Part 13 (1/2)

”Nat Poole and one of the fellows from Laverport, a chap named Guy Frapley, are very good friends--in fact, I think they are related. This Frapley was a sort of leader at Laverport, and he has got a number of the other newcomers under his thumb. Last night I was down by the boathouse, and I heard Nat and Frapley talking about you. Nat was very anxious to do something to 'make you take a back seat,' as he termed it, and after a while Frapley consented to take the matter up with him.”

”What do you suppose they'll do?” questioned Phil, who had listened to Plum's words with interest.

”I don't know exactly, but they'll do something, you can be sure of that. More than likely it will be something underhanded.”

”I am not afraid of Nat Poole--nor of this Guy Frapley, either,” said Dave.

”Dave has so many friends here, why should he be afraid?” asked Roger.

”Well, I only thought I'd warn you, that's all,” answered the former bully, meekly. ”I don't want Dave to have any more trouble if I can help it.”

”It's kind of you, Gus, to tell me of this,” answered Dave, heartily.

”And I'll be on my guard. But I really don't think Nat Poole will cut much of a figure during this term of school. He has lost too many of his old friends.”

But, for once, Dave was mistaken. Nat Poole did ”cut a figure,” although not quite in the manner expected, and what he and his cronies did caused Dave not a little trouble.

CHAPTER IX

THE FOOTBALL MEETING

In a few days Dave felt as much at home as ever. Nearly all of his old friends had returned to Oak Hall, and dormitories Nos. 11 and 12 were filled with as bright a crowd of lads as could well be found anywhere.

In the number were Gus Plum and Chip Macklin, but the former was no longer the bully as of old, and the latter had lost his toadying manner, and was quite manly, and the other students treated them as if all had always been the best of friends.

It did Dave's heart good to see the change in Plum, and he was likewise pleased over the different way in which Macklin acted.

”I never thought it was in Gus and Chip,” he said, privately, to Roger.

”It shows what a fellow can do if he sets his mind to it.”

”It's to your credit as much as to their own,” declared the senator's son. ”I don't believe Gus would have reformed if you hadn't braced him up.”

”I wish I could reform Nat Poole.”

”You'll never do it, Dave--but you may scare him into behaving himself.”

”Have you met Guy Frapley, Roger--I mean to talk to?”

”Yes, in the gym., where Phil and I were practicing with the Indian clubs.”

”What do you think of him?”

”I think he is fairly aching to become the leader of the school. He was leader at Laverport, and it breaks his heart to play second fiddle to anybody here. He and Nat are as thick as two peas. They tell me he is a great football player, so I suppose he will try to run the eleven--if the fellows will let him.”

”I don't think the old players will let a new crowd run our team.”

”The trouble is, some of the old players are gone, and the new crowd may count up the largest number of votes. In that case they'll be able to run things to suit themselves.”

Dave had settled down to his studies in earnest, for that winter he wished to make an extra good record for himself. He loved sports, but as he grew older he realized that he was at Oak Hall more for a mental than a physical training.