Dick was lucky enough to find Roy Taylor at home, huddled close to the fireplace, and evidently busy with his studies. His welcome to-night was less suave than on the occasion of Dick’s previous visit. His greeting was almost impolite, and Dick, who on his way from the yard had resolved to keep his temper no matter what happened, already felt his anger rising.

A declaration of war.

“I came to see you about crew work, Taylor,” he began. “In the first place we need you in the boat; in the second place we’ve got to have you.”

“My dear chap——” began Taylor in bored tones.

“No, wait a minute,” interrupted Dick. “Let me have my say. You’ve left us in a hole. It would have been better if you hadn’t started training at all; better than letting me think you were going to row and then backing down in this way; as I say, it leaves us in a hole. Besides that, it’s not—not patriotic. You know what a hard time we’ve got ahead of us; you know that we’ve got to have good material if we are to win out from St. Eustace; and[156] you know that when you cut rowing you’re doing about all in your power to get us beaten.”

Taylor flushed angrily.

“That’s tommyrot!”

“No, it isn’t; it’s the truth; you know it is, Taylor. And you know very well that if the fellows learned it you couldn’t stay here.”

“Well, on my word!” ejaculated Taylor; “you’ve got a lot of cheek to sit there and—and throw insults at me. You must be crazy!”

“I don’t think so; and I’m not insulting you, at least not intentionally. But I am telling what’s so. You’ve taken about the meanest course in the matter you could, and all the school would say so if they knew.”

“I suppose that’s a threat,” sneered Taylor.

“No, it isn’t. I have no intention——”

“But let me tell you that I don’t care a fig for all your nasty insinuations, Hope; you can tell all the lies about me you want to. I don’t believe that the fellows will call it dishonest for a chap to give up crew work because he finds that he can’t do justice to his studies; I don’t believe that they will call it mean. I tell you, Hope, you crew and football and baseball beggars have got a false notion of school life; you think that all a chap comes here for is to row in your dirty old boat, or mess round with a football; that study is a secondary consideration. But it’s not that way, by ginger; no, sir; that’s where you are off!”

[157]

“That’s nonsense,” replied Dick calmly. “And you know well enough that I don’t think any such thing, nor do any of the fellows here. What I do think is that the average fellow can do his studies and take part in sports and be all the better for it. Look at the Honor Men of last year; look——”

“I don’t care a fig for the Honor Men of last year. What I say——”

“Taylor, when you tell me that you’ve chucked rowing because you can’t keep up with your studies you’re saying what isn’t so,” cried Dick.

“Oh!” Taylor glared with an ugly expression in his eyes. “Oh, is that so? Maybe you know all about my affairs—better than I do, perhaps?”

“I know that much,” answered Dick, striving to speak calmly. “I know that the reason you’ve left the crew is because you want to do all you can to prevent me from turning out a winning eight. And I know you want to do that because you have a grudge against me for beating you last spring for the captaincy. I know that much, Taylor, and I want you to know that I know it. We might as well understand each other right here and now.”

Taylor’s snarl died away, and he grinned mockingly across at Dick.

“All right, my smart friend. Supposing that is so? Mind, I don’t say that it is so; but supposing it is, what are you going to do about it?”

[158]

Dick hesitated for an instant and the grin on Taylor’s face widened as he saw it.

“Perhaps you’re going to tell that yarn to the fellows?”

“No,” answered Dick; “I’ve thought of that, but I’m no tell-tale; and, besides, it wouldn’t do any good. It might make things unpleasant for you——”

“If any one believed it,” sneered Taylor.

“But it wouldn’t better the crew any. And that’s all I care about, Taylor. I’m captain this year, and I’m going to turn out a good crew; I’m going to do it in spite of you or anything you can do!”

“Dear me, dear me, you ought to go into melodrama, Hope; you’d make a hit, really you would.” Then his manner changed suddenly, and he leaned forward toward the other, scowling darkly. “Look here, I don’t mind telling the truth, Hope, to you; I’m not afraid of anything you can do. You’re right about the captaincy; you’re right about the grudge, if you care to call it that. Let me tell you: This is my last year here. I’m not going up to college like you; I mean a college where they have rowing; I’m going to Tech. Ever since I came here I’ve wanted to be captain—for one year if no more; that’s been my—my ambition, if you like; I’d set my heart on it. I went into rowing when I was a junior; made a place. The next year I went into the varsity boat. The next year I hoped to be captain, but I missed it; Brown won it, hang him![159] Last spring I thought I had it at last; there was no reason why I shouldn’t have had it; I’m a good oar, as good as there was in the last year’s varsity; I’m old enough; and I’m a senior. But no, you had to spoil it; you were popular with the crew, more popular than I was; and you had Beck with you. If it hadn’t been for Beck I’d have made it, I know; but he wanted you to have it.”

“Beck had no part in the election,” said Dick.

“He didn’t attend it and he had no vote, but don’t you suppose the fellows knew what he wanted? Of course they did; they were willing to please Beck; and so they chose you captain. And that’s why I’ve no love for you. I’ve worked all the fall and all the winter, so far, to keep the fellows from joining the crews; and I’ve succeeded, too; and I’m going to keep on unless——” He paused and dropped his gaze from Dick’s face for an instant.

“I see,” said Dick, with traces of wonderment in his voice. “But what—what does it all lead to? You may bring defeat to Hillton, but how will that better things? You wanted the captaincy; I can understand that; I—I think I’m sorry you were disappointed——”

“Cut it out!” growled Taylor.

“But it’s too late now, isn’t it? Haven’t you made trouble enough? As far as I’m concerned personally I don’t care a row of buttons whether you have it in for me or not, but what’s the use in taking your spite out on the whole school?”

[160]

“Maybe it isn’t too late,” answered Taylor, smiling oddly. “You see, I know pretty well what sort of a chap you are; you’re one of those conscientious dubs; you’d do all kinds of stunts and be tickled to death if you though............