muttered Fremont to Porter.

"What is that?"

"Never tackle the popular idol in any mob. If you can't get along
with him, avoid him---but don't try to buck him!"

"Humph!" retorted Porter. "If you mean Prescott and his gang---Dick
& Co., as the fellows call them---I can follow one part of your
advice by avoiding them. I never did and never could like that
mucker Prescott!"

The fact of interest to Dick would have been that he appeared
to enjoy the respect of at least ninety-five per cent. of the
student body of the High School.

Surely that percentage of popularity is enough for anyone. The
fellow can get along without the approbation of a few "soreheads"!

CHAPTER XVIII

"PRIN." GETS IN THE PRACTICE

If Dodge and Bayliss devoted any time to farewells among their
late fellow-students before quitting Gridley the fact did not
seem to leak out.

Yet despite the absence of two young men who considered themselves
of such great importance the Gridley High School appeared to go
on about the same as ever.

It was the season of football, and nearly of the school's interest
and enthusiasm seemed to spend itself in that direction. Coach
Morton did all in his power to push the team on to perfection;
the other teachers worked harder than ever to keep the interest
of the students sufficiently on their studies. The girls, as
well as the boys, suffered from the infection of the gridiron
microbe.

Five more games with other High School teams were fought out,
and now Gridley had an unbroken record of victories so far for
the season.

Such a history can often be built up in the athletics of a High
School, but it has to be a school attended by the cream of young
manhood and having an abundance of public interest and enthusiasm
behind it all.

Not at any time in the season did Coach Morton allow the training
work to slacken. Regularly the entire squad turned out for field
work. If the afternoon proved to be stormy, then four blasts
on the city fire alarm, at either two o'clock or two-thirty, notified
the young men that they were to report at the gym. instead.
There, the work, though different, was just as severe. The result
was that every youngster in the squad "reeked" with good condition
all through the season.

It is in just this respect that many a High School eleven fails
to "make really good." In a team where discipline is lax some
of the fellows are sure to rebel at spending "all their time tr