The High School Captain of the Team | Page 3

Dr. Thornton's ill-health, Abner Cantwell, a man with an uncontrollable
temper, came temporarily to the principal's chair. To everybody's great
delight, at the beginning of this their senior year, Dr. Thornton had
returned to his position fully restored to his former vigor and health.
In "_The High School Pitcher_" Dick & Co., then sophomores, were

shown in some fine work with the Gridley High School nine, and Dick
had serious, even dangerous, Trouble, with mean, treacherous enemies
that he made.
In "The High School Left End," Dick & Co., juniors, made their real
entrance into High School athletics by securing places in the school
football eleven. It was in this year that there occurred the famous strife
between the "soreheads" and their enemies, whom the former termed
the "muckers." The "soreheads" were the sons of certain aristocratic
families who resolved to secede from football in case any of the
members of Dick & Co. or of other poor Gridley families, were
allowed to make places on the team. As the group of "soreheads"
contained a few young men who were really absolutely necessary to the
success of the Gridley High School football eleven, the strife threatened
to put Gridley in the back row as far as football went.
But Dick, with his characteristic vigor, went after the "soreheads" in the
columns of "The Blade." He covered them with ridicule and scorn so
that the citizens of the town began to take a hand in the matter as soon
as their public pride was aroused.
The "soreheads" were driven, then, to apply for places in the football
squad. Only those most needed, however, had been admitted, and the
rest had retired in sullen admission of defeat.
Two of the latter, Bayliss and Bert Dodge, carried matters so far,
however, that they were actually forced out of the High School and left
Gridley to go to a preparatory school elsewhere.
The hostile attempts of young Ripley, of Dodge, Drayne and others to
injure Dick & Co. have been fully related in the four volumes of the
"_High School Boys' Vacation Series_." This series deals with the good
times enjoyed by Dick & Co. during their first three summers as high
school boys. These stories are replete with summer athletics, and a host
of exciting adventures. The four volumes of this Vacation Series are
published under the titles: "_The High School Boys' Canoe Club_,"
"The High School Boys in Summer Camp," "_The High School Boys
Fishing Trip_" and "_The High School Boys' Training Hike_."

This present year no "sorehead" movement had been attempted. Every
student who honestly wanted to play football presented himself at the
school gymnasium, on the afternoon named by Coach Morton for the
call, including Drayne, who had been one of the original "soreheads."
Drayne afterwards returned to the football fold, behaving with absurd
childishness at the big Thanksgiving game, as our readers will recall.
Leaving Coach Morton, Captain Prescott hurried away to take charge
of the practice.
"Come, Mr. Drayne!" called Coach Morton "Get into the tackling work,
and be sure to mix it up lively."
"Just a moment, coach, if you please," begged Drayne.
"Well, Drayne?" asked Mr. Morton
"Captain Prescott has just been telling me that I'm to be only a sort of
sub this year."
"Well, he's captain," replied the submaster.
"Huh! I thought it was all Prescott's fine work!" sneered Phin.
"You're wrong there, Mr. Drayne," rejoined the coach frankly. "As a
matter of fact, it was I who suggested that you be cast for light work
this year."
"Oh!" muttered Drayne
"Yes; if you feel like blaming anyone, blame me, not Prescott. You
know, Drayne, you didn't behave very well last Thanksgiving Day."
"I admit that my behavior was unreasonable, sir. But you know, Mr.
Morton, that I'm one of the valuable men."
"There's a crowd of valuable men this year, Drayne," smiled the
submaster.

"On the strongest pledge that I can give you, Mr. Morton, will you
allow me to play regular quarter-back this season?" begged the quitter
of the year before.
"I would give the idea more thought if Prescott recommended it; but I
doubt if he would," answered Mr. Morton slowly. "Personally, Drayne,
I don't approve of putting you on strong this year. The quitter's
reputation Drayne, is one that can't ever be really lived down, you
know."
Though coach's manner was mild enough, there was look of the
resolute eyes of this famous college athlete that made Phin Drayne
realized how I hopeless it was to expect any consideration from him.
"All right then Mr. Morton," he replied huskily. "I'll do my best on a
small showing, and take what comes to me."
Yet, as he walked slowly over to join the tacklers around the swinging
figure, the hot blood came again to