nt to hear."

"Here," continued Dick, handing in another paper, "is a communication
signed by the members of the city's Common Council. They signed
as individuals. They agree to hire the Gridley Military Band,
of twenty-eight pieces, to be on hand at the Thanksgiving game
and to play for our High School eleven."

None of Dick's partners had secured less than twenty-five dollars.

When all the subscriptions had been turned in, and the amount
footed up by Coach Morton, that gentleman announced, in tones
that betrayed excitement:

"The total subscriptions amount to nineteen hundred and sixty-eight
dollars. That will put us on a fine footing for this year, and
leave a good balance over for next year!"

Then the enthusiasm broke loose in earnest. Two score of fans
turned, at once, to find Dick & Co., who had started the scheme.
But Dick & Co. had quietly vanished.

Before it adjourned that night, the Athletics Committee, with
the help of Captain Sam Edgeworth, found one effective way of
rewarding those who had conceived this highly successful subscription
campaign.

Dick Prescott was appointed cheer-master for the great Thanksgiving
Day game. More, Dick was to name any one of his chums as assistant
cheer-master.

As the cheer-master bosses the noise that is so indispensable
a part of the game, the honor that had come to young Prescott
was no mean one. No Gridley freshman had ever before achieved
it.

Dick left to his partners the selection of assistant cheer-master.
_They_ settled on Dave Darrin.

CHAPTER XIV

ON THE GRIDIRON WITH COBBER SECOND

Once upon a time Thanksgiving Day was an orgie conducted in honor
of that national bird, the turkey.

In these happier days, in every live community, the turkey must
wait until the football game has been fought out. Then the adherents
of one eleven eat crow.

Gridley's great game of the year was scheduled to begin at three
o'clock.

However, a large part of the fun, at a really "big" game consists
in being on hand an hour ahead of time and hearing and seeing
all the fun that goes on.

Promptly at the tick of two o'clock the Gridley Band blew its
first blast, to the tune of "Hail, Columbia!"

The band was stationed close to the ground, in the center of the
stand reserved for the High School student body. Off the right
of the band rose four tiers of bright-faced, wholesome-looking
High School girls. To the left of the band sat the boys.

Acr