except one man, who skulked at the rear.

"There's the hoodlum," continued Dan excitedly, one hand over
his left breast. He pointed to the Fordham player skulking at
the rear. "That fellow deliberately gave me the elbow over the
heart 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, Fordham
hotly 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 like
gentlemen."

"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!" quivered
Barnes.

"It's always the truth that stings," retorted Dick, with a cool
smile.

"My fist would hurt, too."

"That's what we're asking you to do---to save all your slugging
and bruising tactics until after a straight and gentlemanly game
has been played," retorted Dick, with spirit.

Barnes clenched his fists, but the referee stepped squarely in
between the rival captains.

"Cut it!" directed that official tersely. "I'll do all the talking
myself. Captain Barnes, return to your men and tell them that
slugging and tricky work will be watched for more carefully, and
penalized as heavily as the rules allow. If it goes too far I'll
declare the game forfeited to the visiting team."

"This is a shame!" fumed Barnes. "And the whole charge is a mass
of lies."

"I'll watch out and see," promised---or threatened---the referee.
"Back to your positions. Captain Barnes, I'll give you thirty
seconds to pass the word around among your men."

"That black-haired prize-fighter with the mole on his chin tries
to give me his knee every time we meet in a scrimmage," growled
Hudson to Dick. "If he carries it any further, I think I know
a kick that will put his ankle out of business!"

"Then don't you dare use it," warned Dick sternly. "No matter
what the other fellows do, our team is playing a square, honest
game every minute of both halves!"

The referee had signaled them to positions. The Gridley boys
leaped into place.

Play was resumed. In the next three plays Fordham, under the
now more keenly watchful eyes of the officials, failed to make
the required distance, and lost