Old Put thought the matter over for a few moments. He finally said:
"I don't want to do any man injustice, but the turn affairs have taken leads me to think it would be a good plan to drop our spare men entirely and put full dependence on a settled crew."
Frank was silent, and so Putnam asked:
"What do you think of that?"
"I think it is a very good plan, and I approve of it."
"Then it is settled. They shall be dropped at once, although it seems that the mischief is done now."
"There may be no mischief in it, for the sophs ridicule the innovations introduced, and they are surer than ever that they will have a soft thing of it.
"They have been fooled several times this fall. I am sorry we shall not be able to spring our innovations as a surprise, but we may give them a warm time just the same."
That day Putnam informed the spare men that he did not think they would be needed any more in training, but asked them to keep in condition till after the race, in case anything might happen that they were wanted.
Gordon was enraged immediately, for he had held on and worked through everything with the belief that he would finally be given a place on the crew.