It was well along in the forenoon when Bayliss, returning homeward in sweater and running togs, espied Bert’s white, wan face near the front door.  Bayliss signaled cordially to young Dodge, who, glad of this kindliness at such a time, went down the walk to the gate.

“No news of your father yet, I suppose?” asked Bayliss.

“No,” sighed Bert.

“Too bad, old fellow!”

“Yes; the uncertainty is pretty tough on us all,” Dodge replied.

“Oh, you’ll hear before the day is out, and the news will be all right, too,” declared Bayliss, with well-meant cheeriness.  “Then you’ll be with us on the morning cross-countries again.  We missed you a whole lot this morning, Bert.”

“Did you?” asked young Dodge, brightening.

“Yes; and, by the way, we’ve decided on our course—–­for our set, you know.  We’re going to ignore the football call next week.  If Coach Morton asks us any questions, then we’ll let him know how the land lies.  We won’t try to make the High School team if the muckers are allowed the same show.  We’ll have a select crowd on the eleven, this year, or else all of our set will stay off.”

“The muckers have some good football men among them, too,” grumbled Bert.  “Of course for that gang that call themselves Dick & Co we can’t any more than make guesses.  But some of them would be handy on an eleven I guess.”

“Yes; if they were not muckers,” agreed Bayliss loftily.  “But there are enough of our own kind to make as good an eleven as Gridley High School ever had.”

“It’s a pity we can’t get up our own eleven play the muckers, just once, and beat them out for the right to represent Gridley.”

“It wouldn’t be so bad an idea.  But they might beat us,” retorted Bayliss dryly.  “So, on the whole, our fellows have decided not to pay any heed whatever to Dick & Co. or any of the other muckers.  After this the line must be drawn, at High School, between the gentlemen and the other kind.”

“All plans looking in that direction will have my hearty support,” pledged Bert Dodge.

“I know it, old fellow.”

“It’s queer that the question never came up before about the muckers,” Bert mused.

“We never had Dick & Co. in school athletics, until last year,” replied Bayliss significantly.

“That fellow, Prescott, is about the worst-----”

Bert Dodge stopped right there.  Bayliss, too, started and turned.  Around the nearest corner some folks were making a big noise.  Then around the corner came two autos, while a crowd raced along on the sidewalks.

“Hurrah!  Mr. Dodge is found.  Dick Prescott and Dave Darrin found him!” shouted a score of urchins in the crowd.

Bert and Bayliss both gasped.  Then the autos slowed up at the curb before the gate.  The police prisoners were still in the second car.

Bert took a look, recognized his father, despite the strange look in that parent’s face.