get caught at anything. Better not do anything. We've got those milk-diet infants eight to nothing now. Playtheir own kind of kindergarten game as long as we can hold thescore without rough work. "

Barnes's own instructions would have sufficiently stamped histeam, had these orders been heard by anyone else. 

At the beginning of the second half Fordham played a much morehonest game, and Gridley began to pick up hope that fairness mightprevail hereafter. 

Gridley's own game, in the second half, was as swift and scientificas it had ever been. By sheer good playing and brilliant dashesDick and his men carried the ball down the field, losing it onceon downs; but after the first ten minutes of the half they keptthe pigskin wholly in Fordham territory. 

Back and forth surged the battle. Fordham, despite its greatlysuperior weight and bulk, was not by any means superior when underthe utmost watchfulness of a referee avowedly anxious to penalize. 

Yet, until the game was nearly over, Fordham managed to keep theball away from its own goal line. 

Then, while the lines reformed and Dick bent over to snap back, Dave Darrin called out a signal that electrified the whole Gridleyline. It called for one of their most daring plays, that Prescotthimself made famous the year before. 

While the start, after the ball was in play, seemed directed towardthe right wing of Gridley, the ball was actually jumped to littleFenton, at the left end, and Fenton, backed solidly by a superbinterference, got off and away with the ball. In a twinklinghe had it down behind Fordham's goal line. 

Then the ball went back for the kick. The band played a few spiritedmeasures while the wearied Gridley boosters suddenly rose andwhooped themselves black in the face. 

The kick, too, was won. 

"Oh, well. " growled Barnes, "we have two points to the good yet, and only four minutes and a half left for the game. Don't getrough, fellows, unless you have to. "

As the Gridley boys sprang to a fresh line-up their eyes wereglowing. 

"Remember, fellows, the time is short, but battles have been wonin two minutes!"

This was the inspiring message flashed out by Captain Dick Prescott. 

With all the zeal of race horses the Gridley High School boysflung themselves into their work. 

After a minute and a half of play, Gridley had done so much that, just before the next snapback Barnes let his sulky eyes flashabout him in a way that was understood. 

Fordham must rush in, now, and hold the enemy back, no matterat what cost of roughness---if the roughness could be done slylyenough. 

Then it came, a fierce, frenzied charge. The ball was down againin an instant, and Hazelton, a Gridley man, lay on the field, unable to rise. 

Physicians hurried out from the side lines. 

"Broken leg, " said one of them, and a stretcher was brought. 

"Have we got to stand this sort of thing?" demanded Hudson, ina hoarse whisper. "Say the word, and I'll send two of their menafter Hazelton. "

"Don't you do it!" snapped Dick sharply. "It would disgrace ourschool colors and our school honor. Don't let knaves make a knaveof you. "

Tom Reade came out on a swift run from the side lines to takeHazelton's place. 

"We ought to be allowed to carry guns, when we play a team likethis one, " blurted Tom indignantly. 

"We'll pay them back in the score, " retorted Dick soberly, thoughhis eyes were flashing. 

Dave, in the meantime, was swiftly passing some orders Dick hadwhispered to him. These orders, however, related to plays tocome, and did not call for retaliation on Hazelton's account. 

Play was called sharply. "Pay in the score, " became the battlecry raging in every Gridley boy's heart. 

Four successive plays carried the ball so close to the Fordhamgoal line that Barnes and his followers were in despair. 

They still used whatever rough tricks they thought they couldsneak in under the eyes of the game's officials, and some ofthese made the Gridley boys ache. 

Then came a signal beginning with "three" which stood for reversesignal. The numerals that came after the three called for thesame trick that Fenton had put through so splendidly. 

Again the ball started toward the right wing. This time the Fordhamplayers were sure they understood---and like a flash massed theirdefense against Gridley's left. 

But on that reverse signal the ball continued to move at the right. Before Barnes and his followers could comprehend, another touchdownhad been scored by the visitors. 

And then came the kick for goal, and it was a splendid success. The kick came just at the end of the second half. That kickwon the game for Dick's sorely pressed team. 

Gridley's score, won by a cleanly played game against bruisers, stood at twelve to eight!

Now, indeed, did the Gridley boosters turn themselves loose, theband leading. 

Barnes and his ruffians skulked back to dressing quarters, thereto abuse the referee, the "Gridley kickers" and everyone andeverything else but themselves. 

It wasn't long before some of the Fordham subs slipped out tofind their cronies and sympathizers in the crowd that was slowlydissolving. 

Then the word was passed around:

"Wait and be with us. Barnes is going to stop the Gridleys onthe way to the station. Barnes is going to make Prescott fightfor some things he said on the field! Of course, if you fellowsget generally peevish, and the whole Gridley team gets cleanedout, there won't be many tears shed. "

So scores of the sort of rabble in whom such an appeal findsready response hung about, eager to see what would turn up. 

CHAPTER XVII

The Long Gray Column

One small urchin there was, so small that he escaped notice ashe hung about hearing the word passed. 

But that urchin was a Gridley boy who had raised the money tocome and see this game. The boy possessed the Gridley spirit. As fast as his legs would carry him he raced to dressing quarters, and there told what he had heard. 

"Thank you, kid!" said Dick. "You're a good Gridley boy, " andthen he continued:

"So that's the game, is it They're going to mob us, are they Iguess they can do it---but, fellows, keep in mind to pass someof the blows back! When we go down in the dirt be sure that someof the Fordham fellows have something to remember us by for manya day! I'm glad Hazelton has already been sent forward in anambulance. "

As Dick finished dressing and waited for the others, he saw oneof the subs dropping a spiked shoe into an outer jacket pocket. 

"What's that for?" Dick demanded sternly. "A weapon?"

"Yes, " sheepishly admitted the other. 

"Put it in your bag, then, and let it go on the baggage wagon. Fellows, we'll fight with nothing but fists, and only then ifwe're attacked. "

"But those scoundrels will probably use brickbats, " argued thefellow who had tried to drop the spiked shoe into his overcoatpocket. 

"No matter, " rang Dick's voice, low but commanding. "If we haveto, we'll fight for our lives as we fought for the game---on thesquare! Good citizens don't carry concealed weapons until calledupon by the authorities to do it. "

"Bully for you, Prescott!" rang the voice of the coach. 

"You here, Mr. Morton?" cried Dick, wheeling and seeking the submaster. "Mr. Morton, you're not a boy, and you don't want to be mixedup in such affairs. Why don't you start-----"

"My place, Captain Prescott, is with the team I'm coaching, " repliedthe submaster. "And I think the signs are that we're going toneed all the pairs of fists that we have, and, more, too. "

The baggage wagon came to the door. Dick, Dave and Tom coollyloaded the baggage on. The wagon started off at good speed. 

Then the two stages drove up to the door. 

"Pile in, boys!" called one of the drivers. 

Neither of the stage drivers was in the secret of what was likelyto happen down the road. 

The start was made, the horses moving barely faster than a walk. 

By this time the athletic field was practically deserted. Therewas no sign of the presence of the Fordham High School team, nor of the bad element that Barnes had enlisted. 

It was not until the stages had proceeded nearly four blocks thatDave, sitting beside Dick on the driver's seat of the first stage, caught sight of some bobbing heads further up the road. 

"There they are, " whispered Dave. "Lying in wait at the nextcorner. They'll jump out when we get there. "

"Let them!" muttered Dick. "They'll have to start it---but afterthey do-----!"

The stages had almost reached the next corner. Grinning, or scowling, according to individual moods, the roughs streamed out into the, street. 

Gridley boys steeled themselves for a conflict, hopeless in oddsof five to one!

At this point a clear voice sounded in the distance. 

"A Company, left wheel, march!"

Around another corner near by came a company of boys from theFordham Military Institute. It was followed by a second company, a third and a fourth. 

Then, by a further series of commands, one company was sent, onthe double quick, to march ahead of the first stage, while anothercompany fell in behind the second stage, while the other companiesformed and marched on either side of the stages. 

While these hasty maneuvers were being carried out the fine-lookingyoung cadet major of the battalion lifted his fatigue cap to DickPrescott. 

"Captain, " called the boyish major, "you gave us such a fine exhibitionof gentlemanly football that we beg leave to show our appreciationby marching as your escort of honor to the station. "

The rough crowd in the street had fallen back to the sidewalks, a savage mutter going up at the same time. 

The Military School boys were without arms, save those Naturehad given them, but they, marched in solid ranks and stood fortwo hundred pairs of fists!

So Barnes's last hope of vengeance vanished. Even his own roughfollowers turned to eye him in disgust. 

Before they left the grounds some of the Military School boyshad heard a whisper or two of what Barnes planned. 

The soldier is drilled to fair play, and to detestation of cowardice. These young military students passed the word quickly. Theyleft the grounds at once, but formed near by, on a side streetnear where they learned that Barnes and his rough mob lay in ambush. 

"I declare, that's the neatest, most military thing I ever sawdone!" laughed Dave Darrin. 

"And done by the boys you made fun of as sham West Pointers!"laughed Dick quizzically. 

"But I didn't mean it, " protested Dave, growing very red. "Theseare splendid fellows. Evidently they think that they, too, areentitled to say a word or two about the good name of Fordham. "

"You didn't like the first look of these fellows, Dave, becausethey had started to cheer for Fordham High School. But did younotice that they cheered no more for Fordham after Reade answeredPhin Drayne so forcibly. "

"It's a fact that these men didn't boost any more for Fordham, "assented Dave. "By the way, I have one clear notion in my head!"

"What is it?"

"That Phin Drayne isn't marching in these close gray ranks aboutus. "

Phin Drayne wasn't. At this moment Phin was back at the militaryinstitute, his face twitching horribly as he packed his clothingin the trunk in which it had come. 

For, almost instantly after Reade had called out, some of themilitary students around Drayne had demanded of him whether therewas a shadow of truth in what Reade had said. 

Phin Drayne's "brass" had deserted him. He knew, anyway, thatthese comrades could dig up his past record at Gridley very quickly. 

Drayne knew that his days at Fordham were over. 

"It was all my confounded tongue, too, " muttered Phin dejectedly. "If I had kept my tongue behind my teeth I don't believe anyof the Gridley fellows would have noticed me, or said anything. Oh, dear! I wonder where I can go next!"

In the meantime the Gridley High School team and substitutes, escorted with so much pomp, attracted a great deal of notice inthe streets of Fordham. 

People turned out to cheer them, and to wave handkerchiefs andribbons. For Fordham wasn't all bad or rough; not even the HighSchool. The roughest element in the school had captured football---thatwas all. Some of these boys belonged to the wealthier families, and had been brought up to believe they could do as they pleased. This was the High School in which Phin Drayne naturally belonged. 

Down at the railway station the Gridley crowd and the GridleyBand awaited the coming of the team. The fine sight made by thegray military escort brought a hurricane of cheers from the Gridleyites. 

Just at the nick of time the leader of the band bethought himself, and signaled his musicians. As the stages drew up the band played, and the Fordham Military Institute's battalion moved into lineof battalion front. 

Dick feelingly thanked young Major Ransom. 

"Oh, that's all right, Prescott, " laughed young Ransom. "If wehadn't shown up at all you fellows would have given a goodaccount of yourselves. But we had to do it. Fordham is ourheadquarters, too, and the honor of the town, while we live andstudy here, means something to all of us. Don't gauge even theFordham High School by what happened to-day---or came nearhappening. There are some mighty fine fellows and a lot of noblegirls who attend Fordham High School. But Barnes---he's the curseof the school population of the town. "

Three or four days later Dick asked Darrin:

"Did you hear the outcome of the Fordham affair?"

"No, " Dave admitted. 

"I just heard it all up at 'The Blade' office. The fact thatthe Military School cadets escorted us in such formal manner tothe railway station attracted a lot of attention in Fordham. The principal of the High School there started a quiet investigationof his own. Barnes and two other fellows on the Fordham elevenhave been suspended from school until the School Board can takeup their cases and decide whether they ought to be expelled. The Fordham principal has also made it plain that next year'steam will have to be scanned by him, and that he'll keep out ofthe eleven any fellows who don't come up to the tests. There'sa jolly big row on in Fordham, and Barnes isn't having any sympathywasted on him you can just bet. "

"It serves him and that whole football crew just right, " blazedDarrin. 

Hazelton's injury kept him out of school only a fortnight. Thesupposed break in his leg turned out to be only a sprain. 

While school teams like that commanded by Barnes are rare, theyare found, now and then. Yet the fate of rowdy athletes in theschool world is usually swift and satisfying. Other schools refuseto compete with schools that are known to put out "rough-housemen. "

Dick & Co. Had laid by their togs. They had said farewell toschool athletics. 

In the winter's basket ball they did not intend to take part. For the baseball nine, that would begin practice soon after thenew year, there was plenty of fine material in the lower classes. 

"I feel almost as if I had been to a funeral, " snorted Darrin, when he came away from the gym. After having turned in all histogs and paraphernalia. 

"It's time to give the younger fellows a show, " sighed Dick. 

"You talk as though we were old men, " gibed Dave. 

"In the High School we are, " laughed Dick. "We're seniors. Ina few short months more we shall be graduates, unless-----"

There he stopped, but Darrin didn't need to look at his chum. Both knew what that pause meant. 

CHAPTER XVIII

The Would-Be Candidates

The big stir came earlier than it had been expected. 

Every boy who has followed such matters in his own interest willappreciate what the "big stir" means. 

Congressman Spokes, representing the district in which Gridleylay, had a vacant cadetship at West Point within his gift, andalso a cadetship at Annapolis. 

_"On December 17, at nine A. M. , at the town hall in Wilburville, I will meet all young men who believe themselves to possess theother proper qualifications for a cadetship at either West Pointor Annapolis. "_

So ran the Congressman's announcement in the daily press of thedistrict. 

Every young man had to be of proper age, height, weight and generalgood bodily condition. He must, of course, be a citizen of theUnited States. 

Every young man was advised to save himself some possible troubleand disappointment by going, first of all, to his family physicianfor a thorough examination. If serious bodily defects were found, that would save the young man from the trouble of going furtherin the matter. 

But at the Wilburville town hall there was to be another physicalexamination, which every young man must pass before he would beadmitted to the mental examinations, which were to last into theevening. 

Dick Prescott read this announcement and thrilled over it. 

For two years or more he had been awaiting this very opportunity. 

Every Congressman once in four years has one of these cadetshipsto give to some young man. 

Sometimes the Congressman would give the chance to a boy of highsocial connections, or else to the son of an influential politician. A cadetship was a prize with which the Congress man too oftenpaid his debts. 

Good old General Daniel E. Sickles was the first Congressman toformulate the plan of giving the cadetship to the brightest boyin district, the young man proving his fitness by defeating allother aspirants in a competitive examination. 

Since that time the custom had grown up of doing this regularly. It is true, at any rate of most of the states of the Union. In some western and some southern states the cadetship is stillgiven as a matter of favor. 

The young man who receives the appointment goes to the UnitedStates Military Academy at West Point. He is now a "candidate"only. At West Point he is subjected to another searching seriesof physical and mental examinations. If he comes out of themsuccessfully he is admitted to the cadet corps, and becomes afull-fledged cadet. 

The candidate must report at West Point on the first of March. If he succeeds in entering the corps, and keeps in it, four yearsand three months later the young man is graduated from the MilitaryAcademy. The President now commissions him as a second lieutenantin the Regular Army. Thus started on his career, the young manmay, in later days, become a general. 

While the cadet is at West Point he is paid a salary that is justabout sufficient for his needs and leaves enough over to enablehim to buy his first set of uniforms and other equipment as anarmy officer. 

West Point is no place for idlers, nor for boys who dislike discipline. It is a severe training that the cadet receives, and the educationfurnished him by the United States is a magnificent and costlyone. It costs Uncle Sam more than twenty thousand dollars foreach cadet he educates and graduates from the United States MilitaryAcademy. 

The same general statement is true regarding the United StatesNaval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland. In the latter institution, however, the cadet learns how to become an officer in the UnitedStates Navy. 

Now, here were both grand opportunities, offered together. 

While Dick Prescott had been waiting, hoping and praying for thecadetship at West Point; Dave Darrin had been equally wistfulfor the chance to go to Annapolis. 

"Our chances have come, old chum!" cried Dick, looking into theglowing face of Darrin. 

"Yes; and of course an Army or Navy officer should be a braveman. But now the chance has come, I find myself an utter coward, "confessed Dave. 

"How so?"

"I'm in a blue funk for fear some other fellow will get it awayfrom me, " confessed Darrin honestly. "And if I fail in this greatambition of my life, I'm wondering if I'll have the nerve to goon living afterwards. "

"Brace up!" laughed Dick protestingly. 

"Now, honestly, old fellow, aren't you just badly scared!" Davedemanded. 

"Whisper, Dave! I am, " Dick admitted. 

"Well, there is nothing like having some one that you can confesseverything to, is there?" muttered Darrin. 

"I guess it has done us both good to own up, " laughed Dick. "Butsee here!"

"Well?"

"I simply won't allow myself to be scared. "

"Then you're as keen for West Point as I am for Annapolis, " retortedDarrin suspiciously. 

"Dave, old fellow, you know what the Gridley spirit demands?You know how we and the rest of the fellows managed to win eternallyin athletics? Just because we made up our minds that defeat wasimpossible. "

"That's fine, " laughed Dave. "But we'll probably have to buckup against more fellows than we do on an athletic field. Andprobably dozens of them go in with the same determination. "

"I don't care, " declared Prescott. "I want that West Point cadetship. I've wanted it for years, and now the chance has come. I'm goingto have it!"

Dave Darrin gradually succeeded in working himself into the sameframe of mind. Yet there were many moments when he was torturedby doubts as to whether the "Gridley spirit" would serve in buckinga long line of young fellows all equally anxious to get to Annapolis. 

The first step taken by Dick and Dave was to get excused fromthe High School for the time. 

Both boys had lists of the studies and standards required forentrance to the Military Academy or the Naval Academy. Dick andDave, each in his own room at home, spent the next few days in"boning" as neither had ever "boned" before. 

"But we must get three hours in the open air each day, Dave, "Dick insisted. "We mustn't go up for the trial with our nervesshattered by moping all the time indoors. "

Only Dick & Co. , and a very few friends, knew what Dick and Davewere planning. It was kept a secret. 

The date of the High School senior ball was set for December 17. 

"Can you be back in time to go to the ball?" Laura Bentley askedPrescott. 

"I'm afraid not, Laura. Besides, when I get back from Wilburville, I'm afraid I'll feel pretty well tired out. "

"You're not afraid of failing?" asked Laura anxiously. 

"I'm not going to allow myself to fail. Yet, even if I win, Ishall be tired out after the ordeal. Wish the ball could comea couple of days alter the ordeal. I wanted to go to it and todance with you, Laura. "

"I'm sorry you can't go, " sighed the girl. 

Darrin, too, had given up all thoughts of attending the seniorball, and this was the first time that either lad had "skipped"the class ball. 

"It seems too bad to be away, " grumbled Dave. "But I know howI'll feel on that night. If I carry off the honors for Annapolis, no mere ball could hold me! I'll need air and space. I'll belucky if I don't get arrested on that night for building bonfiresin the streets. "

Dave next sighed dismally and continued:

"If I don't carry off the Annapolis prize, I'll feel so disappointedthat I won't look anybody in the face! Dick, Dick! It's fearful, this waiting---and wanting!"

"It won't seem like the class ball a bit without you two boys, "declared Belle Meade, pouting, the next afternoon. 

"But if we get through, " muttered Dave, "think of the gay, splendidtimes to which we can invite you at Annapolis and West Point. "

"Indianapolis and Blue Point are far away, " murmured Belle, purposelymisnaming both famous places. 

"_Ann_-apolis!" flared Dave

"_West_ Point!" protested Dick hotly. 

"Don't mind Belle, " begged Laura quietly. "She's the worst teaseI know. "

"If I get the appointment to Annapolis, " continued Darrin, "you'llbe asking me, next, if I expect to be promoted, after a while, to he helmsman, or fireman, on some cruiser. "

"Well, would you expect to be!" asked Belle, with an appearanceof great innocence. 

"Don't, Belle, " pleaded Laura. "The boy are too much in earnest. It isn't fair to tease them, now. Wait until they've been atWest Point and Annapolis a couple of years. Then ask them. "

"What would be the use then?" asked Belle dryly. "By that timeour young cadets will have met so many girls that they would haveto think back quite a while before they could remember our names. "

Laura's pretty color lessened for an instant. 

"Don't you believe it, " broke in Dick promptly. "Just as soonas I have a right ask for cards for a West Point hop I'm goingto ask for cards for Miss Bentley and Miss Deane, and their chaperon. "

"The same here, for Annapolis, " promised Dave solemnly. "So yousee, girls, you'll have to be prepared to do some traveling inthe near future. 

"But you won't get to Annapolis, anyway, until June, " repliedBelle, a bit more gently. "So you won't have any Annapolis hopsuntil next fall, will you?"

"Probably not, " Dave admitted. 

"But you won't go to Annapolis, anyway, " suggested Laura, turningto Prescott. "There may be some West Point hops between thenand June. "

"I feel pretty sure there will be, " nodded Dick cheerily. "Andyou girls may be sure of my keeping my promise. "

"And I'll keep mine for the very first hop that comes off at Annapolisafter I get there, " Darrin assured them. 

The laugh was on both young men, though neither they nor theirfair young companions knew it. 

The poor "plebe, " as the first year's man at either West Pointor Annapolis is known, would be in for a terrible experience atthe hands of his comrades if, during his "plebe" year, he hadthe "cheek" to seek to attend a cadet hop. He must wait untilhe has entered his second year before he has that privilege. 

This is a wise regulation. In his first year the poor "plebe"has so bewilderingly much to learn that he simply couldn't spareany time for the cultivation of the graces of the ballroom. In his first year, he has dancing lessons, but that is all thatcomes his way. 

Greg Holmes came to Prescott with a wistful, rather sad face. 

"How are you coming on, Dick?" Greg asked. 

"Meaning what?"

"Are you going to be well prepared for the examinations?"

"As far as being able to pass with a decent percentage, " Dickanswered, "I am not all uneasy. All that worries me is the fearthat some other fellow may have a slightly better percentage. That would ditch me, you know. "

"Oh, you'll win out, " predicted Greg loyally. "And I just wishI had a chance like yours!"

"Why don't you go in and try for it, then?" urged Dick generously. 

"No use, " uttered Greg, shaking his head. "You can beat me onthe scholastic examination, and I know it, Dick. The best I couldhope for would be an appointment as your alternate. And youralternate to West Point isn't going to stand any show for a cadetship, Dick Prescott!"

Besides the candidate each Congressman may appoint one or more"alternates. " These alternates also report at West Point. Ifthe "principal" fails there, the alternate is given a chance tomake good for the cadetship. 

But Greg Holmes, though he was wildly anxious to go to West Point, felt certain that it would be useless to go there as Dick Prescott'salternate. 

"I hate to see you not try at all, Greg, " declared Dick. "Whydon't you try? If you beat me out there won't be any hard feelings. "

"I couldn't beat you out, and I don't want to, either, " respondedGreg. "But wait! I may have something to tell you later on. "

Dan Dalzell had much the same kind of a talk with Dave Darrin. Dan felt the call to the sailor's life, but hadn't any notionthat he could slip in ahead of Darrin. 

"Even if I could, Dave, I wouldn't try it, " declared Dan earnestly. "I want badly enough to go to Annapolis, and I admit it. ButI believe you're just about crazy to get there. "

"I am, " Dave admitted honestly. "But the prize goes to the bestfellow, Dan. Jump in, old fellow, and have your try at it. "

Dalzell, however, shook his head and remained silent on the subjectafter that. 

To both Dick and Dave it seemed as though the next few days simplyrefused to budge along on the calendar. Certainly neither ofthem had ever known time to pass so slowly before. 

"I hope I'll be able to keep my nerve up until the seventeenth, "groaned Darrin. 

"Surely, you will, " grinned Dick. "You've got to!"

"I've been studying until all the words on a page seem to runtogether, and I don't know one word from another, " complainedDave. 

"Then drop study---if you dare to!"

"I'm thinking of it, " proposed Darrin seriously. "Actually, I'vebeen boning so that the whole thing gets on my nerves, and staysthere like a cargo of lead. "

"Let's pledge ourselves, then, not to study on the fifteenth orthe sixteenth, " urged Dick. 

"I'll go you, right off, on that, " cried Darrin eagerly. 

"And we'll spend those two days in the open air, roaming around, and trying to enjoy ourselves, " added Prescott. 

"Enjoy ourselves---with all the load of suspense hanging overour heads?" gasped Darrin. 

"Well, we'll try it anyway. "

To most people in and around Gridley the world, in these few days, seemed to bob along very much as usual. Dick and Dave, however, knew better. 

At last came the evening of the sixteenth! Both anxious boysturned in early, though neither expected to sleep much. Both, however, were soon in the land of Nod. 

But Dick awoke at half-past four on the morning of the fatefulseventeenth. By five o'clock he knew that he wasn't going tosleep any more. So he got up and dressed. 

Dave Darrin was in his bath, that same morning, before four o'clock. Then he, too, dressed, and wondered whether every other fellowwho was going into the contest to-day felt as restless. 

The mothers of both boys were astir almost as early. Motherscan't take these examinations, but mothers know what a son'ssuspense means. 

Dick and Dave met at the station a full twenty minutes beforetrain time. 

CHAPTER XIX

Tom Reade Bosses the Job

"Ugh!" shivered Dave, as the chums met on the platform. "It'scold out here!"

"Come inside, then, and get warm. But you're a great athlete, to mind an ordinary December morning, " laughed Dick Prescott. 

Together they stepped into the waiting room. 

"What time does our train go?" asked Dave, though he had known thetime of this train for the last week. 

"Seven-forty, " replied Dick. 

"And it's seven-twenty, now. Whew, what a await!"

"I could have stayed home a little longer, " nodded Dick. "OnlyI told father and mother that I'd feel more like being startedif I got down here this far on the way. "

"Sure thing, " nodded Dave sympathetically. "My Dad had to holdon to me to stop my leaving the house an hour earlier than I did. "

Both boys laughed, though not very heartily. Each was under aterrific strain---just from wondering!

"If I get through, and win out to-day, " muttered Dick, "I knowI shan't feel half as anxious when it comes time to take the graduatingexams. "

"No, " agreed Dave. "Then you'll know you have a chance; but to-dayyou can't be sure of that much. "

Five minutes before train time the chums were astonished at seeinganother of the chums walk into the station. It was Tom Reade, looking as jovial and contented as a youngster could possiblylook. 

"Hullo, Tom!" came from Dick. 

"Howdy, Tom, old man!" was Dave's greeting. 

"Hullo, fellows!" from Reade. 

"Where are you bound?" inquired Dick. 

"Wilburville?"

"_What_?"

"Fact!" Reade assured them. 

"Going to the exams. ?" Dave demanded quickly. 

"Yep. "

"Why, you never said a word about thinking of West Point, " explodedPrescott. 

"You were making fun of Annapolis only the other day!" assertedDave, just as though making fun of Annapolis were one of the capitalcrimes. 

"Hang West Point!" exploded Tom Reade. 

"Oh! Then it's Annapolis you're after, " grunted Darrin. 

"Sink Annapolis!" exclaimed Reade. 

"Then what on earth are you after?" demanded Dick. 

"Have you any fool idea in your head, Tom, that you can take anexam and stand a chance of getting Congressman Spokes's job awayfrom him?" Dave asked. 

Tom threw himself into one of the seats, crossed his feet, thrusthis hands down in his ulster pockets, and surveyed the pair beforehe answered:

"I'll tell you what ails you two. You have a notion that thesun rises at West Point and sets at Annapolis. Now, I know aheap better, and I haven't an eye on either place. Can you fellowsguess why I've taken the day off from school and why I'm goingto Wilburville?"

"We surely can't, " declared Dave. 

"Well, then, I'll tell you, " promised Tom amiably. "I knew youtwo good old chaps would be going to pieces with blue funk to-day. I knew you'd be chattering inside, and turning all sorts of colorsoutside. You'd try to cheer each other, but each of you is toobadly scared to be of any use to the other. So I've come alongto take up your minds, jolly you and stiffen your backbones alternately. That's my whole job for to-day. "

Looking in some amazement at Reade, the other two chums realizedthat good old Tom was telling the truth. 

"Of course, I'll admit, " continued Reade, "that, if I were goingon the grill to-day, I'd be worse than either of you. But I'mnot. I wouldn't live in West Point, and I wouldn't be caughtdead at Annapolis, so I shan't have any scares or any nervousstreak to-day. I'll look after you both, the best I can, anddo what little lies in my power to keep your minds off your troubles. "

"Well, who'd ever have thought of a thing like that but Tom Reade?"gasped Dick gratefully. 

"It's mighty good of you, old chum, " declared Darrin fervently. 

"Now, then, "`resumed Reade, uncrossing his legs, "as I'm on thejob to look after you, allow me to remind you that that is yourtrain whistling at this moment. "

Three very jolly boys, therefore, piled out of the station buildingand boarded the train. 

Tom spoke to the conductor a moment before following the othersto seats. 

"You see, " spoke Reade, "I'm even going to the trouble to makesure that this is the right train, and not a belated express. "

"I never though of that, " muttered Darrin, turning a bit pale. 

"Great Scott!" gasped Dick. "I can feel the cold sweat oozingout at the bare thought. Suppose we had been harebrained enoughto get on the wrong train, and be carried so far past that wecouldn't get back to Wilburville by nine o'clock!"

"Drop all worry. Don't think of anything alarming, or even disconcerting, "chuckled Tom. "I've taken charge of the whole job, and I guaranteeeverything. One of the little things I guarantee is that you'llboth win out to-day. "

"In algebra, " muttered Darrin, "I hope they won't go too deeplyinto quadratic equations-----"

"Cut it!" ordered Reade severely. "Likewise forget it! Say, I heard a rattling good story last night. It carries a Dutchman, a poodle, a dude and an old maid. Let me see if I can rememberjust how it runs. "

With that Reade got started. He soon had his two friends startedas well. They laughed until the brakeman at last thrust his headin and called:

"Next station, Wilburville!"

"Stop and get out, young man!" called Tom. "Do you think we don'tknow our way?"

Then into another story plunged Tom Reade. He spun it out, purposely, until the train slowed up at Wilburville. 

"'Bus right up to the town hall!" cried a driver, sizing the trioup shrewdly. 

"Thank you; that's our auto over there, " nodded Tom, pointingto a lunch wagon. Reade started the chums at a brisk walk. Ofthe first native they met they inquired the way. 

Tom was still talking at forty horse-power when they came to thetown hall. 

"That building holds our fate!" muttered Dave, as they drew near. 

"Stop that!" ordered Tom. "Anyone would think that Annapoliswas all the candy in the land. What are you worrying about, anyway?Haven't I taken all the responsibility for this thing upon myself?Haven't I promised you both that you shall find your little toyappointments in your Christmas stockings? Do you think I'm lying?"

"But the exams!" groaned Dave. 

"Well, they're competitive, " quoted Tom cheerily. 

"That's just what ails 'em!" argued Dave. 

"You make me think of my cousin, Jack Reade, of the militia, "taunted Tom. "He's a captain. Now, Jack wanted to be appointedassistant inspector general of rifle practice. He was orderedup for his exam. Poor fellow spent three weeks, days and nights, boning for that exam. The family had the doctor in twice, forthey were afraid Jack was studying himself crazy. Then the daycame for the exam. Jack went into the ordeal shivering. Theexaminer asked Jack to write down his full name, the date of hisbirth, and the date of his entry into the militia. Jack answeredall three questions straight, and got a hundred per cent. Forhis marking. Yet you fellows talk about exams as though theywere really hard!"

Still laughing the three passed inside. 

Dick Prescott had firmly resolved to do no more talking aboutthe ordeal. But Darrin hadn't. So, after the boys had enteredthe building, and had climbed to the next floor, where the hallwas, and had taken a look inside, Dave drew back into the corridor. 

"Great guns, did you look inside?" he demanded. "There are amillion boys in there already. "

"Cheer up, " soothed Tom. "Most of 'em want to go to West Point. "

Tom fairly forced his chums inside. The boys already there, somethree-score, at least, turned to regard the newcomers curiously. 

"The rest of you may as well go home, " announced Tom laughingly. "My friends have a first mortgage on the jobs you're after. "

Presently, more fellows came in. Then some more, and still more. 

"Let's go down and stand by the door, where we can get more air, "urged Darrin. 

"Yes, " agreed Tom. "And we'll throw out any of the rest thatmay have a nerve to try to step in here. "

Hardly had they taken their stand by the door when the three chumsreceived a shock. 

For the next arrivals were Phin Drayne, and his father, HeathcoteDrayne. 

Phin was now in attendance at the Wilburville Academy, and hisfather had come down, the evening before, to urge his son to tryfor West Point. 

Tom looked the newcomer over with especial disfavor. Young Drayne, like many another "peculiar" fellow, was an unusually good student. At any time Drayne would have a very good chance of coming outeven with, or just ahead of, either Dick or Dave. 

The Draynes did not favor our three chums with any greeting, butwalked on down into the hall. 

"Excuse me a minute, " murmured Tom. "I want to find out how theland lies. "

Tom thereupon walked boldly over to the Draynes. 

"May I speak with you just a moment, Mr. Drayne?" asked Tom. 

"Go ahead, " replied Mr. Heathcote Drayne, not over-graciously. 

"It is important, sir, that I speak with you aside, " Tom wenton. 

Heathcote Drayne scowled, then stepped to one side, turning andglancing down at Reade. 

"Well, young man, what is it?"

"I thought it barely possible, " continued Tom coolly, "that Imight be able to offer you a hint or two worth while. "

"Worth whose while?" demanded Heathcote Drayne, suspiciously. 

"Yours. Has your son come here to compete for either the WestPoint or Annapolis cadetship?"

"What if he has?"

"Then has Phin his certificates of good character with him?" demandedTom, his blue eyes steely and cold as he looked straight andsignificantly at the elder Drayne. 

"Confound your impudence, Reade! What do you mean?"

"Just this, " continued Tom readily. "Only boys of good characterare eligible for West Point or Annapolis. Now, the fact is, yourson was expelled from Gridley High School for a dishonorable action. Are you content to have your son try for a cadetship, with thatrecord hanging over his head and enveloping his chances?"

"Who'll know anything about that record if you don't blab?" demandedMr. Drayne. 

"Why, your son would have to state where he had attended school, and furnish certificates of good character from his teachers, "ran on Reade. "Now, honestly, do you think that Dr. Thornton, of Gridley High School, would furnish a certificate on whichCongressman Spokes could appoint your boy to West Point orAnnapolis? Because, if you think so, " wound up Reade, "go aheadand put Phin in the running, to be sure. "

With that Tom marched off back to his chums. 

"What have you been up to?" asked Dick curiously. 

"I'm manager for you two half-witted fellows, ain't I?" queriedReade. 

"What have you been saying to Mr. Drayne?" asked Dave. 

"Just watch father and son, and see how they seem to be enjoyingtheir talk, " chuckled Tom. "There, what do you see now? I thoughtit would end like that. "

This was the first time it had occurred to the elder Drayne thathis son's character would be inquired into. In fact, Mr. Draynehad had half an idea that the United States Military Academywas a place that made a specialty of reforming wild boys andmaking useful citizens of them. 

CHAPTER XX

When the Great News Was Given Out

At just nine o'clock Congressman Spokes came on to the platformfollowed by two other men. 

One of these latter was a town official, who, in a very few words, introduced the Member of Congress. 

Congressman Spokes now addressed the young men upon the vocationsthey were seeking to enter. He explained that neither the Militarynor the Naval Academy offered an inducement to boys fond onlyof their ease and good times. 

"At either school, " warned the Congressman "you will find aheadof you years of the hardest work and the strictest discipline. No boy whose character is not good can hope to enter these schoolsof the nation. It is not worth any boy's while to enter unlesshe stands ready to sacrifice everything, his own ideas and prejudicesincluded, to the service of his country and his flag. "

Congressman Spokes continued in this line for some time. Thenhe called for the boys who wished to try for West Point to gatherat the right side of the hall; those for Annapolis at the leftside. 

"This is the first time you and I haven't been on the same sidein everything, old fellow, " Dick whispered smilingly, as he andDave Darrin parted. 

What a hurried count the interested youngsters made! But TomReade, who didn't belong to either crowd, probably made the mostaccurate count. He discovered that sixty-two of the boys hadvoted for West Point. Forty-one favored Annapolis. A few youngmen present, like Tom, didn't care to go to either governmentschool. 

"When I am ready to give the word, " continued Congressman Spokes, "the young men who want to go to West Point will file out of thedoor at this end of the hall. In the rooms across the corridorthey will find the physicians who are making the physical examinationsfor West Point. 

"The Annapolis aspirants will file downstairs and enter throughthe first door at the left, where other physicians will make thephysical examinations for Annapolis. 

"The examinations by the physicians here will not be conclusivefor the successful candidates. The final physical examinations, like the final scholastic examinations, will be made at West Pointand Annapolis. 

"Now, each young gentleman who passes the physical examinationwill receive a signed card with his name on it. Such successfulyoung men are then excused until one o'clock. At one o'clocksharp the young men who have certificates from the medical examinersmay report for their scholastic examinations. Do not come here, however, for the scholastic examinations. West Point aspirantswill report at the High School, and those for Annapolis at theCentral Grammar School. 

"Now, at eight o'clock this evening you return here. At thathour, or as soon there after as possible, announcement will bemade, from this platform, of the names of the successful youngmen and their alternates. Now the young men for West Point forward, the Annapolis hopefuls downstairs!"

Inside of two minutes the town hall was bare, save for the presenceof Tom Reade, who, with his hands in his pockets, walked about, whistling. 

In forty-five minutes Dick, flushed an breathless, broke in uponTom, as the latter sat waiting patiently for his friends. 

"I've passed the doctors all right, " announced Dick, producinghis card. 

"That's all right, then, " nodded Tom. "And the rest will be easier. "

Twenty minutes later Dave Darrin join them. 

"I've passed---that part of the trial, " he proclaimed. 

"Then, until twelve o'clock, there's nothing to do but go outand kill time, " declared Reade. 

"Twelve o'clock" repeated Dick. "You mean one o'clock. "

"I mean twelve, " retorted Tom, with emphasis. "At twelve youeat; you don't gorge, but you chew and swallow something nourishing. Then you'll be in fit shape for the little game of the afternoon. "

Both of the chums had reason to realize the weight of their debtto jovial, helpful Reade; who was banishing care and keeping theirminds off their suspense. In fact time passed quickly until itwas time for Dick and Dave once more to part, to seek their separateexaminations. 

Just forty of the boys who wanted to go to West Point had passedthe doctors as being presumably fit in body and general health. Twenty-seven of the Annapolis aspirants had passed the doctors. Already three dozen disappointed young Americans were on theirway home, their dream over. 

Tom Reade chose to walk over to the local High School with Dick. Dave found his way alone to his place of examination. 

Dick Prescott and the thirty-nine other aspirants were assembledin one of the class rooms at the High School. On each desk wasa supply of stationery. After the young men had been seated theexamination papers in English were passed around. This examinationDick thought absurdly easy. He finished his paper early, andread it through three times while waiting for the papers to becollected. 

History was a bit harder, but Dick was not especially disturbedby it. Not quite so with geography. Dick had had no instructionin this branch since his grammar school days, and, though he hadbrushed up much of late on this subject, he found himself compelledto go slowly and thoughtfully. Arithmetic was not so hard; algebraa bit more puzzling. 

It was after six o'clock when the examinations were finished, and all papers in. As fast as each examination was finished, however, the papers had been hurried off to the examiners andmarked. 

Faithful Tom was waiting as Dick came out in the throng. 

"Congratulations, old fellow!" cried Reade, holding out his hand. 

"You've passed, " announced Tom gravely. 

"Why, the examiners haven't fin-----"

"They don't have to, " snorted Tom. "I don't have to wait forthe opinions of mere examiners. You've passed, and won out, Itell you. Now let's go look for Dave. "

It had been agreed that the three should meet, for supper, atthe same restaurant where they had lunched. Darrin was not thereyet. It was nearly seven o'clock when Dave came in, looking faggedand worried. 

But Tom was up on his feet in an instant, darting toward Darrin. 

"Didn't I tell you, old fellow?" demanded. Reade. "And mycongratulations!"

"If you hadn't been such a good fellow all day I might be cross, "sighed Dave. "Whee! But those examiners certainly did turn myhead inside out. Don't you see a few corners of the brain stillsloping over outside?"

"Cheer up, " quoth Tom grimly. "Nothing doing. You haven't brainsenough to overflow. In fact, you've so few brains that I'm goingto do the ordering for your supper. "

"Everything I can do, now, is over with, anyway, " muttered Prescott. "So I'm going to forget my troubles and enjoy this meal. "

Dave tried to, also, but he was more worried, and could not whollybanish his gloom. 

Tom succeeded in making the meal drag along until about ten minutesof eight. Then he led his friends from the restaurant and downthe street to the town hall. 

Here, though most of the young men were already on hand, therewas nothing of boisterousness. Some were quiet; others were glum. All showed how much the result of the examinations meant to them. 

But the time dragged fearfully. It was twenty minutes of ninewhen Congressman Spokes appeared on the platform and rapped fororder. He did not have to rap twice. In the stillness that followedthe Congressman's voice sounded thunderous. 

"Young gentlemen, I now have the results from all the examiners, and the averages have been made up. I am now able to announcemy appointments to West Point and Annapolis. "

Mr. Spokes paused an instant. 

"For West Point, " he announced, "My candidate will be-----RichardPrescott, of Gridley. The alternate will be-----"

But Dick Prescott didn't catch a syllable of the alternate's name, for his ears were buzzing. But now, for the first time, Tom Readewas most unsympathetically silent. 

"For Annapolis, my candidate will be-----David Darrin, of Gridley. The alternate-----"

Neither did Darrin hear the name of his alternate. Dave's headwas reeling. He was sure it was a dream. 

"Pinch me, Tom, " he begged, in a hoarse whisper, and Readecomplied---heartily. 

"The young men who have won the appointments as candidates andalternates will please come to see me at once, in the anteroom, "continued Congressman Spokes, who, however, lingered to addressa few words of tactful sympathy to the eager young Americans whohad tried and lost. 

"Come along, now, and let's get this over with as quickly as possible, "grumbled Torn Reade. "This Congressman bores me. "

"Bores you?" repeated Prescott, in a shocked voice. "What onearth do you mean?"

"I don't like his nerve, " asserted Reade. "Here he is, givingout as if it were fresh, news that I announced two hours ago. "

Congressman Spokes was waiting in the anteroom to shake handswith the winners. He congratulated the candidates most heartily, and cautioned the alternates that they also must be alert, asone or both of them might yet have a chance to pass on over theheads of the principal candidates. 

Mr. Spokes then asked from each of the young men the name of hisschool principal, the address of his clergyman and of one businessman. These were references to whom Mr. Spokes would write atonce in order to inform himself that the lucky ones were youngmen of excellent character. 

Then the Congressman wished the young men all the luck in theworld, and bade them good evening, after informing them that theywould hear, presently, from the Secretary of War with full instructionsfor West Point, and from the Secretary of the Navy for Annapolis. 

"Fancy Phin Drayne passing in his references for the characterordeal!" chuckled Tom Reade, as the three chums walked down thestreet. 

"What time does the next train leave for Gridley?" suddenly demandedDave. 

"In twelve minutes, " answered Tom, after looking at his watch. 

"Let's run, then!" proposed Dave. 

"We can mope, and have five minutes to spare, " objected Reade. 

"Let's run, just the same!" urged Dick Prescott. 

The three chums broke into a run that brought them swiftly tothe station, red faced, laughing and happy. 

"Oh, what a difference since the morning!" sang Dick blithely. "Say, just think! West Point really for mine!"

"Bosh!" grunted Darrin happily. "I'm going to Annapolis!"

Then, as by a common impulse Dick and Dave seized Tom Reade byeither hand. 

"Tom, " uttered Dick huskily, "we owe you for a lot of the nerveand confidence that carried us through to-day!"

"Tom Reade, " declared Darrin. Tremulously, "you're the best andmost dependable fellow on earth!"

"Shut up, both of you, " growled Reade, in a tone of disgust. "You're getting as prosy as that Congressman---and that's themost insulting thing I can think of to say to either of you. "

The train seemed fairly to fly home. It was keeping pace withthe happy spirits of the young men, who, at last, came to realizethat the great good news was actually true. 

Neither Dick nor Dave could think of walking home from the station. They broke into a run. By and by they discovered that Tom Readewas, no longer with them. 

"Now isn't that just like old Tom?" laughed Darrin, when he discoveredthat their friend was missing. "Well, anyway, I can't wait. Here's where our roads branch, Dick, old fellow. And say! Aren'twe the lucky simpletons? Good night, old chum!"

Dick fairly raced into the bookstore conducted by his parents. He almost upset a customer who was leaving with a package underhis arm. 

"Dad!" whispered Dick, leaning briefly over the counter and layinga hand on Mr. Prescott's shoulder. "I passed and won! I'm goingto West Point!"

A look of intense happiness wreathed his father's face and tearsglistened in his eyes. But Dick raced on into the back room, where he found his mother. 

"All the luck in the land is mine, mother!" he whispered, bendingover and kissing her. "I won out! I go to West Point when themonth of March comes!"

Mrs. Prescott was upon her feet, her arms around her boy. Shedidn't say much, but she didn't need to. After a moment Dickdisengaged himself. 

"Mother, Laura Bentley will be glad to know this news. She'sat the ball of the senior class to-night, but I'll see if I canget her father on the 'phone, and tell him the news for her. "

But presently it was Laura's own sweet voice that answered overthe wire. 

"You?" demanded Dick. "Why, I thought you'd be at the ball!"

"Did you think I could be happy all the evening, wondering howyou were coming on with your great wish?" asked Laura quietly. "Say, oh, Dick! How did you come out?"

CHAPTER XXI

Gridley Seniors Whoop It Up

"Oh, so many, so many congratulations, Dick!" came the responseto Prescott's eagerly imparted information. 

"And so you missed the dance just because you could sympathizewith some one else's worry?" demanded Dick. "But say! The eveningis still young, as dances go. Couldn't you get dressed in a littlewhile? Then we could both go and celebrate my good luck. "

"I'm dressed, " came the demure answer. 

"What? Oh---well, now, that's nice of you-----"

"I have been expecting this good news, " laughed Laura. "And soI've been dressed all evening, on the chance. "

"And you'll go to the class ball if I come around quickly?"

"It would be mean of you not to come and take me, Dick!"

"I'll have to change, " declared Dick. "But that never takes aboy long. Won't I be around to your house in short order, though!"

Dick rang off and started to bound upstairs, but a new ting-lingsounded on the 'phone bell. 

"Here's another party been trying to get you, " announced central. "Go ahead. "

"Hullo, Dick, " sounded a low, pleased voice. "I hope you've calledup Laura. "

"Just rang off, Dave. "

"Then you know that the girls didn't go to the class ball to-night, but just dressed and waited on the chance of hearing from us. I'm on the jump to dress, but I'll meet you there, Dick. "

Dick took only time to explain the change in his night's plansto his parents. Then he bounded off upstairs, but soon came downagain, looking a bit dandyish in his best, and very happy intothe bargain. 

When Dick arrived at Dr. Bentley's home an automobile stood infront of the house. Dick recognized it, however, as the doctor'smachine with the doctor's man at the lever. 

The instant that Prescott put his finger on the bell button Lauraherself opened the door. She was radiant of face and exquisitein ball costume as she threw open the door and stood framed there, the light behind her. 

"Oh, I'm so glad, Dick, so glad!" came her ready greeting. "Comein. I'm all ready but the wrap, but father and mother wish tobe among the first to congratulate you. "

In the doctor's office stood Dr. And Mrs. Bentley. They greetedDick cordially and expressed delight over his success. 

"But this is only the first ditch taken, you know, " spoke Prescottsoberly, though in military phrase. "I have my chance now; thatis all. I have more than four years of hard fight facing mebefore I am sure that the Army can be my career. "

"You'll make it, Prescott, just as you've made everything you'vegone after at High School, " replied Dr. Bentley heartily. "But, now that we've congratulated you, we mustn't keep you an instantlonger from your classmates. I had just come in with my car, and Laura told me, so I directed my man to wait. He'll take youboth along the road in short order. Good night, my boy!"

Laura brought her wrap, holding it out to Dick. 

"If you're to be a gallant Army officer, " she teased, "you mustlearn to do this sort of thing gracefully. "

Blushing, Dick did his best. Then the young people went out. Dick helped his companion into the car, then seated himself besideher. 

"We're going to pick up Dave and Belle, " Laura explained, as thecar moved swiftly away. "Then we'll all go in together. "

One fellow had beaten them to the class ball, and that fellowwas Tom Reade. How he ever did it no one will be able to guess, but Tom flew home, got into his best, and had reached the ballbefore these young people appeared on the scene. 

The happy young candidates-elect went with their companions tothe cloak room. Then, Laura on Dick's arm, and Belle clingingto Dave, the two couples entered the ballroom. The strains ofa waltz were floating out. Abruptly the music ceased in themiddle of the air, for Reade, standing beside the director, hadmotioned him to cease playing. 

"Classmates and friends!" bellowed Reade, "it is my proud opportunityto-night to be able to be the first to announce to you some wonderfulgood news. To-day Dick Prescott, of ours, defeated all othercompetitors, and has secured the appointment from this districtto the United States Military Academy!"

"Wow! Whoop!" That announcement had them all going. There wasone tremendous, increasing din of noise. But Tom, jumping upand down, waving both arms and scowling fiercely, finally securedsilence. 

"Who's doing this announcing?" he demanded. "Who's master ofceremonies, if I am not. You just wait---all of you! I'll giveyou the cue when to turn the noise-works loose. As I just stated, it's Dick for West Point, but or, and---it's Dave Darrin for Annapolisat the same time. Yes, Dave is going to represent this districtat Annapolis!"

The musicians were on their feet by this time. All with a rushthe sweet, proud strains rang out:

_"My country, 'tis of thee, Sweet land of liberty, Of thee I sing!"_

Instantly all stood at attention, the young men all over the hailholding themselves with especial erectness. Not a voice was hearduntil the good old refrain was through. To the two happy chums"America" had a newer, stronger meaning. The spirited air cameto them with a new meaning that had never been plain before. 

Dick felt the tears in his eyes. Foolish, o course, buthe couldn't help it! And choky Dave furtively wished that hedared reach for his handkerchief with all those hundreds of eyesturned on him. 

As the music came to an end the High School boys filled theirlungs for a mighty cheer. Quick as a flash, however, the leaderof the orchestra tapped his baton, then swung it once more, andthe instruments leaped on into:

"_Columbia, the gem of the ocean_!"

That was for the Navy, of course, and one didn't have to keepquiet, either. Words of the song, and cheers, mingled with themusicians' strains. 

And then it wound up in a cheer and a mad rush of yelling thatmust have been heard for a mile. 

An impromptu reception and hand shaking followed, but to Dickand Dave, and their partners, it had more the look of a mob. 

It was a joyous and big-hearted mob, though, and in time it quieteddown. After a very long interruption the dancing started again, and Dick and Dave were able to whirl away with their partners. 

As the next dance after that, started there was a sudden haltby many of the couples, and soon a roar of laughter ascended. For the orchestra had chosen, as the air, "The Girl I Left BehindMe. "

This air will always be associated with the United Service---theArmy and Navy. It is a rollicking, jolly, spirited old tune, as it needs must be for "The Girl I Left Behind Me" is the tunethat is played when the country's defenders, in war time, aremarching away for the front, after just having said the last goodbyeto mother, sister and sweetheart. 

Just now, however, the old air had none of the tragic connectedwith it. It was all in the spirit of fun. Laura, blushing furiously, and Belle striving to appear wholly unconscious, but strivingtoo hard, lent all the more merriment to the moment. 

"It's that confounded old idiot, Tom Reade, " muttered Dave tohis partner. "I wonder how many more such tricks he knows!"

Presently came "The Army Lancers, " and that brought out a rightroyal good cheer. Two numbers after that, came "A Life on theOcean Wave, " and more cheers. 

It was after three in the morning when the gay affair broke up. But who cared for that? Class balls come but once a year. 

Right after "Home, Sweet Home, " which wound up the ball, the orchestraadded a number, "The Star Spangled Banner. "

Both Dick and Dave reached home pretty thoroughly tired out, afterhaving seen their girl friends home. Neither boy rose much beforenoon the day following. 

Dick and Dave remained enrolled at High School until the ChristmasHolidays, then dropped out, having ended the term. 

Each boy had other studies with which he wished to busyhimself---studies that would have a direct bearing on the stiffentrance examinations at West Point and Annapolis. The rest oftheir time, until they reported at their respective NationalAcademies, they intended to devote to these other studies to makedoubly sure of their success. 

Dick's notification from the Secretary of War arrived on Christmasmorning. 

"The grandest Christmas present. I ever had!" muttered Dick, gazing at the single sheet, the words on which were couched instiff official language. 

Dave Darrin fumed a good deal, for it was nearly a month laterbefore he received his notification from the Secretary of theNavy. It came at last, however, and Darrin knew what postponedhappiness means. 

CHAPTER XXII

The Message from the Unknown

With the Christmas holidays Phin Drayne came home, to stay sofar as school was concerned. 

After his unhappy experience at the Fordham Military Institute, Phin had found things almost as unpleasant at Wilburville Academy. 

For some reason the boys at Wilburville hadn't taken to him. Phin had come to the conclusion that he wasn't appreciated anywheresave at home, so back he came, disgusted with the idea of carryinghis education any further. 

As a natural sequence, Drayne took to lounging about the streets. High School boys and girls no longer paid any heed to him, sohe did not fear slight or insult. 

Two nights in every week Dick and Dave went faithfully to theHigh School gym. To help Mr. Morton with the new evening classesin training. 

One afternoon Prescott and Darrin encountered good old Dr. Thornton, the principal, who asked them how they were coming along. 

"We're pretty busy, " Dick admitted. "Still, it does seem ratherhard to us not to be connected with the High School any more. "

"Why, you are with us yet, and of us!" cried the principal. "Icarry your names on the rolls, with 'excused' written againstyour names. If you don't believe that you're still of my HighSchool boys, then drop in any day and take your places, for anhour, or as long as you please, at your old desks. You will findthem still reserved for you. "

"Now, isn't that mighty decent of old Prin. !" demanded Dave, afterthe two chums had thanked Dr. Thornton, and had gone on theirway. "So we still belong to old Gridley High School?"

"We always shall, I reckon, " declared Dick. "Gridley High Schoolhas done everything for us, and has given us our start and mostof our pleasures in life. "

"I'm going to drop in, one of these January days, " murmured Dave. 

"And so am I. But, " added Dick, with a smile, "don't let us beindiscreet and be roped into going into a recitation. We'll findthe class has been moving ahead while we've been boning over WestPoint and Annapolis requirements. "

"At all events, none of them ought to be ahead of us when we'vegone four years further, " contended Dave. "At West Point or Annapoliswe have to grind in a way that is never required of mere collegemen. We ought to be miles ahead of any fellow who has just finishedat High School and then has put in four years only at college. "

Thus the happy young egotists always talked, nowadays. To themthere was really little in life that did not come through thegovernment military academies. 

Phin Drayne, lounging about purposely, with the shambling gait, often saw these happy chums, and scowled after them. 

"Everything seems to come to them!" growled Phin. "What rot itis to say that this is a square world, and that everyone has thesame chance! Why doesn't something good come my way?"

The oftener Phin looked in the direction of the chums, and moreparticularly of Dick, the blacker did Drayne's thoughts become. 

"Prescott has had everything come his way ever since he enteredHigh School, " growled Phin. "And now the mucker is going offto West Point, and the government is going to stamp him 'gentleman. 'A gentleman? Pooh! I'd like to show him up, as a bumptious upstart. Phin scowled fiercely for a moment, before he added:

"And, by glory, I will do something to him! I'll take the conceitout of Dick Prescott!"

At first it was only the purpose that formed in Drayne's darkmind. But, by dint of much thinking, he began to feel that hesaw the way of working to Prescott's complete disgrace. 

Dick, in the meantime, was still writing occasionally for "TheBlade. "

"I'm afraid you've slipped away from us, Dick, " declared Mr. Pollock, with a wry smile. "If you go to West Point and pass the exams. There, then newspaper work is going to lose one of its bright, promising young men. "

"But I always told you that my plans would undoubtedly take meaway from 'The Blade' when my High School life was done with, "Prescott answered. 

"Yes; but why do you want the life of the uniform? That's whatI fail to understand? Why don't you go into something connectedwith the pulsing everyday life of the country? Here you are, going away to bury yourself in a uniform. You'll work, of course;the Army is no place for loafers. But after all, you're onlypreparing for war, and you may be an old, white-haired officerbefore we have another war. "

"If that war does come in your life time, " returned Dick, "you'llknow what we of the uniforms have been working for all along. You'll realize, then, that an Army's biggest work isn't fighting, in time of war, but preparing in time of peace. And you'll thankevery one of us when the time comes. "

"Oh, yes, I suppose so, " smiled the editor. "But it all seemsso far away. Now, here is something much more practical rightat hand. Take these burglaries that have been annoying the smallmerchants lately. The police don't seem to be able to catch thefellow. For the last three days I've taken Len Spencer off ofall other work and set him to trying to run down the burglar. Now, Len isn't afraid of much, and he's one of the brightestyoung reporters going. Yet Len admits he's stumped. All thewhile the merchants are fearing that the burglar will bring aboutbigger losses. Dick Prescott, if you could catch that burglar, and see him sent off where he belongs, you'd be doing a vastlygreater service to the community than you possibly could by helpingthe country prepare for a war that is thirty or forty years away. "

"I wouldn't mind having a crack at the burglar scare, either, "laughed Dick. "But the question is, how am I going to go aboutit to catch the fellow? He has baffled all the police, and evenLen Spencer. What show have I for finding the rascal?"

"Just the same, Dick, I believe you would catch him, if you'dset your mind and your energies to it. Will you do it? Willyou put in a week trying to run down this burglar and give 'TheBlade' the first chance at the story? I'll agree, in advance, to pay you for whatever time you'll put in on it for a week, ifeven you are not successful in running him down. "

"I'll think it over, " Dick replied, with a quiet smile. "I'lltalk it over with Dave. "

"There's another mighty bright young fellow!" cried the editor. "Now, why can't you get Darrin to go into it with you? I'llpay Darrin for his time, too. "

Dave, when the project was sprung on him, gave his hearty assent. 

"It won't do any harm to have a try at it, anyway, Dick, " urgedDarrin. "It'll wake us up a bit, too. Not that I've any realand abiding idea that we're going to catch Mr. Burglar. "

"If we're in earnest we're going to catch him, " declared Prescott. "That's the old Gridley High School way, you know. What wellstart on we've got to put through. "

Night after night, in that cold January week, Dick and Dave slippedout late at night, and prowled about through the business districtof Gridley. Very often the chums ran across the police, but bothwere known well to the police, and were not challenged. Indeed, the police soon learned that Dick and Dave were employed by "TheBlade" for the purpose of assisting in the efforts to capturethe mysterious burglar or burglars. 

In that week two more "breaks" happened, and each time the thiefor thieves got away with valuable booty. 

"You youngsters don't seem to be having any luck, " remarked EditorPollock. "But keep on the case a little longer. I know you'llland something sooner or later. Keep ahead, just as if you hadto score a touchdown before the half was over. "

So for two nights Dick and Dave kept out, with equally bad luck. 

One night at eleven o'clock Dick answered the home telephone. He listened in amazement, then tried to find out who his informantwas, but the latter rang off promptly. 

"I believe that is straight, " muttered Dick. "At all events, I'll look into this game for all it's worth. What if we are aboutto catch the thief red-handed?"

Snatching up a heavy walking stick, Dick Prescott hurriedly quittedthe house. 

CHAPTER XXIII

The Plight of the Innocent

If the information that had come over the wire from an unknownwas correct there was not a moment to be lost in telephoning. 

It was a masculine voice that had sounded in the 'phone and themessage was to the effect that the sender of the message had justobserved two men forcing the rear entrance of Kahn's drygoodsstore. 

"And hearing that 'The Blade' is trying to catch the burglarsI thought I'd just let you know, " the voice had continued. "ButI guess you'll have to be quick if you want a sight of the burglars. They'll probably get away in quick order. "

Then had come the ring-off, just as Dick had tried to get thename of his informant. 

Now Dick was sprinting toward the scene by the shortest routethat he could think of. 

Kahn's store was on Main Street, but the rear entrance, used forthe receipt of goods opened in off an alleyway that ran parallelwith Main Street. 

"There can't be much time to spare, " muttered Dick, looking hardfor a policeman. 

At this late hour of the night the streets that Dick traveledin his haste were bare of pedestrians. 

"I wish I had had time to get Dave, " though Prescott. "But thatwould have lost at least five minutes more. And Dave wasn't goingto be ready to go out until he came around for me nearer midnight. "

Dick was at the head of the alley, now, an moving cautiously, eyes wide open and ears on the alert. 

How dark it was down in here! Dick wondered, a moment, at thekeenness of vision that had enabled some neighbor to see whatwas going on over in this dark place. 

In his pocket, at the time of receiving the message, Prescotthad placed a pocket electric "search-light. "

This he thought of, now, but he did not deem it wise to go flashingthe light about unless he had to. 

"The first point in my information is right, anyway, " mutteredDick. "The rear door of Kahn's is open. "

Moving in the shadow of the building, he had paused not far awayfrom the door in question. 

"There were two of the fellows, the message said, " muttered Dick. "In that case, I should think one would have been left outside asa lookout. However, the lookout may be just a little way insideof the door. It won't do to use my light now. I'll see if I canslip in and get close to the lookout before the thieves knowthere's anyone around. "

A step at a time Prescott softly reached the open door. He paused, listening intently. 

"I don't hear a sound in there. I guess I'd better take a fewvery soft steps inside, and see if I can discover where the roguesare. That is, unless they have already bagged their booty, andhave gotten away again. "

Just inside of the open door, Dick halted again. He listened, but there was no sound. 

"These scoundrels are surely the original mice for soft moving, "muttered the boy grimly. "What part of the establishment canthey be in? Hadn't I better slip out and get the police? I can'tlearn anything in here unless I use my light. "

Yet Prescott didn't want to turn on that flare. The light wasmuch more likely to show him up to the burglars than to enablehim to find men who were not making a sound. 

So Dick penetrated a little further, and a little further, listening. As he moved he was obliged to grope his way. 

At last, however, he found himself confused as to the points ofthe compass. In this darkness, he was not even sure which wasthe way out. 

"I'll have to use the flash now, " concluded Dick. 

Taking the long tube from one of his pockets, he pressed the buttonbriefly, giving a flash that lasted barely a second. 

"What was that?" muttered the boy, with a start, as the lightwent out. 

Clearly enough, now, he heard stealthy steps. He was almost certain, too, that he distinguished the sound of low whispers. 

"That flash has scared the rascals, " throbbed Dick Prescott. "Now, if I can only locate 'em, and get out first! I may succeedin getting the police to the scene before both get away. Oneof 'em, anyway, I ought to be able to floor with this heavy cane!"

Transferring the light to his left hand, Dick took a strong gripof the cane. It did not eyed occur to him to be afraid in here. He was trying to trap the burglars as a piece of enterprise for"The Blade, " and that was all he thought about. 

Suddenly there was a more decided step in the darkness. It sounded, too, right in advance of the boy who stood there guessing in the dark. 

"Halt, where you are!" shouted Dick. "And throw up your handsas high as you can, if you don't want to get drilled! Don't tryto use your weapons, for I have the drop!"

It was sheer bluff, for the only thing with which Prescott couldclaim the drop was his cane. 

Yet, in such circumstances, a bold front is half the battle. 

Prescott bounded forward, boldly, at the same moment turning onhis light. 

The next moment, though he held the light, the cane dropped fromhis nerveless fingers. 

"We've got you, Prescott!" roared a voice. "And you? Of allthe thundering big surprises. But we've got you! Stop all nonsenseand get in line to come along with us. "

It was the chief of police, backed by three of his men, whom Dicknow faced. They had thrown their lights on, too, so that therewas now plenty of illumination. 

Nor was this Chief Coy, one of Dick's old time friends, but ChiefSimmons, a new man appointed only a few months before. 

Chief Simmons was almost frantically anxious to catch the burglaror burglars, for their continued operations reflected upon hisabilities as the new police chief. 

All in a flash young Prescott took in the horrifying idea thatChief Simmons believed him to be the real burglar. 

"But I-----" began Dick chokingly. 

"Yes, you will!" retorted Chief Simmons. "You can't put up anyfight, and you can't make any denial. "

"I-----"

"Take him, you men, and handcuff him. " roared the chief. "Thenwe'll go through the rest of the store, and see what we can learn. "

Dick drew back, with a shudder, as two of the officers came towardhim, intent on carrying out their chief's order. 

"You'd better submit, Prescott, " warned the chief sternly. "We'renot in a mood to stand any fooling. "

"But won't you listen-----" began Dick, gasping. 

"I'm not the trial judge, " jeered Simmons. "Still, I'll listento you all you want, later in the night. Now, stand forward!"

Dick realized the folly and the uselessness of defying the police. He moved nearer to the chief, as ordered. And Prescott beganto understand how black the whole affair looked for him. 

But how had it happened?

He would have given worlds to know. 

"Hold your hands forward, and together, " commanded Chief Simmons. 

Quivering, flushing with the shame of the thing, young Prescottobeyed. The officer who fitted the handcuffs to the boy's wristsfelt ashamed of his work, for he had always been one of Dick'sfriends. 

The click of the steel ratchets brought Prescott back to a realizationof things. 

"I'm not much of a catch, chief, " muttered the boy. "You'd betternot be content with me alone. Leave me under watch and then therest of you had better spread through this place. I think thereare others here---the men you seek. "

"You've confederates here, have you?" demanded Simmons, fixinghis suspicious gaze on the boy. "Judkins, you watch Prescott---andmind you don't let him give you the slip. The rest of us willkeep on going through this store. You say you think there areothers here, Prescott?"

"I think so, " replied the boy. 

Chief Simmons raised his voice. 

"If there's anyone here-----" he called. 

"There is!" came back in a tone that made Dick Prescott startand throb with alarm. 

"Who---where---" asked Chief Simmons, excitedly. 

"Right here!" came the voice. "Hold your lights on me!"

Two flash-lights at once centered their rays on the speaker, andDave Darrin bounded forward into the light. 

"So you two have been working this thing as side partners, haveyou?" asked Chief Simmons harshly. "Great Scott, how you've fooledus, then! Like everyone else, we believed you two boys to bestraight. Tell me, " commanded Simmons dryly, "is Editor Pollockin this store-robbing gang, too?"

"Ask Mr. Pollock yourself, " Dave flung back. 

"I will, when I get time, " retorted Simmons. "Grab Darrin and putthe irons on his wrists, too!"

CHAPTER XXIV

Dave Gives Points to the Chief of Police

"You clumsy bungler!" spoke Dave Darrin hotly. "Chief, I demandthe right to speak to you for a moment. "

"After you're ironed and taken to the station house, " snappedMr. Simmons. 

"Chief, you're not afraid to step aside with me and listen toabout ten words?" demanded Darrin scornfully. "And if you don't---ifyou go on in your bull-headed way---you'll be the scorn of thetown by morning. Why don't you hear what I've got to say, insteadof letting precious seconds slip by. Come! Over this way!"

There was something so commanding in Darrin's voice and mannerthat Simmons concluded to listen for a moment. 

Keeping his flash-light turned on Darrin, the chief of policefollowed Dave. Darrin whispered something in the big man's ear. In another moment the two were whispering together animatedly. 

"Why didn't you come to the point before, Darrin?" demanded thechief gruffly. 

"Great Scott, didn't I, as soon as I could postpone your maniafor having me loaded down with police chains?"

"Yet how do I know you're telling me anything like the truth?"

"If I'm lying, you can find it out very quickly, can't you?" demandedDarrin. "But come along, or you'll be too late. Oh, why do allthe biggest slow pokes in creation get appointed to the policeforce?"

"Come along with me, Delmar, " ordered Chief Simmons, turning toone of his policemen. "The rest of you stay here---though youcan pass on into the open air. Then wait there for us. "

"Don't you waste any time on worry, Dick, " Dave called back. 

Prescott laughed easily. Whatever Dave had discovered, or thoughthe had, Darrin's chum was quite content now to await the resultof all that enthusiasm. 

"We must not make much noise, " cautioned Darrin, as he led theway swiftly, though on tiptoe. "We don't want to scare the otherpeople cold until we have them cooped so that they can't get away. But you'd better be ready, in case they're desperate enough totry shooting!"

Up the street, to the head of another alley way, Darrin led theswift chase. 

"Now, softer than ever, " he whispered, over his shoulder, withouthalting. 

A moment later Dave halted before two stone steps that led downto a basement junk shop. 

Just as he did so a low voice inside could be heard, saying inbarely audible tones:

"I'm so anxious to know whether Prescott fell into the trap thatI can hardly wait another minute. "

"You'd better wait until morning, or you'll tumble into somethingwith your eyes shut, and that will mean both of us nabbed, " growledanother voice. 

"Do you think they found Prescott---that they believed in theappearances against him?"

"I can't say, " came the other low voice. "And I can wait. I'mnot crazy on the subject, as you seem to be. "

"Explain this all over again, to us, won't you?" shouted the chief, pushing open the door of the junk shop and striding in, backedby the light and the revolver of Officer Delmar. 

"What?" screamed Phin Drayne, then sank to his knees in the extremityof his terror. 

"Don't either of you try to put up any fight, " warned the chief. "Delmar, here are my handcuffs to put with your own. Hand meyour light, and then iron both of these fellows securely. "

The owner of the junk shop, a man under thirty, dirty and lowbrowed, stood cowering back against a bench. The fellow lookedas though he would have fought had there been any chance to drawa weapon. But he was gazing straight into the muzzle of the policechief's weapon. 

An instant later both prisoners had been handcuffed, and a pistolhad been taken from the clothing of each. From the junkman, too, had been taken a ring of keys. 

"One of these fit your door?" demanded Simmons. 

"Yes, " growled the scowling one. "The long key. "

"Bring the prisoners along, Delmar, " ordered the chief. "I'lllock up here. We'll come back later for a search. "

Out on the sidewalk Phin Drayne plucked up courage enough to findhis voice. 

"For goodness' sake, let me go, Chief, " he begged, falteringly. "I haven't done anything, although things look against me. "

"I guess we'll be able to put things enough against you, " retortedthe police official mockingly. 

"Think of my mother!" pleaded the wild boy. "Think of our family---oneof the most respectable in town. Think of-----"

"Oh, you're enough to make one tired, " broke in Dave Darrin, in deep disgust. "You thought of Dick Prescott when you put upthe job to have him arrested as a burglar, didn't you?"

"Why, what do you mean? I didn't do anything to Dick Prescott, "shouted Drayne angrily, or affecting to be angry. 

"Tell that to the marines, " quoth Darrin contemptuously. "Itwas through following on your trail, Drayne, that I discoveredthe whole trick, and also knew just where to take the police tofind you. "

An hour later Chief Simmons was well satisfied that he had laidthe burglar scare in Gridley. 

Not that the new chief had had so very much to do with the result, either. 

The first move had been to get back to the Kahn store, where DickPrescott was promptly freed, with the chief's hearty apologies. 

Over at the police station, by separating Drayne from his accomplice, Bill Stevens, the junkman, and questioning each separately, thewhole story had come out, chiefly through frenzied confessions. 

Phin Drayne, loafing about town, and with his pocket money nearlycut off by his father, had formed the acquaintance of Stevens, who, besides being a junkman, was a very fair locksmith, thoughabout the latter trade he had never bragged publicly. 

Drayne had been ripe for any move that would place him in morefunds. So, first of all, he and Stevens had entered the commercialestablishment of Drayne, senior. There, thanks to Phin's knowledgeof the premises, they had made a very good-sized "haul. "

After that the pair had operated together frequently. Stevens'junk shop had offered a handy pace in which to hide the plunder. 

Then, as time went on, and Phin heard, by chance, that Dick andDave were trying to catch the burglars in behalf of "The Blade, ", a plan had occurred to Phin by which he might ruin Dick utterlyin the eyes of the community. 

The whole plan had been carefully laid by Stevens and young Drayne. 

On this night, just after Conklin's drug store had been closedfor the night, Stevens had slipped in a key that had opened aside door for him. Then the door was left closed but unlocked. At that hour of the night no one was likely to notice anyonewho went in or out at the side door. And Conklin's was equippedwith a public telephone. 

Then down to the alleyway had stolen the evil pair. Kahn's reardoor had been opened with false keys and left ajar. Then PhinDrayne stole back to the junk shop, while Stevens, whose voicecould not be recognized over the wire by Dick, sent the message. 

Next, back to where he could watch the alleyway, hurried Stevens, and hid. Stevens saw Dick Prescott slip into the alleyway, thengo inside the store. That was enough for Stevens, who had slippedback and into the drug store once more, getting the police stationon the wire and 'phoning to the chief that Gridley's burglarshad just entered Kahn's through the rear door. 

Only a block and a half from Kahn's was the police station. Almostimmediately the officers were on the spot, stalking---Dick Prescott. 

But, at the time when Dick left his own home and went down thestreet so hurriedly Dave Darrin had been sauntering along, tocall his chum out on their nightly quest for "The Blade. "Seeing Dick move so swiftly, Darrin concluded that somethingmost unusual was about to happen. So Dave trailed swiftly inthe rear. 

Thus it was that Darrin drew back just in time to see Bill Stevensslipping away from a hiding place at the head of that alleyway. 

"That does for Prescott, " chuckled Stevens, half aloud. 

"Oh, it does, does it?" silently murmured alert Dave, and nowhe intently followed Stevens to the drug store, and thence backto the junk shop. Dave's next swift move was to rush back toKahn's with the result already known. 

"Well, did you think the folks of Gridley would continue to believesuch a charge against young Prescott?" demanded Chief Simmonsof the sneak. 

"I knew some wouldn't, but I thought the whole affair would makesuch a row that Prescott would never be quite able to hold uphis head in Gridley again, " declared Drayne huskily. "But I thoughtthat it would stop his thinking of going to West Point, anyway. "

"Instead of which, " muttered Simmons dryly, "you'll get fouryears---or more, Drayne at some place that won't be West Point. "

"Oh, my father won't quite stand for that, " returned Phin, a bitmore loftily. "He has money and some family pride. "

"Money doesn't help much for confessed burglars, " rejoined ChiefSimmons. 

At that moment Heathcote Drayne, who had been roused out of bedby a policeman, came in, so white faced that Dick and Dave feltsorry indeed for the unhappy parent. 

But Dick didn't remain to see the meeting between father and son. Prescott and his chum hastened around to "The Blade" office. Gladly enough would both boys have kept Phin's disgrace fromgoing before the public, but it was too big a story, locally, and was bound to come out. So Dick wrote a straight account, after which he and Dave hurried home to get the fag end of a night'srest. 

Gridley merchants lost but little, in the end, through the seriesof burglaries. Most of the plunder was recovered at the junkshop. 

Bill Stevens was sent to prison for a term of eight years. Phin, being only seventeen, was allowed to plead his youth. In hiscase justice was satisfied with his commitment to a reform schooluntil he should be twenty-one years of age. 

And so ended the story of the mysterious burglaries. 

CHAPTER XXV

Conclusion

One evening about a week after these events Dick and Dave weresitting in the former's room chatting, when Greg Holmes and DanDalzell, apparently in great good humor, broke in upon them. 

"When do you go to West Point, Dick?" queried Greg. 

"I'm ordered to report to the adjutant there on the first of March, "Prescott replied. 

"Mind my running up there with you?" demanded Greg. 

"Why, I'd be tickled to pieces, if you can afford the trip, Greg. "

"Oh, I guess I can, " laughed the other boy. "Dad is going topay my freight bill. "

"See here, you fellows, you can't have been reading the newspapersmuch, since you two were appointed, " broke in Dan Dalzell. 

"What have we missed?" challenged Dave. 

"Why, didn't you know a thing about Senator Frayne and hisappointments?" went on Dan Dalzell. "The Senator doesn't appointfrom a single district. He appoints at large from the whole state. Senator Frayne announced, a while ago, two appointments-at-large, onefor West Point, the other for Annapolis. "

"And we went up to the state capital yesterday, " rattled on Greg. "We went through the examinations. The winners weren't nameduntil this morning. You'll find it in the evening papers, laterto-day. I go to West Point, and Dan goes to Annapolis. "

"What?" yelled Dick, leaping as high as he could jump. 

"Tell it to us again!" begged Darrin huskily. 

"Oh, it's all a fact, straight and right enough, " Greg assuredthem happily. 

Then and there the four chums executed a war dance. It seemedtoo wonderful to believe. 

"But isn't Gridley the whole show?" demanded Dave presently. "Four cadetships in the same year to one little city!"

"Well, we had to win 'em from other comers, " retorted Greg. "Andnone of us are out of the woods yet. We've got to pass at WestPoint and at Annapolis. 

"This is great!" quivered young Prescott. "But wouldn't it begrand if only Tom Reade and Harry Hazelton had gotten in line, too, and gone along into the service with us? Then all of theold Dick & Co. Would have been enrolled under the battle flag. "

"But you know what Tom told us, " put in Darrin. "He said he wouldn'tlive at West Point, and he wouldn't be caught dead at Annapolis. Tom is all for becoming a great civil engineer---a builder ofrailroads and all that sort of thing. "

"Well, Harry Hazelton is just as bad, " said Greg. "He's all fordoing engineer stunts in the wilderness, too. "

"Here they come now, " announced Dan Dalzell. 

Tom and Harry were heartily glad, of course, to hear of the luckthat had befallen Greg and Dan. 

"We were just wishing that you two had fallen into the same kindof luck, and that you were going into uniform with us, " declaredDick. 

Reade glared at Prescott. 

"Humph!" muttered Tom. "I thought you were a friend of mine!"

"I judge it's a mighty good thing we don't all hunger for thesame careers, " laughed Harry. "For instance, all young fellowscan't go into the United Service. There aren't jobs enough togo around. The United States Army is just about big enough tofind with a good magnifying glass. As for the Navy-----"

"Be careful, " warned Darrin touchily. 

"As for the Navy, " continued Hazelton, "Congress has a lot ofofficers trained and then seems to think that one new battleshipevery other year or so ought to keep the country patient. "

"You fellows are going to be downright happy, I know, " resumedTom. "But so are Harry and I. We finish out our High Schoolwork, and then our chance is ahead of us. "

"To _find_?" queried Dave. 

"No, sir! We've _got_ it, " retorted Tom. "It came to us onlyrecently, and Harry and I have been keeping a bit quiet, but nowit is time to tell the news---just in the circle of Dick & Co. "

By dint of great hustling, and backed by recommendations fromthe local civil engineer, Reade and Hazelton had secured a chance, beginning in the coming July, to join as rodmen the engineeringparty that was laying a new railroad over the Rockies, in Colorado. 

Just before the first of March, Dick Prescott and Greg Holmesslipped quietly away, and reported at West Point. 

But what further happened to Dick and Greg---and there was a lotof it---must be reserved for the volumes of the new West Pointseries. 

The first volume will appear under the title, "_Dick Prescott'sFirst Year at West Point; Or, Two Chums in the Cadet Gray_. "

Later on Dave Darrin and Dan Dalzell left Gridley and home forAnnapolis. Their adventures will be followed up in the new Annapolisseries. 

The first volume in this series will be entitled: "_Dave Darrin'sFirst Year at Annapolis; Or, Two Plebes at the Naval Academy_. "

Nor did Tom Reade and Harry Hazelton fail of some very extraordinaryadventures in their chosen career of engineering. Their careerled them into some of the wild spots of the earth. It will allbe told in the Young Engineer series. 

The first volume in this series will appear shortly under thecaption: "_The Young Engineers in Colorado; Or, at Railroad Buildingin Earnest_. "

How about the other Gridley folks whose acquaintance has beenso enjoyable? Fred Ripley? Well, as to Fred---when we firstmade his acquaintance, he was anything but an agreeable fellow, but he learned his lesson in time, and, under the wholesome influenceof Dick & Co. , but especially of Dick Prescott himself, Fred hadbecome a different boy. Such is the effect of good example. 

As to the rest, many of them are bound to appear again, as wefollow the fortunes of our Gridley boys through the tales of WestPoint, the annals of Annapolis and the doings of the Young EngineerBoys. 

So here we will leave them all for the moment, soon to renew theacquaintance of all who had any future share in the lives or thoughtsof the six splendid young Americans who were once known to theirclassmates as Dick & Co. 

THE END