THE HIGH SCHOOL LEFT END or Dick & Co. Grilling on the Football Gridiron By H. Irving Hancock CONTENTS CHAPTERS I. Sulking in the Football Camp II. The Start of the Dodge Mystery III. Dick Stumbles on Something IV. The 'Soreheads' in Conclave V. At the End of the Trail VI. The Small Soul of a Gentleman VII. The Football Notice Goes Up VIII. Dick Fires Both Barrels IX. Bayliss Gets Some Advice X. Two Girls Turn the Laugh XI. Does Football Teach Real Nerve XII. Dick, Like Caesar, Refuses the Crown XIII. Bert Dodge "Starts Something" XIV. The "Strategy" of a School Traitor XV. A "Fear" for the Plotter XVI. "The Cattle Car for Yours" XVII. Facing the "School Cut" XVIII. "Prin." Gets in the Practice XIX. Laura and Belle Have a Secret XX. In the Line of Daring XXI. The Price of Bravery XXII. The Thanksgiving Day Game XXIII. Sulker and Real Man XXIV. Conclusion CHAPTER I SULKING IN THE FOOTBALL CAMP "Football is all at sixes and sevens, this year," muttered Dave Darrin disconsolately. "I can tell you something more than that," added Tom Reade mysteriously. "What?" asked Dick Prescott, looking at Reade with interest, for it was unusual for Reade to employ that tone or air. "Two members of the Athletics Committee have intimated to Coach Morton that they'd rather see football passed by this year." "_What_?" gasped Dick. He was staring hard now. "Fact," nodded Tom. "At least, I believe it to be a fact." "There must be something wrong with that news," put in Greg Holmes anxiously. "No; I think it's all straight enough," persisted Tom, shaking his head to silence Holmes. "It came to me straight enough, though I don't feel at liberty to tell you who told me." All six members of Dick & Co. were present. The scene of the meeting was Dick Prescott's own room at his home over the bookstore kept by his parents. The hour was about nine o'clock in the evening. It was Friday evening of the first week of the new school year. The fellows had dropped in to talk over the coming football season, because the week had been one of mysterious unrest in the football squad at Gridley High School. Just what the trouble was, where it lay or how it had started was puzzling the whole High School student body. The squad was not yet duly organized. This was never attempted until in the second week of the school year. Yet it was always the rule that the new seniors who, during their junior year, had made good records on either the school eleven, or the second eleven, should form the nucleus of the new pigskin squad. Added to these, were the new juniors, formerly of the sophomore class, who had shown the most general promise in athletics during the preceding school year. Gridley High School aimed to lead---to be away at the top---in all school athletics. The "Gridley spirit," which would not accept defeat in sports, was proverbial throughout the state.