“Oh, stir around and do something. You’re never down to see the eleven at work. You didn’t even come out to yell when we played the Atlas High School off its feet. You just mope around over your books the whole time. I don’t believe you’ve been out enough to keep your arm in shape, now have you?” “Not very often,” admitted Dan. “Why don’t you do it? You know what the fellows expect. If you don’t make the nine I’ll be the laughing-stock of the whole school. Brace up, Dan! Gus Kiggins says――――” “What does he say?” inquired Dan as his roommate hesitated. “Oh, nothing much,” said Walter, laughing a little uneasily. “I guess that Gus thinks about what all the fellows do.” “What’s that?” “Look here, Dan. You’ve just got to get into the school life, and that’s all there is about it. You’re nothing but a grind.” “If I were paying my own way I might feel differently.” “Don’t bother your head about that. I guess my father won’t complain if I don’t. What he wants is to――――” “To what?” “Oh, he’ll be satisfied if I am,” declared Walter lightly. “Why don’t you come out to-morrow and get a look at the team? We play the Military Academy next week, you know, and we want every fellow on deck. It’s our hardest game. If you don’t show any school spirit how do you think the fellows will feel when it’s your turn? You’ll want backing when you’re pitching against the Military Academy nine.” “I’ll come if you want me to,” said Dan quietly. “But――――” Dan stopped abruptly as Gus Kiggins entered the room. CHAPTER XXI DAN’S TROUBLES “How’s your shadow?” asked Gus, as he seated himself in an easy-chair and looked at Dan. “My shadow?” inquired Dan. “I don’t know what you mean.” “Oh, that little white-livered milksop that tags you most of the time. For my part, I think he needs a nurse-maid.” “You mean that little fellow in the fourth form――Carlton Hall?” “I guess that’s his name,” laughed Gus. “It rhymes with bawl. He ought never to have left his mother. He’s a mamma’s darling all right, though he seems to have taken you up in her place. What do you get for looking after his nursing-bottle?” For several weeks, indeed ever since the time when Dan had interfered with the school bully in his tormenting little Carlton Hall, Gus to all appearances had ignored or forgotten the ill will which he had manifested for the new member of his own class. He had been indifferent rather than openly unfriendly, and Dan had been well content to be left alone. His dislike for his rough and brutal classmate had become stronger as he noticed his growing intimacy with Walter, who was quickly and easily influenced by his surroundings. Dan now understood a part of the reason why Mr. Borden had offered to send him to the Tait School though he grimly resolved never to betray his knowledge to anyone, least of all to Walter.