XVI. A DARING PLAN 126 XVII. UNCLE EZRA ARRIVES 135 XVIII. ANOTHER FRUITLESS ATTEMPT 142 XIX. A GREAT STRUGGLE 151 XX. JOINING THE LEAGUE 169 XXI. READY FOR BLUE HILL 175 XXII. THE BLUE HILL GAME 182 XXIII. SORE HEARTS 199 XXIV. TREACHERY 205 XXV. A DESPERATE RACE 212 XXVI. ANOTHER GAME 222 XXVII. DICK IS SUMMONED 231 XXVIII. "LINE UP!" 238 XXIX. HAMMER AND SMASH 246 XXX. THE WINNING TOUCHDOWN 255 XXXI. THE TROLLEY STOCK--CONCLUSION 264 DICK HAMILTON'S FOOTBALL TEAM CHAPTER I TURNED DOWN "Well, if those fellows haven't got nerve!" "I should say so! Why it's a direct insult!" "We ought to challenge 'em to a sham battle. I know we could put it all over 'em at that game, if we can't at football; eh, fellows?" "Sure thing!" came in a chorus from a group of cadets who surrounded a rather fat, good-natured companion. The latter held an open letter in his hand, and had just finished reading it, the contents causing the various exclamations. "Say, Beeby," spoke Paul Drew, "are you sure it isn't a joke? Maybe they're just trying to have fun with us." "Fun! This is serious enough," replied the stout youth, "Frank Anderson, manager of the Blue Hill Academy eleven, takes pains to be very explicit. Listen." Once more Beeby read the note. "In reply to your challenge for a series of football games, in the Military League, and your request that we give you a contest at an early date, we regret to say that our team cannot play yours. To be frank, we do not think that your eleven is in the same class with ours. We won nearly every game we played last season, and, you know, as well as do we, that Kentfield was away down at the tail end. "It is the sense of the Athletic Committee of Blue Hill Military Academy that we must play with teams of greater strength and in a better class than the one that represents Kentfield. If you wish, perhaps I can arrange some games with our second team, but not with the first. "Regretting very much that we cannot accept your challenge, I remain, "Yours very truly, "FRANK ANDERSON, Manager." "Well, wouldn't that put a crimp in your bayonet?" demanded John Stiver. "They'll condescend to let their second team come over and beat us!" exclaimed Ray Dutton sarcastically. "Bur-r-r-r-r!" "Oh, say, this makes me mad!" spluttered Beeby, and he made as though to tear the letter to shreds.