H. Irving Hancock

“ Yet, every time that he paused he heard the crackling of the flames outside. The sound told him that the woodwork had caught at last.
"Dick!"
"Yes, ma'am."
"I'm quite calm now."
"I'm glad to hear that, Mrs. Dexter."
"I've stopped thinking of myself, Dick. I know that my little Myra is asleep. She'll suffocate, and won't wake up to know any pain."
"But where's your housekeeper?"
"She must have slipped out after she put Myra to bed. There's no hope for us, Dick. We must go as bravely as we can. But, my poor boy, I can't tell you how sorry I am that helping me has brought you to such a plight." ”

“ Dick said nothing, even to himself, as he picked up his much-thumbed book on physiology and turned the pages. He was smarting not only from the indignity to which he had been treated, but quite as much from the masterful way in which Old Dut had punctuated that "funny story" with his broad right hand.
Once in a while Old Dut cast a sly glance in Dick's direction.
"That young man will bear watching," mused the principal, as he caught a sudden flash in Prescott's eye, as the latter glanced up. ”

“ In sheer nervousness Dave Darrin began to try the handle of the cab door. Then, understanding coming to him, Dave tried in earnest to see whether he could unfasten the door with out making the least noise.
All three of the lads realized that it was a ticklish moment. Even Myra, if startled, might give the scream that would betray and defeat them.
Steadily Dave worked at his problem. Dick and Greg, quivering, stood alertly on guard on either side of him. ”

“ Now, if he's going to grow up right as a boy the kid ought to start in early. So I've wrapped him up warm and have brought him out with me."
"What are you going to do with him, Hoof?"
"I'm going to tote the little fellow around to see the fun—if you fellows can stand having me with you," announced Hoof sadly, rather pleadingly.
"Why, of course you can come, can't he, fellows?" appealed Dick.
"If you're sure that the youngster won't catch cold," agreed Tom Reade. "A baby is a human being, you know, and has some rights of his own."
"Oh, I won't let the little shaver catch cold," promised Hoof. ”

“ CHAPTER XVII THE NEWEST TRICK OF ALL
"Here's where old Miss Lowthry lives," muttered Ned Allen, halting before a gate leading into the grounds surrounding a cosy little cottage.
"It wouldn't be very manly to do anything to scare lone women, would it?" demanded Dick.
"She's an old maid," protested Toby.
"That's no crime," insisted Dick.
"She has no use for boys," breathed Ben Alvord, complainingly.
"From some things that boys do, I don't altogether blame her," chuckled young Prescott.
"And—say! Don't Miss Lowthry hate babies!" grunted Wrecker Lane. ”

“ As Dick and his chums glanced down the quiet side street they saw husband and wife standing facing each other. The man was scowling, the woman half-tearful, half-defiant. Behind her, in her left hand, Mrs. Dexter held a small handbag.
"I'd like to be big enough to be able to enjoy the pleasure of thrashing a fellow like that Dexter!" growled Dave Darrin, his eyes flashing. [26]
"There's a man standing a little way below the pair," announced Dick. "I wonder what he's doing, for he seems to be watching the couple intently. I hope he's on Mrs. Dexter's side." ”

“ Here Greg stopped suddenly, clutching at a tree that he was passing.
"Fellows, I feel about all in," he remarked brokenly. "I'm awfully dizzy, too."
"You're played out, starved and all used up—that's what ails you," exclaimed Dick sympathetically. "We'll halt here and give you a chance to rest."
In five minutes Greg declared himself fit to go on again. Dave and Dick walked on either side of him, half supporting him.
"There's a house ahead, and a telephone wire running into it," said young Prescott. "We'll try to get that far, and then we'll telephone into Gridley." ”

“ The North Grammar boys talked matters over among themselves for two or three minutes.
"There, see!" grumbled Greg. "Hi Martin is leading his crowd away. They're all quitters!"
"That always seems to be the way with Grammar School fellows," sighed Dick. "High School fellows do big things, but you can't ever get Grammar School boys to stick together long enough to do anything!"
So Grammar School football died an almost painless death. ”

“ There was a rush, but Dave and Tom got in front of Dick.
"Who wants to try the paddle first?" asked Dave, his fists clenching, as he faced the mischievous Grammar School boys.
"But I haven't thought of a thing, fellows," protested Prescott.
"Say, I want some of you fellows to help me take off old Pond's gate to-night," called Toby Ross. "We can take it down and hang it on the fountain in the square. That'll be a good mile from his house, and old Pond will be awful mad, because he'll have to tote it all the way back himself. He's too stingy to hire a teamster to take it back." ”

“ Ted Teall was more than willing, and Hi looked as though he were afraid only of soiling his hands in touching a South Grammar boy. Dick, however, darted in between the pair, and Darrin, Reade and Dalzell followed.
"Now, stop all this fooling, fellows," begged Dick. "We all know that Ted and Hi can fight. What we want to find out is whether there are brains and muscle enough in town to get three football elevens together. Ted, put your hands in your pockets. Hi, you move back. We don't want any fighting here." ”

“ In a twinkling all three lads had crossed stealthily to the further side of the little street.
"Oh, for a policeman!" appealed Dick. "Or any full-grown man, who would listen to us and have the grit to give us a strong hand."
"If Dexter has the little girl, and that's his cab, what has he taken her into a drug store for?" whispered Dave.
"We don't know that he has taken her into the store. We don't know anything until we see it," was Dick's answer. "Dexter didn't stop for a trifle. He isn't buying Myra a glass of soda, or anything like that." ”

“ They were assaulting me," insisted Dexter angrily.
"And what were you doing?" insisted Whalen wonderingly.
"He was trying to steal jewels and money from his wife," interposed Dick Prescott. [32]
"Bah!" growled Dexter. "A man can't steal from his wife."
"But he can assault her," returned Policeman Whalen. "And a man can disturb the peace with his wife, just as handily as he can anywhere else. Mrs. Dexter, are these lads telling the truth?"
"Oh, yes, officer! My husband was trying to take this satchel away from me, and he knew that it contains my jewels and thirty-five hundred dollars in cash." ”

“ That'll have to be enough for you youngsters. If you don't trot fast down the street I'll gather you in."
Some of Dick's chums were now inclined to feel that they had broken in at the wrong place, but not so their young leader.
"You haven't any right to make arrests in Gridley," retorted Dick defiantly. "And, even if you had, you couldn't stop us from defending a woman. Tom, you and Greg stand by me. Dave, you lead the rest. We'll make Dexter let go of his wife's property and let her alone. If this man who says he's an officer interferes, Greg, Tom and I will devote our attention to him!" ”

“ Dick asked dryly.
"Hang you! You haven't learned your lesson yet, have you?"
"If you're trying to make me 'respect' you, Dexter, you've acted the wrong way all through to-day. You're entitled to no more respect than an Indian would show a rattlesnake."
Ab. Dexter's face was ablaze with wrath. He had expected to make this Grammar School boy beg for mercy before things had gone half as far as they had. Dick Prescott's undaunted pluck bewildered the mean bully. ”

“ After school that afternoon most of the boys of seventh and eighth grades turned up at the field, eager for more football work.
"It seems to me," announced Dick thoughtfully, "that there is no sense in kicking a ball around the field aimlessly. There isn't much use in rushes or mass plays, either, until we know what we are doing and can do it according to the rules. So, fellows, what do you say to seeing who knows the rules best? Let's have a drill in rules."
Many of the youngsters objected to that as being too tame. Yet Dick's idea carried the day, after all. ”

“ Dick met him half-way, in a leap. Now it was Prescott on the offensive, and he forced Ben all over the field, to the tune of encouraging yells. Ben tried to save his face, but couldn't. Then Dick hammered his body. Young Alvord lost all his coolness, and began to windmill his hands. That settled it, of course. Any boy who forsakes his guard to take to windmilling is as good as whipped. Dick watched his chance, then drove in a blow on Ben's jaw that felled him flat. ”

“ All the tricks you fellows have named have been done by our grandfathers. That's why I call 'em kiddish. [174] A fellow who can't think up a new one is only a kid. Use your brains, fellows."
"Well, if you're so all-fired smart, you tell us a new one that has some ginger in it," growled Wrecker.
"I told you that I hadn't any," retorted Dick. "I admit that I'm dull. But, if I do play any tricks to-night, they'll have to be just a little bit new. Boys of our age haven't any business traveling around with Hallowe'en jokes that are so old that they've voted and worn whiskers for forty years. ”

“ Truth to tell, Dick and all the Grammar School boys had seen the beginning of a scene that made their joke look small.
"If I ever catch any fellow trying to sneak the Crossleigh's gate," warned Dave loftily, "I'll give that fellow all that's coming his way!"
"They're the right sort of people," confessed Dick. "Fellows, we've all got to make it our business to see that the Crossleighs are never bothered again by fellows out for larks. Say, they showed us that playing a joke with a baby is only a clownish trick, didn't they?" ”

“ I apologize. Only a brave man would kick a helpless boy."
The quiet irony of the speech made even Ab. Dexter flush.
"Well, I wasn't kicking a boy. I was kicking his freshness," explained Dexter, in a harsh voice. "And I'll kick a lot more of that freshness, if I have to."
"I don't doubt it. Women and boys are your choice for fighting material. And, if I had some of my chums here, you'd find kicking boys too perilous a sport."
"You won't have them here," laughed Ab. coarsely. "You're the only one of the six that I want, so the others can stay in Gridley." [238]
"But they won't," declared Dick. ”

“ With you it's different. Before to-day I didn't know much about you. What little I did know wasn't to your credit. But now I know you to belong to nothing better than the scum of the earth. No human being with any self-respect could be decent with you!"
"You're getting worse than ever, are you?" sneered Dexter. "I see that my work is only half started."
With that Ab. Dexter threw himself upon the boy again, giving him an even more lively beating than before.
Dick Prescott, panting with his struggles, disdained to cry out, but saved all his strength to fight back. ”

“ Off Dick started with the bundle, whistling blithely. All his thoughts were centered on the forming of the Central Grammar eleven, and that plan now looked like a winner.
"We won't let the High School fellows have all the fun," young Prescott mused as he hurried along. [51]
He reached the rather large and handsome Davis house, rang the bell, delivered his books and then started back. His evening, up to nine o'clock, was now his own to do with as he pleased.
Suddenly the thought of the happenings at noon came back to his mind.
"What a mean fellow that Dexter is!" ”

“ Then, somehow, the story came out of the newly organized Central Grammar football squad.
"Oh, but that is going to be fine!" cried Mrs. Dexter. "Manly sports always make boys stronger, and give them a better sense of fair play when such a sense is needed. You'll have uniforms, of course. What will your uniforms be like?"
"That's one of the points we haven't decided on yet," smiled Dick. "The uniforms will have to come, in good time."
"Your football organization has a treasurer, of course?"
"He's a luxury we don't need yet," laughed Dave. ”