“And we have to play mostly teams at a good distance from here,” laughed Ben Badger, “for we’ve played the nearby elevens time and again, and Gridley has eaten up the other fellows in such big gulps that we have to get on dates, these days, with teams so far away that they don’t know much about us.”

“But there’s plenty of money in the town,” replied Dick.  “The business men have some of it.  The wealthy people have a lot of it, too.  It is a Gridley brag that the people of this city are public spirited to the last gasp.  Now, if you can get public spirit and money on good speaking terms there wouldn’t need to be any lack of funds for High School athletics.”

“All right,” nodded Edgeworth, trying to conceal a slight impatience “But how are you going to introduce public spirit effectively to money?”

“That’s what we freshmen have been wondering,” Dick replied.  “Now, every student in the Gridley H.S.—–­boy students and girl students—–­gets a share of the reflected glory that comes from the work of one of the best high school elevens in the United States.  So, as we see it, the whole student body should get together in the raising of funds.  And when I say ‘funds,’ I don’t mean pennies or dimes.”

“This is becoming interesting,” called out Ben Badger.

“That my chums and I would suggest,” Dick continued, “is that the whole student body of Gridley H.S. be enlisted, and sent out to scour the town, holding, out a subscription paper that is properly worded at the top.”

“How worded?” demanded Ted Butler.

“My freshmen chums and I have prepared a draft of the paper.  May I read what we suggest as a heading for the paper?”

“Hear!  Hear!” cried a dozen.

“Thank you,” Prescott acknowledged, gratefully.  Then, drawing a paper from his pocket, he read as follows: 

"’Gridley is justly proud of its public spirit, and rejoices in having the best in several lines.  Few if any cities in the United States possess a High School football team that can down the eleven from Gridley H.S.  We are proud of our High School, and as proud of its reputation in athletics.  We believe that Gridley prominence in athletics should be fostered in every way, and we know that real athletics cost money—–­a lot of it!  We, The Undersigned, therefore subscribe to the Athletic Committee of Gridley H.S. the amounts of public spirit set down opposite our names in dollars.’"

After Dick Prescott had ceased reading it took nearly a full minute for the cleverness of this direct appeal to local pride to strike home in the minds of the football squad.  Then loud applause broke loose.

“Freshie!” roared Sam Edgeworth, over the din, “that’s genius, compressed into a hundred words!”

“It’s O.K.!” declared Thompson, with heavy emphasis.

“Bully!” roared Ben Badger.

Then one pessimist was heard from: 

“It’s good, but it takes something mighty good to force people to part with their own cash.”