The coach of the "outlaws" looked thoughtful. There was a gleam behind the eye-glasses which made Aleck Parks hope that a first class row might add zest to the afternoon. "S'pose we skip over by the big front door and see him come out," he suggested. "Phelps, you an' I'll stand together close there; an' if he gives us a steely glare it'll show, perhaps, that he's been up to some mischief." "Not a bad idea," said "Crackers," approvingly. "But, mind now, I don't want you chaps to say anything." Followed by a large group, the party walked outside, directing their steps toward the school entrance. "Where are you leading that army, Brown?" called Owen Lawrence from a distance. "Follow us, and see!" Lawrence relayed the message to Roycroft, who, with several other "outlaws," was already on his way to the practice field, the result of this move being that when Brown and his contingent arrived at the steps a straggling army was headed in the same direction. Questions and answers were hurled from one boy to another. Naturally, no one knew anything about the matter; but many thought they did. Rumors born of a chance utterance seemed to spread with the speed of a wireless message, until an excited and jostling crowd of students surrounded the stoop-shouldered form of the chief "outlaw." "Hello, Brown! I say--what's the matter?" came from Owen Lawrence. "Is the school on fire again?" asked Earl Roycroft, glancing upward at some smoke which emanated from a hidden chimney. "Yes! It's burning up with indignation. But the blaze won't get far before the firemen are on the job and put it out." "Hooray for Brown!" yelled Aleck Parks. "Three rahs for the good of the school!" shouted Benny Wilkins. "And a 'tiger' to get after the Ramblers!" added Luke Phelps. "My only regret is that we haven't a moving picture machine to get some films of our friend with the heavy-weight voice when he trips down the steps and sees this crowd," remarked Brown. "You're a mean thing to want him to trip," said Benny Wilkins. "I guess those specs hide a hard, cruel light in your eyes." "Boys, I think we'd better skip," said Earl Roycroft. "Our business is ball playing; not gaping at visitors to the school. Don't you think this will look rather queer to President Hopkins?" "The enemy must be fought with their own weapons," answered Brown. "We wish to show the aid-de-camp of the Ramblers that those who have the good of the school at heart see everything going on. They must be shown that they can't play this game of favoritism." "All right," said Earl, resignedly. Murmurs of indignation began to be heard. Rumors had become almost moulded into certainty. What right had the captain to interfere? Five minutes later a warning "Sh-h-h-h!" rippled from the various groups. The door of the school was seen to open, and the portly form of Captain Bunderley stood on the top step.