When class exercises were over "Crackers," Roycroft and Owen Lawrence, followed by every member of the "outlaws," in uniform, made directly for the tree. A dense, excited crowd of students awaited them. A rousing cheer went up. "Rah, rah, rah for Roycroft! Hurrah for Brown and Lawrence!" was carried off on a surging sea of sound. The Somers crowd, glum but determined-looking, seldom voiced a protest. Dan Brown promptly mounted a box placed under the wide-spreading branches of the tree. The excitement and tumult found no reflection on his face. "Fellows," he began, in a calm, even voice, "the school is going to get those grounds!" A burst of wild cheering came from his followers. "In order to do this great work for the High we've been obliged to match extraordinary conditions with extraordinary methods. Fellows, we must determine which shall rule: red tape and regularity, or common sense." "Common sense, common sense!" roared an admiring contingent. "So say we all! There's material enough here to form a nine which could trim any team in the section." Another salvo of cheers rang out. "Some fellows seem to have the silly idea that we're doing all this to stir up trouble. I was impolitely told yesterday to meander over to Guffin's and hatch up another plot." Jeers, and shouts of "Vanitas!" from Lawrence. "Really, it quite pained me. Why are we doing this thing, boys?" "For the good of the school!" bellowed his team in chorus. "Exactly! Our proposition for the Ramblers to play us has been turned down. Why?" "Because they know that you'd lick 'em worse than the Stars have done!" yelled Aleck Parks. An emphatic roar of approval, mingled with hand-clapping and shrill whistling, brought a gleam of pleasure into Brown's gray eyes. "That's it! Fellows, I have three propositions to offer. Alone, we count as nothing; but with the school behind us our force would be as irresistible as the--as the----" "He's stuck!" cried Victor Collins. "He's floundering!" "As the tides," completed Brown. "I told you! He's floundering in the tides," giggled Victor. "The first proposition is this: simply force the regulars to play us, and prove they have the better team--if they can. If the crowd continues to refuse, the second proposition is to demand a thorough reorganization. I have players who ought to be on the school team." "Roycroft, Roycroft, Roycroft!" shouted the students. "And until the other day I never knew what star players we had in Platt and Bush--both of 'em nearly six feet of bone and muscle--plenty of skill and speed, besides." The noise and confusion became so great that "Crackers'" oration only reached those on the outside of the mass as disconnected sentences. "The 'Hopes' will have such a string of victories----" "Hurrah, hurrah!" shouted the crowd. "Order, order!" bawled Lawrence. The tumult subsided.