"This little meeting has put us straight on the affair," remarked Sam Randall. "Our only chance to win out is to stick together. The student body elected us to take charge of the athletic interests of the High; and, in doing so, they gave us rights which we must now force them to recognize. If they have common sense enough to do so, the rest ought to be easy."
The boys enjoyed the evening more than any had anticipated, and, on taking leave of one another, each firmly resolved to show the enemy a bold, determined front.
CHAPTER XVI
TOM IS "RATTLED"
"The fourth straight," said Aleck Parks. "The 'Hopes' are mowing 'em down as easily as a scythe cuts grass. How's that for playing, Luke Phelps? Wasn't yesterday's game a peach? Nine to six against Willington. Roycroft cracked out a homer, a two-base hit and a single. Oh, yes; that's going some. I saw 'Vanitas' sneaking around in the crowd looking kind of pale."
"If the Ramblers lose the next game they'll be yanked from their jobs as fast as a vacuum cleaner sucks up dust," remarked Phelps, complacently. "They go over to play the Engletons again to-morrow."
"Another bucket of white stuff for the official record," growled Parks. "Let's get away. Here comes 'Checkered-Cap.'"
"Afraid of him?" laughed Luke.
"No! It's his own safety I'm thinking about. Ever since I met him I've had a hard time to keep from handing him something that might disturb his center of gravity."