banker under their own eyes, with a view of extorting
a reward from the missing man's family. The judge of the local
court finally decided to send both men away for six months on
a charge of vagrancy.

And here the matter seemed to end. Though Lawyer Ripley urged
the prompt payment of the offered reward to Prescott and Darrin,
Mrs. Dodge, influenced by her son, demurred. At Mr. Pollock's
suggestion Dick and Dave promptly drew up and signed a paper releasing
the Dodge family from any claim. This paper was also signed by
the fathers of the two boys, and forwarded to Lawyer Ripley.
That gentleman man returned the paper to Dick, with a statement
that he might have something to communicate at a later date.

Tuesday morning, with many secret misgivings, Coach Morton, who
was also one of the submasters of the High School, posted the
call for the football squad. The call was for three o'clock Thursday
afternoon, at the gym.

"Humph!" was the audible and only comment of Bayliss, as he stood
before the school bulletin board at recess and read the announcement.

"I guess the day for football here has gone by," observed Porter
sneeringly.

"Of interest to ragamuffins only," sneered Paulson, as he turned
away to join Fremont of the senior class.

"Listen to the wild enthusiasm over upholding the school's honor
in athletics," muttered Dave, scowling darkly.

"We knew it was coming," declared Tom Reade.

Abner Cantwell was still principal at Gridley High School, though
that violent-tempered and unpopular pedagogue had been engaged,
this year, only as "substitute" principal. There were rumors
that Dr. Thornton, the former and much-loved principal, would
soon be in sufficiently good health to return. So the Board of
Education had left the way clear for dropping Mr. Cantwell at
any moment that it might see fit.

Dick & Co. had gathered by themselves on this Tuesday, at recess.
They did not discuss the football call, nor its reception by
the "soreheads," for they had known what was coming. Just before
recess was over, however, there were sudden sounds of a riot around
the bulletin board.

"Tear that down!"

"Throw 'em out!"

"Raus mit!"

"The mean cheats!"

There was a surging rush of High School boys for the bulletin
board.

Bayliss and Fremont, both of the senior class, who had just posted
a new notice, were now trying to push their way through an angry
crowd of youngsters that had collected.

"They're