The mass meeting was surprisingly well attended. Ever since the similar assembly at which the “team expenses” item had been brought to light there had been rumors of all sorts flying about the school. It was said that Billy Cameron was not going to be allowed to play; that some of the fellows were going to demand the resignation of the present manager, and that Phin Dorr wanted the office; that the faculty was frightened lest the facts about Cameron should get into the papers; that Bert Middleton and Dana didn’t speak to each other; and much more besides. All this had the effect of whetting public curiosity, and so filling the hall from platform to doors. Field had refused to preside and the honor fell to Cupples, president of the third class. After calling the meeting to order, for once not a difficult task, since the[160] audience was consumed with curiosity, Cupples introduced Phin. Phin made the best speech of his school career that evening, but I’m not going to bore you with it, nor with the remarks made by Spring, who followed him; nor with what Hansel had to say.

The latter was rather nervous at first and had to stand some “jollying,” but he soon recovered his composure and his voice, and spoke very well indeed, his earnestness impressing even the scoffers. There were plenty of these; Bert was there, and Larry Royle, and King, and Conly and others of the first team; and there was a liberal sprinkling of first class urchins, whose mission seemed to be to make as much noise and disturbance as possible. Harry was on hand, also, but he didn’t scoff. “Give ’em fair play, I say,” he proclaimed.

Without wishing to do any injustice to the efforts of Phin and Hansel, I think it is safe to say, that of the three speeches, that made by Spring made the most converts. Spring was terribly enthusiastic over whatever he undertook, and he had become quite wrought up over the subject which was at present disturbing the[161] school. As a consequence he made many assertions not quite borne out by facts and, like an Irishman at a fair, hit whatever heads were within reach. This was what the fellows wanted to hear, and Spring got lots of applause, especially when he demanded to know whether the faculty was asleep, and if not, why it didn’t “come to the succor of the fair name of the school, and stamp under heel this foul serpent of deceit!” (Two members of the faculty present were seen to hide their faces at this point, probably from shame.)

Of course, Phin and Hansel and Spring didn’t have everything their own way. There was plenty of opposition voiced. Royle got up and made a speech that won loud applause. Royle said there were fellows in school that made him mighty tired, and that if it was the reputation and honor of the school they were bothering about, the best thing they could do was stuff pillows in their mouths.

There was a full hour of debate following the first resolution, which Hansel presented for adoption. It was too strong, and by the time it had been patched and sliced to suit the majority,[162] it bore but slight resemblance to its first form. But that the meeting was willing to adopt any resolutions presented by them, was at once a surprise and a triumph for Phin and Hansel and Spring. As finally adopted the resolution resolved, after several “Whereases,” that it was “the sentiment of the school in mass meeting assembled that Phineas Dorr, Edward Cupples, and Barnard Spring be constituted a committee to examine into the condition of athletics at the school and, at their discretion, to confer with the athletic committee and the faculty, with a view to the drawing up and adoption of a set of rules to govern athletics.” This resolution went with a two-thirds vote, and the prime movers were delighted. In celebration Phin invited Hansel to dine with him the next day.

After dinner they went for a long walk together, around the lake, a matter of six miles, reaching home just as the bell on Academy Hall was ringing for vespers. Hansel told Harry about it the next day and the latter was greatly astounded.

“I never heard of any fellow dining with Phin before,” he declared. “There’s a popular[163] belief here that Phin doesn’t really eat, that he just lives on sawdust and shavings and other cereals.”

“We had a very nice dinner,” said Hansel. “Of course it was plain, and there wasn’t an awful lot of it, but it was cooked finely. Mrs. Freer started to apologize once but Phin wouldn’t let her. She’s a dear old lady—only, I guess she isn’t so very old, after all—and is mighty good to Phin; looks after him just as his own mother might. And he’s nice to her, too; just as thoughtful and—er—polite as anything! They’ve got a nice little house there, clean and cozy and homelike. We had chicken.”

“Phe-e-ew!” whistled Harry. “I’ll bet they won’t have it again in a year. You were a guest of honor, my boy. Anyone has only to look at Phin to know that he doesn’t get a square meal once a month. If Mrs. What’s-her-name is so fond of him she’d better feed him up a bit.”

“I guess he doesn’t pay very much,” Hansel reminded.

During the walk following the dinner at Mrs. Freer’s, Phin and Hansel, encouraged by success, had planned a vigorous campaign, and[164] in the evening they called on Mr. Ames and spent nearly two hours in his study. In pursuance of their plans, Hansel, on Tuesday, four days prior to the Warren game, issued an ultimatum.

“Is Cameron going to play in Saturday’s game?” he asked Bert.

“He certainly is,” was the reply.

“Very well; then you’ll have to count me out.”

“What do you mean?” cried Bert.

“Just what I say. From now on I will not play in any outside game in which Cameron takes part.”

“But—but—that’ll put us in a nasty hole!” cried the other in alarm. “What sort of a way is that to act?”

“Cameron has no business on the team, and as long as he’s there I’m out of it. If you like I’ll keep in training and play in practice, but I won’t go into the games if he is in the line-up.”

I’m not going to repeat everything that Bert said; much of it he was probably quite ashamed of later; and it didn’t do any good, anyway. Hansel refused to argue, refused to fight, refused[165] to lose his temper. The matter was carried to Mr. Ames at once, but the latter decided that Hansel had a perfect right to say whether or not he would play football.

“Then I won’t have him on the field,” said Bert. “If he won’t play against Warren and Fairview, there’s no use in having him practice. We’ll put Cutler in at right end and hammer some football into his thick head. But this means that we lose the Warren game, sure as fate! Hang Hansel Dana! There’s been nothing but trouble ever since he came here.”

“You don’t think then,” asked Mr. Ames, “that you could do better by dropping Cameron and keeping Dana?”

“Do you?” asked Bert moodily.

“I’m not certain. You know Warren has been playing a running game all fall, and her quarter has done some wonderful work with the ball; they say he’s like a cat at working the ends. And if Fairview finds out that we’re weak at right end, she’ll probably try the same thing.”

“I won’t let Cameron go,” said Bert stubbornly. “That’s just what Hansel and Phin[166] and that crowd are after, and I won’t give them the satisfaction!”

“Well, think it over. I shan’t interfere in the matter. Keep Cameron or Dana, whichever you think best.”

The next day Hansel was not at right end on the school team, and, in fact, did not appear on the green at all. By night it was known throughout the school that Dana had been put off the team because of his anti-Cameron attitude. It did not get out until after the Warren game that he had refused to play because of Cameron’s presence. The football authorities came in for a good deal of criticism, for Hansel was recognized as almost the best player on the team, and to put him off just before the Warren game seemed the height of folly. Hansel refused to talk on the subject.

On Thursday Hansel suddenly realized that he had not seen Phin for two days, a most unusual occurrence, since Phin had formed the habit of bringing his lunch to school with him, and eating it in a corner of the library while he studied, and Hansel usually dropped in there for a chat on his way back from dinner. But the library[167] had been empty the last two days, and Phin had not shown up, either at recitations or at Hansel’s room. So on Thursday afternoon Hansel set off to the village to look him up. He was glad of something to do, for since he had left the eleven the afternoons had grown interminably long and frightfully dull. As he crossed the green the fellows were just lining up for practice, and he could see Cutler at his place on the right end of the first. When he rang the bell at Mrs. Freer’s it was Phin himself who opened the door. He looked paler and thinner than ever, and there were dark streaks around his eyes, as though he had not had sufficient sleep.............