"Oh, Ford doesn't need to worry, of course. He led the class in mathematics last year, didn't he?" "Yes, and the year before, too. The idea of his being worried about the examination is all nonsense." "I know it is," said Frank, "except that he's got his ambition up to keep at the lead; that's a natural ambition and decent, and I suppose he'll do a lot of grinding to get ready for the exam." "I'd grind, too, if I thought there'd be any use in it." "I believe there will, Page, and if you don't mind following my lead, I'll tell you what subject to grind on." "Do you mean to say that you're going to cram up on just one part of it?" "Exactly, and what's more, if you'll agree to it, I'll come over here with my books and we'll grind together. We'll get Browning, Rattleton and Diamond, and one or two others in our crowd, and do the job together." "It's a bully idea!" exclaimed Page, "if it would only work. Gee! but wouldn't it be just great if we should happen to hit on the topic that old Babbitt has chosen and every one of us write a perfect paper?" "I can't think of anything that would suit me better," Frank answered. "Then let's try for it. It's just a chance, but I'm with you, Merriwell." "All right, then, and you'll remember you're to say nothing about that fireplace, and you're not to open it until after the examination!" "I'll remember, but you won't forget to tell me what it all means?" "I'll let you into the whole business after Babbitt has examined the papers." It was not a very difficult matter for Frank to persuade his closest friends to join him in preparing for the examination by studying hard on one particular topic. They were so in the habit of following his lead that although they all regarded the effort in the same way that Page did, that is, a gamble, they were willing to take the chances if Merriwell was. Frank was almost perfectly certain that it was not a gambling chance, because he remembered well enough how he had been faulty in that topic at the spring examination, and if Babbitt was going to try to trip him, that was the subject surely that he would select for his purpose. Three days was none too long for the boys to refresh their memories on the subject and prepare themselves well on this one topic. They started in in the middle of the afternoon and worked together under Frank's direction until dinner time. He proved to be as hard a task master as Babbitt himself could have been. The boys were not exactly surprised at that, for it was natural for Frank to do with all his might whatever he undertook, but they joked him a good deal while at dinner about turning professor. "That's all right," Frank answered, "you can have your joke. If we come out on this as I expect to, you'll be glad enough that you adopted my plan." "I must say I rather enjoy it," said Diamond, frankly. "Studying by one's self is dull work, but when there are half a dozen or so grinding away, somehow the time passes more quickly."