a sort of leader at Laverport, and he has got a number of
the other newcomers under his thumb. Last night I was down by the
boathouse, and I heard Nat and Frapley talking about you. Nat was very
anxious to do something to 'make you take a back seat,' as he termed it,
and after a while Frapley consented to take the matter up with him."

"What do you suppose they'll do?" questioned Phil, who had listened to
Plum's words with interest.

"I don't know exactly, but they'll do something, you can be sure of
that. More than likely it will be something underhanded."

"I am not afraid of Nat Poole--nor of this Guy Frapley, either," said
Dave.

"Dave has so many friends here, why should he be afraid?" asked Roger.

"Well, I only thought I'd warn you, that's all," answered the former
bully, meekly. "I don't want Dave to have any more trouble if I can help
it."

"It's kind of you, Gus, to tell me of this," answered Dave, heartily.
"And I'll be on my guard. But I really don't think Nat Poole will cut
much of a figure during this term of school. He has lost too many of his
old friends."

But, for once, Dave was mistaken. Nat Poole did "cut a figure," although
not quite in the manner expected, and what he and his cronies did caused
Dave not a little trouble.

CHAPTER IX

THE FOOTBALL MEETING

In a few days Dave felt as much at home as ever. Nearly all of his old
friends had returned to Oak Hall, and dormitories Nos. 11 and 12 were
filled with as bright a crowd of lads as could well be found anywhere.
In the number were Gus Plum and Chip Macklin, but the former was no
longer the bully as of old, and the latter had lost his toadying manner,
and was quite manly, and the other students treated them as if all had
always been the best of friends.

It did Dave's heart good to see the change in Plum, and he was likewise
pleased over the different way in which Macklin acted.

"I never thought it was in Gus and Chip," he said, privately, to Roger.
"It shows what a fellow can do if he sets his mind to it."

"It's to your credit as much as to their own," declared the senator's
son. "I don't believe Gus would have reformed if you hadn't braced him
up."

"I wish I could reform Nat Poole."

"You'll never do it, Dave--but you may scare him into behaving himself."

"Have you met Guy Frapley, Roger--I mean to talk to?"

"Yes, in the gym., where Phil and I were practicing with the Indian
clubs."

"What do you think of him