lls 'em to and are scared to death for fear he will eat
'em up. It's awfully funny, the way he bosses things. I don't believe
there are half a dozen fellows in school who wouldn't jump into the
river if Horace told them to. And the worst of it is, you know, he isn't
the best fellow in the world to be leader."

"How about you?" asked Roy. "You're not one of his slaves, are you?"

"Me? Bless you, no! Horace and I had our little scrap two years ago and
since then he has given me up for lost. Same way with Jack Rogers.
Jack's the only chap that can make Horace stand around. Jack could have
taken the lead himself if he'd wanted to, but the only thing he thinks
of is football. Horace hates him like poison, but he makes believe he
likes him. You see, Horace was up for captain this year and would have
got it, too, if Johnny King hadn't made a lot of the team promise last
Fall to vote for Jack. It wasn't exactly fair, I guess, but Johnny knew
that Horace would never do for football captain. So that's the reason
Horace has it in for him."

"Well, he will never get me to lick his boots for him," said Roy
decisively.

Chub looked at him smilingly a moment. Then,

"No, I don't believe he will. But you'll have a hard row to hoe for a
while, for Horace can make it mighty unpleasant for a chap if he wants
to."

"He's done it already," answered Roy.

"Oh, that's nothing," was the cheerful reply. "Wait till he gets to
going. He can be mighty nasty when he tries. And he can be fairly
decent, too. He isn't a coward like Otto Ferris, you see; he's got a
lot of good stuff in him, only it doesn't very often get out."

"He's a Second Senior, isn't he?"

"Yes, he's been here six years already, too. He isn't much on study, and
Emmy gets ripping mad with him sometimes. Two years ago he didn't pass
and Emmy told him he'd keep him in the Second Middle for six years if he
didn't do better work. So Horace buckled down that time and moved up.
Well, say, we paddle back. You stay where you are if you're tired; I can
make it against this little old tide all right."

But Roy declared he wasn't tired and took up his paddle again. As they
neared the school landing the rowboat came drifting down from the end of
the island, the half dozen lads inside of it shouting and laughing
loudly. Suddenly Roy started to his feet.

"Sit down!" cried Chub sharply.

Roy sat down, not so much on account of the command as because he had
started the canoe to ro