"A team that has got a captain like that doesn't deserve to win," was
the comment of one of the other cadets.

"Say, Slugger, why don't you get to work and see if you can't boost Gif
Garrison out of his place? He has no more right to be captain of the
eleven than you have."

"Easy enough to say," growled Brown. "But Garrison has too many of the
fellows under his thumb. Oh, I don't care--they can go to grass with
their old football games!" And then Slugger Brown stalked off by
himself to nurse his wrath as best he could. He was very bitter against
Jack.

"It's all that Rover boy's fault," he muttered to himself. "I don't
wonder Nappy is down on that crowd."

The recent cold snap had given way to weather that was quite balmy;
and, being unable to put in his off time in football practice, Jack
remembered what he had said to Ruth Stevenson about a row on the river.
He consulted with Fred, and then the pair managed to get a message to
both Ruth and May Powell; and in return received word that the two
girls would be pleased to go out the following afternoon about four
o'clock.

"Gee! you fellows will have a dandy time," remarked Randy, when he
heard of this. "Why didn't you let us know?"

"Four in one of those rowboats is about enough," answered Jack. "But if
you and Andy want to go out, why don't you get another boat and send
word to a couple of the other girls?"

"All right! Let's do it," answered Andy, quickly; and the upshot of the
matter was that they telephoned over to Clearwater Hall and made an
arrangement with Alice Strobell and Annie Larkins.

"It's a shame we can't ask Jennie Mason, too," said Randy, who
remembered the fifth girl who had been in the crowd at the moving
picture theater.

"You won't have to worry about Jennie," answered Alice Strobell, over
the telephone. "She has a date with somebody else."

The Rover boys had already arranged about the boats, and promptly on
time they set off down the river in the direction of the lake. They had
to row past the several docks of the town, and then drew up at a small
wharf, leading up to the Clearwater Hall grounds.

When the girls appeared, they were accompanied by one of the teachers,
who had been sent down, evidently, for the purpose of looking the
cadets over.

"Now remember, do not stay out any later than six o'clock," said the
teacher, as the girls were entering the two rowboats, assisted by the
boys.

"Oh, we'll have to come back a little