The High School Captain of the Team; or, Dick & Co. Leading the Athletic Vanguard by H. Irving Hancock
Produced by Jim Ludwig
THE HIGH SCHOOL CAPTAIN OF THE TEAM
or Dick & Co. Leading the Athletic Vanguard
By H. Irving Hancock
CONTENTS
CHAPTERS I. "Kicker" Drayne Revolts II. A Hint from the Girls III. Putting the Tag on the Sneak IV. The Traitor Gets His Deserts V. "Brass" for an Armor Plate VI. One of the Fallen VII. Dick Meets the Boy-With-A-Kick VIII. Dick Puts "A Better Man" in His Place IX. Could Dave Make Good? X. Leading the Town to Athletics XI. The "King Deed" of Daring XII. The Nerve of the Soldier XIII. Dick Begins to Feel Old XIV. Fordham Plays the Gentleman's Game XV. "We'll Play the Gentleman's Game XVI. Gridley's Last Charge XVII. The Long Gray ColumnXVIII. The Would-Be Candidates XIX. Tom Reade Bosses the Job XX. When the Great News was Given Out XXI. Gridley Seniors Whoop It Up XXII. The Message From the UnknownXXIII. The Plight of the Innocent XXIV. Dave Gives Points to the Chief of Police XXV. Conclusion
CHAPTER I
"Kicker" Drayne Revolts
"I'm going to play quarter-back," declared Drayne stolidly.
"You?" demanded Captain Dick Prescott, looking at the aspirantin stolid wonder.
"Of course," retorted Drayne. "It's the one position I'm bestfitted for of all on the team."
"Do you mean that you're better fitted for that post than anyoneelse on the team?" inquired Prescott. "Or that it's the positionthat best fits your talents?"
"Both," replied Drayne.
Dick Prescott glanced out over Gridley High School's broad athleticfield.
A group of the middle men of the line, and their substitutes,had gathered around Coach Morton.
On another part of the field Dave Darrin was handling a squadof new football men, teaching how to rush in and tackle the swinginglay figure.
Still others, under Greg Holmes, were practicing punt kicks.
Drayne's face was flushed, and, though he strove to hide the fact,there was an anxious look there.
"I didn't quite understand, Drayne," continued the young captainof the team, "that you were to take a very important part thisyear."
"Pshaw! I'd like to know why I'm not," returned the other boyhotly.
"I think that is regarded as being the general understanding,"continued Dick. He didn't like this classmate, yet he hated togive offense or to hurt the other's feelings in any way.
"The general understanding?" repeated Drayne hotly. "Then I cantell the man who started that understanding."
"I think I can, too," Prescott answered, smiling patiently.
"It was you, Dick Prescott! You, the leader of Dick & Co., agang that tries to boss everything in the High School!
"Cool down a bit," advised young Prescott coolly. "You know wellenough that the little band of chums who have been nicknamed Dick& Co. don't try to run things in the High School. You know, too,Drayne, if you'll be honest about it, that my chums and I havesometimes sacrificed our own wishes to what seemed to be the greatestgood of the school."
"Then who is the man who has worked to put me on the shelf infootball?" insisted the other boy, eyeing Dick menacingly.
"Yourself, Drayne!"
"What are you talking about?" cried Drayne, more angry than before.
"Don't be blind, Drayne," continued the young captain. "And don'tbe silly enough to pretend that you don't know just what I mean.You remember last Thanksgiving Day?"
"Oh, that?" said Drayne, contemptuously. "Just because I wouldn'tdo just what you fellows wished me to do?
"I was there," pursued Captain Prescott, "and I heard all thatwas said, saw all that was done. There was nothing unreasonableasked of you. Some of the fellows were a good bit worried asto whether you were really in shape for the game, and they talkedabout it among themselves. They didn't intend you to over hear,but you did, and you took offense. The next thing we knew, youwere hauling off your togs in hot temper, and telling us thatyou wouldn't play. You did this in spite of the fact that wewere about to play the last and biggest game of the season."
"I should say I wouldn't play, under such circumstances! Norwould you, Prescott, had the same thing happened to you."
"I have had worse things happen to me," replied Dick coolly."I have been hectored to pieces, at times, both on the baseballand football teams. The hectoring has even gone so far that Ihave had to fight, more than once. But never sulked in dressingquarters and refused to go on the field."
"No!" taunted Drayne. "And a good reason why. You craved toget out, always, and make grand stand plays!"
"I suppose I'm as fond of applause from the grand stand as anyother natural fellow," laughed Dick good-humoredly. "But I'lltell you one thing, Drayne: I never hear a murmur of what comesfrom the grand stand until the game is over. I play for the successof the team to which I belong, and listening to applause wouldtake my mind off the plays. But, candidly, what the fellows haveagainst you, is that you're a quitter. You throw down your togsat a critical moment, and tell us you won't play, just becauseyour fearfully sensitive feelings have been hurt. Now, a sportsmandoesn't do that."
"Oh, it's all right for you to take on that mighty superior air,and try to lecture me," retorted Drayne gruffly.
"I'm not lecturing you. But the fellows chose me to lead theteam this year, and the captain is the spokesman of the team.He also has to attend to its disagreeable business. Don't blameme, Drayne, and don't blame anyone else-----"
"Captain Prescott!" sounded the low, but clean-cut, penetratingvoice of Mr. Morton, submaster and football coach of the GridleyHigh School.
"Coming, sir!" answered Dick promptly.
Then he added, to Drayne:
"Just blame your own conduct for the decision that was reachedby coach and myself after listening to the instructions of thealumni Athletics Committee."
Dick moved away at a loping run, for football practice was limitedto an hour and a half in an afternoon, and he knew there wasno time to be frittered.
"Oh, you sneak!" quivered Drayne, clenching his hands as he scowledat the back of the captain. "It was you who brought up the olddispute. It is you who are keeping me from any decent chancethis last year of mine in the High School. I won't stand it!I'll shake the dust from my feet on this crowd. I won't remainin the squad, just for a possible chance to sub in some smallgame!"
His face still hot with what he considered righteous indignation,Drayne felt better as soon as he had decided to shake the crowd.
In an instant, however, he changed his mind. A sly, exultantlook came into his eyes.
"On second thought I believe I won't quit," he grinned to himself."I'll stay---I'll drill---and I'll get good and square with thischeap crowd, captained by a cheap man! Gridley hasn't lost agame in years. Well, you chaps shall lose more than one gamethis year! I'll teach you! I'll make this a year that shallnever be forgotten by humbled Gridley pride!"
Just what Phin Drayne was planning will doubtless be made plainere long.
Readers of the preceding volumes in this series are already familiarwith nearly all the people, young and old, of both sexes, whomthey are now to meet again. In the first volume, "_The High SchoolFreshmen_," our readers became acquainted with Dick Prescott,Dave Darrin, Greg Holmes, Dan Dalzell, Tom Reade and Harry Hazelton,six young chums who, back in their days in the Central GrammarSchool Gridley, had become fast friends, and had become knownas Dick & Co.
These chums played together, planned together, entered all sportstogether. They were inseparable. All were manly young
In the first year at High School the boys, being mere freshmen, couldnot expect to enter any of the school's athletic teams. Yet,as our readers know, Dick and his friends found many a quiet wayto boost local interest and pride in High School athletics. Dick& Co. also indulged in many merry and startlingly novel pranks.Dick secured an amateur position as space reporter on "The Blade,"the morning newspaper of the little city, and was assigned, amongother things, to look after the news end of the transactions ofthe Board of Education. The "influence" that young Prescott securedin that way doubtless saved him from having grave trouble, orbeing expelled when, owing to Dr. Thornton's ill-health, AbnerCantwell, a man with an uncontrollable temper, came temporarilyto the principal's chair. To everybody's great delight, at thebeginning of this their senior year, Dr. Thornton had returnedto his position fully restored to his former vigor and health.
In "_The High School Pitcher_" Dick & Co., then sophomores, wereshown in some fine work with the Gridley High School nine, andDick had serious, even dangerous, Trouble, with mean, treacherousenemies that he made.
In "_The High School Left End_," Dick & Co., juniors, made theirreal entrance into High School athletics by securing places inthe school football eleven. It was in this year that there occurredthe famous strife between the "soreheads" and their enemies, whomthe former termed the "muckers." The "soreheads" were the sonsof certain aristocratic families who resolved to secede from footballin case any of the members of Dick & Co. or of other poor Gridleyfamilies, were allowed to make places on the team. As the groupof "soreheads" contained a few young men who were really absolutelynecessary to the success of the Gridley High School football eleven,the strife threatened to put Gridley in the back row as far asfootball went.
But Dick, with his characteristic vigor, went after the "soreheads"in the columns of "The Blade." He covered them with ridiculeand scorn so that the citizens of the town began to take a handin the matter as soon as their public pride was aroused.
The "soreheads" were driven, then, to apply for places in thefootball 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 sofar, however, that they were actually forced out of the High Schooland left Gridley to go to a preparatory school elsewhere.
The hostile attempts of young Ripley, of Dodge, Drayne and othersto injure Dick & Co. have been fully related in the four volumesof the "_High School Boys' Vacation Series_." This series dealswith the good times enjoyed by Dick & Co. during their firstthree summers as high school boys. These stories are repletewith summer athletics, and a host of exciting adventures. Thefour volumes of this Vacation Series are published under the titles:"_The High School Boys' Canoe Club_," "_The High School Boys inSummer Camp_," "_The High School Boys Fishing Trip_" and "_TheHigh School Boys' Training Hike_."
This present year no "sorehead" movement had been attempted.Every student who honestly wanted to play football presented himselfat the school gymnasium, on the afternoon named by Coach Mortonfor 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 chargeof the practice.
"Come, Mr. Drayne!" called Coach Morton "Get into the tacklingwork, 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 onlya 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 castfor 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 ThanksgivingDay."
"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 thesubmaster.
"On the strongest pledge that I can give you, Mr. Morton, willyou allow me to play regular quarter-back this season?" beggedthe 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. Thequitter's reputation Drayne, is one that can't ever be reallylived down, you know."
Though coach's manner was mild enough, there was look of the resoluteeyes of this famous college athlete that made Phin Drayne realizedhow I hopeless it was to expect any consideration from him.
"All right then Mr. Morton," he replied huskily. "I'll do mybest on a small showing, and take what comes to me."
Yet, as he walked slowly over to join the tacklers around theswinging figure, the hot blood came again to young Drayne's face.
"I'll make this year a year of sorrow Gridley!" he quivered indignantly."I'll hang on, and make believe I'm meek as a lamb, but I'llspoil Gridley's record for this year! There was in olden timesa chap who had a famous knack for getting square with people whoused him the wrong way. I wish I could remember his name at thismoment."
Drayne couldn't recall the name at the time, but another namethat might have served Drayne to remember at this instant was---
Benedict Arnold.