ainst him. Besides, one was a trusted staff writer
for the local paper, and the whole affair was likely to result
in a disagreeable publicity.

"I'll think this all over before I act," returned Mr. Drayne stiffly,
as he took his son by one arm. "Come along, Phin."

As the Draynes moved away each held a handkerchief to his face.

"I don't think much of fighting, and I don't like to do it,"
muttered Darrin, who was beginning to cool down. "But if Heathcote
Drayne had had to do more fighting when he was younger he might
have known how to train that cub of his to be more of a man."

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,