"Oh, what's the use of going all over that again?" broke in Dick Travers, impatiently. "Let's----" Bang--bang! Two sharp cracks on the door echoed noisily. "Come in!" called Sam Randall. "Crackers" Brown, wearing a solemn expression, promptly entered, his lieutenants, Lawrence and Roycroft, following close behind. "Good-afternoon, fellows!" exclaimed the coach of the "Hopes," without a trace of excitement in his manner. "Gee! Awful big crowd in here for such a small room." An awkward silence, broken only by the sound of footsteps and the scraping of a chair, as Sam changed his position, added to the pent-up feelings which Harry Spearman was finding it hard to control. Brown improved the moment by polishing his glasses industriously. Then he sidled over to the window, where his stoop-shouldered form was silhouetted in lines of uncompromising hardness against the panes. "Randall," he began, deliberately, "we three have been delegated by a number of students to bring to your notice the fact that the 'Hopes' have been chosen by a most decisive vote to represent the school. The thing was done fairly and aboveboard. None of you fellows would even speak a word in your own defense." Sam nodded coldly. "You cannot go against the wish of the majority." The chief "outlaw" brought out his words emphatically. "We wish to state that the 'Hopes' are going to play Rockville Academy on Saturday." "Are they?" cried Harry Spearman, excitedly. "No athletic association is greater than the school it represents. The boys have spoken. Listen! Here is the result of the vote." "Crackers" could not conceal a feeling of elation as he droned out the figures. He paused to receive an answer, but, hearing none, continued: "This thing ought to be settled amicably. If you fellows are in earnest about winning that field for the school you'll show it by handing your resignations to the board of directors." "Indeed!" sneered Harry Spearman. "For an absolutely unmitigated piece of nerve and impudence that's the worst I ever heard." "We didn't come here, to scrap but to talk quietly over the situation and reach some conclusion," said "Crackers," smoothly. "Now, Randall, what do you propose to do?" "The athletic association does not concede that the school has the right to dictate to it in such a way. We don't intend to ask any members of the baseball club to resign." "You don't, eh?" burst out Owen Lawrence. "Well, the boys are not going to stand for any more exhibitions of obstinacy on your part. It's either get out quietly or be thrown out!" "We'll do neither," returned Harry Spearman, crossing the floor to face the new student. "You can't bluff our crowd!" "No use having a war of words," put in Brown, authoritatively. "I tell you: when you fellows refused to play us a series of games you started----" Bob Somers interrupted him.