"Sure it was," declared the driver heartily. Dick was soon back at school and his first visit was to the society house of the Sacred Pig. He found only a few of his cadet chums there, as it was nearing mess time, and they had gone to dress for the meal. "Well, you're a fine fellow to run off and desert us the way you did!" cried Innis Beeby, as he clapped Dick on the shoulder. "What's your great scheme about a football team? The fellows are half wild trying to guess. Couldn't you explain before you hiked away?" "No, didn't have time." "Then tell me now." "No, I'd like all the fellows to be together when they hear it and then they won't get it twisted. I'll meet you all here after grub, and tell you what I think of doing." "All right; it's a go." Dick found a goodly crowd waiting for him in the main room of the club house, for word had gone around of what was about to take place. Our hero wasted no time on preliminaries. "Boys," he began, "you know as well as I do, that we have received an insulting letter from the Blue Hill academy. Our football team, of which I have the honor to be a member----" "Hurray for the team!" cried Paul Drew. "Long may she wave, o'er the land----" "Order in the ranks!" cried Innis Beeby, who was presiding. "Our team needs strengthening," went on Dick. "There is no use ignoring the facts before us. We never have had a first class team--that is, to judge by the records of the past. We have not a good team now, and I'm as bad as the worst member, so I'm not shielding myself. That being the case, what's to be done?" "Get a new team!" called someone. "Revamp the old one," cried another. "That's my idea exactly," went on Dick. "We must use the material we have, but with this restriction--there must be a fair field and no favors. The best men must be picked on the team." "Sure!" cried someone. "But who's going to do the picking?" demanded Beeby. "That's what I'm coming to," went on Dick. "I was going to tell you my plan, when I had to leave this afternoon." "Tell it now!" was the general shout. "This is it!" replied the young millionaire. "You know what good coaching can do for a team. I think that's what we need, and it is casting no reflection on the present coaches, for we all know they can devote only a little time to the work. Now what I propose is this: We can get two of the best coaches in the country--say one from Yale and one from Princeton. They can come here, and in a few weeks I'm sure they can whip our team into shape. We have the material--all it needs is to be developed." "That's right--but how can we afford to pay for a Yale and a Princeton coach?" demanded George Hall. "I'll attend to that end," replied Dick calmly. "This is my treat. I want Kentfield to have the best eleven in the league, and if coaching can do it we'll have it. Then we can win some games. I'll pay for the coaches, and we'll see what they can do. That was my football scheme. What do you think of it, fellows?"