PAGE
THE REVOLVING DRUMS _Frontispiece_
A MATCH WAS UNDER WAY 47
"MAY I SPEAK, SIR?" 90
IN THE FINISHING DEPARTMENT 137
THE THREE MEN STEPPED FORWARD 164
HE SENT THE MAN SPINNING INTO THE CROWD 219

[Illustration]

THE STORY OF LEATHER

CHAPTER I

THE THUNDERBOLT

Peter Coddington sat in the afternoon sunshine on the steps of his big
colonial home looking absently out over the circular drive, and the
quaint terraced garden, to the red-tiled roof of the garage beyond. But
he was not thinking of the garage; he could not, in fact, even have told
you the color of its vivid tiling. No! He had far more important things
to think of than that--disquieting things which worried him and made him
very unhappy. For about the twentieth time he took from his pocket his
school report and ran his eye down the column of figures written upon
the white card. He did not read because the reading gave him pleasure.
Neither was the bit of pasteboard white any more. Instead it was thumbed
and worn at the corners until it had gradually assumed a dismal grayish
hue--a color quite in harmony with Peter's own mood.

Peter really did not need to look at the report at all, for already he
could close his eyes and see before him in glaring type:

Algebra 40
History 20
Latin 30
French 30
Drawing 25

What a horrible fascination there was in those marks! He found himself
repeating them aloud to impress upon his mind the fact that they
actually were true. But what was far more tragic than these testimonials
of defeat was a foot-note written in red ink in the well-known hand of
Mr. Christopher, the principal of the school. It read:

"In consequence of Peter Coddington's poor scholarship and
unsatisfactory deportment it is against the rules of the Milburn High
School that he retain any position in school athletics until such time
as both his studies and his conduct reach the standard required by the
school authorities."

It was that single sentence that made Peter's face so grave. The marks
alone were bad enough. He was heartily ashamed of them because he knew
that if he had studied even a reasonable amount of time he could easily
have passed in every subject. It was by no means difficult work for a
boy of his ability. But