"Bring your friends along, then," agreed Captain Sam Edgeworth, though he solemnly hoped, under his breath, that he wasn't establishing a fearful precedent by showing such wholesale cordiality to the usually despised freshmen.
"We'll use all six of you as our mascots," laughed Thomp.
"And er—-er—-" began Dick, a bit diffidently, "we have something that we've been talking over, and we want to suggest to you—-if you won't think us all too eternally fresh."
"Anyway, the idea'll have to keep," muttered Edgeworth, as the gong clanged out. "There goes the end of recess."
The long lines were quickly filing in at two entrances? and the work of the school day was on again.
It was barely a quarter of three when Dick & Co. walking two-and-two, came in sight of the otherwise unoccupied store that formed the football headquarters.
"We're too early," muttered Prescott, consulting his watch. "We'll have to take a walk around a few blocks yet, fellows."
"Why?" Dan Dalzell wanted to know. "What difference does a matter of a few minutes make?"
"Haven't you had it rubbed into you enough that you're only a measly freshman?" laughed Dick. "And don't you know a freshman is called a freshman only because he can't dare to do anything that looks the least little bit fresh? From an upper classman's point of view we've had a thumping big privilege accorded us, and we don't want to spoil it by running it into the ground. So I vote for a walk that will make us at least two minutes late going into the football headquarters."
"My vote goes with yours," nodded Dave Darrin.