Give him proper support and he would be all right," said Dave. "But, in
my opinion, the eleven as it now stands will never win a victory."

"And that is what I think, too," added Roger.

CHAPTER XVII

REORGANIZING THE ELEVEN

On Monday morning the students of Oak Hall were treated to a surprise.
Directly after chapel service Doctor Clay came forward to make an
address. He first spoke about the good work that the pupils were,
generally speaking, doing, and then branched off about the football
game, and the poor exhibition made on the gridiron.

"In the past I have not thought it proper for the head of this
institution to take part in your football and baseball games, contenting
myself with giving you an instructor in the gymnasium alone," he
continued. "But I find that these sports now play a more or less
prominent part in all boarding schools and colleges, and that being so,
I have thought it wise to embrace all field sports in the gymnasium
department. Consequently, from to-day your football elevens, your
baseball nines, and your track athletics, and in fact all your sports,
will be held under the supervision and direction of Mr. Dodsworth, your
gymnasium instructor. He will be assisted by Mr. Dale, who, as you all
know, was once a leading college football and baseball player. These two
gentlemen will aid you in reorganizing your football eleven, and will do
all in their power to give to Oak Hall the victories you all desire."

This announcement came as a bombshell to Rand, Frapley, Poole, and their
cohorts, and it was equally surprising to all of the others who had
played on the eleven.

"That means a shaking-up for us all right," said one of the players. "I
can see somebody getting fired already."

"Do you suppose they intend to take the management away from me and
Rand?" demanded Frapley. "I don't think that is fair. Rand was made
manager by a popular vote."

"If they want me to resign, I'll do it," snapped the manager. He had
been so severely criticised that he was growing tired of it.

"It's a shame that we can't run our club to suit ourselves," grumbled
Nat Poole. "If the teachers are going to do it, maybe they had better do
the playing too."

"Well, they'd play a heap sight better than you did, Nat," was the
remark of another student.

Doctor Clay's announcement created such a stir that the students could
think of little else during the day. All felt that from henceforth
football, baseball