"No, sir-ree! That doesn't go. South Grammar wants the whole thing put through in town-meeting style. Let every fellow here have his say."
"Will that be agreeable to the North Grammar?" asked Dick, glancing at Martin.
"Not much," retorted Hi. "South Grammar has twice as many fellows here as we have, and Central has a bigger crowd present than both other schools put together. Let's have committees and organize 'em into a council."
"We Souths won't stand for anything but town-meeting style," bawled Ted Teall.
"But we haven't enough fellows for that," objected Hi strenuously.
"Why didn't you bring more?" jeered Ted. "Did the rest of your fellows have to go home to put on clean collars and practise on the piano?"
"We shan't get anywhere unless the Souths put forward a more gentlemanly fellow to speak for them," remarked Hi with stiff dignity.
"Fight!" yelled one boy hopefully.
The surging and pushing began all over again, but Dick managed to make his voice carry over the hubbub.
"Fellows, what ails you all?" he cried. "Are we going to have it said that the Grammar School fellows of Gridley haven't brains and manners enough to get together and discuss an ordinary question or two?"