CHAPTER VIII

Dick Puts “A Better Man” in His Place

Of course Dick heard no more from the Draynes.  He didn’t expect that he would.

Phin, however, was noticed no more on the streets of the little city.  Then, in some way, it leaked out that his father had sent him to a military boarding school where the discipline was credited with being very rigid.

“I guess papa has found that his little boy was none too much of an angel,” laughed Dave Darrin when discussing the news with his chums.

The first four games of the season went off successfully for Gridley, though all were hard battles in which only fine leadership and splendid team work by all saved the day.

Two of these games had been played on the home grounds, two away from home.  The fifth game of the season was scheduled to be played on the home grounds.  The opponent for this game was to be Hallam Heights High School.  The Hallam boys were a somewhat aristocratic lot, but not snobbish, and the Gridley young men looked forward to an exciting and pleasant game.  It was the first game ever played between Gridley and Hallam Heights.  Coach Morton talked about the strangers one rainy afternoon in the gymnasium.

“I believe you’re going to find yourselves up against a hard proposition,” declared coach slowly “These young men attend a High School where no expense is spared.  Some of the wealthy men of the town engage the physical director, who is one of the best men in his class.  Speight, who was at college with me, is engaged in addition as the football coach.  I remember Speight as one of the cleverest and most dangerous men we had at college.  He could think up a whole lot of new field tricks overnight.  Then again, most of the Hallam Heights boys are young fellows who go away for athletic summers.  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 the year 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.  Hallam Heights has played five games and won them all.  The Hallam youngsters are out to capture the record that Gridley has held for some time that of capturing all the games of the season.”

“Bring ’em on!” begged Darrin.  “I wish we had ’em here to play just as soon as the rain lets up.”

“Don’t make the mistake of thinking that, because the Hallam boys have rich fathers, they’re dudes, who can’t play on wet ground,” laughed Mr. Morton.

“If Hallam sends forth such terrors,” grinned Dick, rising from the bench on which he had been sitting, “then we must get in trim for ’em.  Come on, fellows; some of the light speedy exercises.  I’ll work you up to all the speed you can take care of, this afternoon.”