“Yes, you did!” jeered a third Bellport fellow. “Right now you’ve got this competition all cooked up, so that the plums will fall to Columbia. Wasn’t it engineered by a Columbia gentleman, who put up all the money for the prizes? Sure it was; and the committee just hated to think of any of those fine medals going to Bellport, so they arranged things to give the home crowd all the advantage.” “Prove it by showing us a single thing that isn’t square!” cried an angry Columbia student, shaking his fist at the speaker. “Oh! rats! they covered their tracks all right,” the Bellport boy flung back. “Being used to such tricks, they can do it so nobody could just put a finger on anything; but all the same the feeling is there that we’re going to be buncoed right from the start.” “Huh! if I felt that way I wouldn’t take part in the meet at all!” called out one of the touchy Columbia boys. “Perhaps we won’t,” came the immediate answer. “A lot of us have come over here to-day, not so much to see what you’re all doing, as to tell you what they think in Bellport of your committee’s work. We know there are a _few_ square fellers in Columbia; but the majority aren’t standin’ back on taking advantage of a crooked deal arranged for them by their committee.” Frank was shocked at hearing such talk. He knew that the better class of Bellport fellows would never stand for it; but was afraid that the two schools might be drawn into a dispute that would put a stop to all their friendly rivalry in field and track sports. “Bellport’s sore because of that football drubbing she got last fall!” called out a Columbia backer, one word leading to another, as is always the case when boys get to accusing each other. “And the hockey game that went against her, not to mention baseball!” echoed still another warm adherent of the local school. “Oh! be a sport, and take your medicine! You’ve all got an even chance to win, and I don’t believe there’s a Columbia fellow who’ll accept a medal, or a prize, if he thought he’d been favored in the least!” But the war of words went on from bad to worse. All sorts of accusations began to pass between the two crowds, for the Bellport boys had come over with the full intention of making trouble. While they were having it in this fashion who should come in sight but Chief Hogg, dressed as usual in his resplendent uniform. Someone had managed to telephone to police headquarters that there was danger of a riot among the boys at the recreation field; and the head of the local force had pompously driven out there. But if anybody expected that the appearance of the stout chief would stop the tongues of that rough Bellport crowd they were mistaken. They jeered at the sight of the policeman’s uniform, and matters seemed getting worse than ever.