Oak Hall victorious, left the meeting in disgust.

"This is the worst I was ever up against!" murmured Roger. "Talk about
ingratitude! And just think that once Phil nearly lost his life to help
us win!"

"And think of how hard Dave and you worked," put in a sympathizer. "It's
a burning shame, that's what it is."

"Well, there is one satisfaction," said Dave, as calmly as he could,
although he was as depressed as any one. "It is on their shoulders now
to make good. We haven't anything on that score to worry about."

"I'll tell you what let's do!" cried Phil. "We'll organize a scrub
eleven, and wax 'em out of their shoes!"

"I don't believe they'll play you--they are afraid," said Buster.

"Never mind, then we'll play somebody else. We can challenge them,
anyway. If they are afraid of us we want the whole school to know it."

Phil's idea met with considerable favor, and he easily persuaded Dave,
Roger, Sam, Gus Plum, and a number of others to join his scrub eleven,
which was named the Old Guard. Phil was manager as well as captain, and
played right half-back, while Dave was quarter-back, and Roger was
center. The eleven went into practice with as much vigor as if they were
training for some championship games.

As had been anticipated, the regular eleven tried to ignore the Old
Guard. When a challenge to play was issued, John Rand sent back word
that he could fix up his own scrub eleven without any help from
outsiders. His scrub was made up of freshmen and, of course, the regular
team beat them with ease.

"Never mind--they are afraid of us--and we'll let everybody know it,"
declared Roger. And then the challenge from the Old Guard to the regular
eleven was posted up in the gymnasium, where all might see it. It was
torn down over night, but a new copy was put up by the following noon.

As was to be expected, the challenge created much talk, and Phil and
Frapley almost came to blows about it. Phil and his chums were accused
of trying to break up the good feeling of the school in general, and, in
return, the shipowner's son very bluntly told the new captain of the
school eleven that he would lead Oak Hall to defeat.

"It's time enough to talk like that after we are beaten," declared Guy
Frapley, grimly. Then it was announced that the regular Oak Hall
football eleven would play the opening game of the season against an
eleven from Lemington on a Saturday afternoon, the contest to take place
on the Lemington Athle