till 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 captain
of the team, "that you were to take a very important part this
year."

"Pshaw! I'd like to know why I'm not," returned the other boy
hotly.

"I think that is regarded as being the general understanding,"
continued Dick. He didn't like this classmate, yet he hated to
give offense or to hurt the other's feelings in any way.

"The general understanding?" repeated Drayne hotly. "Then I can
tell 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., a
gang that tries to boss everything in the High School!

"Cool down a bit," advised young Prescott coolly. "You know well
enough 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 have
sometimes sacrificed our own wishes to what seemed to be the greatest
good of the school."

"Then who is the man who has worked to put me on the shelf in
football?" 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't
be 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't
do just what you fellows wished me to do?

"I was there," pursued Captain Prescott, "and I heard all that
was said, saw all that was done. There was nothing unreasonable
asked of you. Some of the fellows were a good bit worried as
to whether you were really in shape for the game, and they talked
about it among themselves. They didn't intend you to over hear,
but you did, and you took offense. The next thing we knew, you
were hauling off your togs in hot temper, and telling us that
you wouldn't play. You did this in spite of the fact that we
were about to play the last and biggest game of the season."

"I should say I wouldn't play, under such circumstances! Nor
would you, Prescott, had the same thing happened to you."

"I have had worse things happen to me," replied Dick coolly.