"Maybe," continued Herr Schimmelpodt, "you think I vos afraid when I climb dot pole. But I wos not---I pledch you mein vord.
It is nottings for me to climb flagpoles. Ven I vos ein poy in Germany I did it efery day. But I will not dake up your time mit idle remarks. I repeat dot I am not ein hero."
The wily old German had played out his purpose. He had turned the wild cheering, which he knew would have embarra.s.sed Prescott, into a good-natured laugh. He had diverted the first big burst of attention away from the boys, much to the relief of the latter.
But now the crowd bethought itself of the heroes that a crowd always loves. Hundreds pressed about to shake the bands of Prescott and Darrin.
"Get into my car! Stand up in front of Mrs. Macey and myself until we can get out of this crowd," urged Mr. Macey, bustling the boys toward the runabout.
Mrs. Macey, whitefaced, was crying softly and could not speak.
But her husband, with the two boys standing up before him, honked his horn and turned on the power, starting the car slowly. A path was thus made for their escape through the crowd, though the cheering began again.
"Now, you can put us down, if you will, sir,", suggested d.i.c.k, when they had reached the outer edge of the crowd.
"Not yet," retorted Mr. Macey.
"Why not, sir?"
"You"ve a little trip to make with me yet."
"Trip?"
"Wait a moment, and you"ll see."
Less than two minutes later Mr. Macey drove his car up in front of one of the banks and jumped out.
"Come on, boys," he cried. "I want to get that reward off my mind."
"You run in, d.i.c.k," proposed Dave, on the sidewalk. "I"ll wait for you."
"You"ll go with me," Prescott retorted, "or I won"t stir inside."
So Darrin followed them into the bank.
"I"m so thankful to see you boys safely out of the sc.r.a.pe," declared Mr. Macey, inside, "that I"m going to pay the full reward to each of you."
"No you won"t," retorted d.i.c.k very promptly. "You"ll pay no more than you offered. Dave and I"ll divide that between us."
"Not a cent for me!" propounded Darrin, with emphasis.
"If you don"t share the reward evenly, I won"t touch a cent of it either, Dave Darrin," rejoined d.i.c.k heatedly.
Dave tried to have his way, but his chum won. Mr. Macey made another effort to double the reward, but was overruled.
So young Prescott received the two hundred and fifty dollars in crisp, new bills, and as promptly turned half of the sum over to his chum.
Now that it was safely over with, it had not been a bad morning"s work!
CHAPTER XIII
d.i.c.k Begins To Feel Old
Despite the strain of what they had gone through d.i.c.k and Dave led the Gridley boys through a fierce gridiron battle that same afternoon, and won again by a score of 13 to 5.
But the people of Gridley paid little heed to the score that day, or the next. The sensation that d.i.c.k and Dave had supplied was the talk of the town, to the exclusion of other topics relating to high School boys.
Mr. Pollock bought a copy of the photograph showing d.i.c.k close to the weather vane on his climb. A half-tone cut made from this photograph was printed in "The Blade."
"This young man is now a member of "The Blade" staff, reporting school and other matters," ran the comment under the spirited picture. "We believe that Mr. Prescott will continue to be a member of the staff, and to grow with "The Blade.""
"What about that, d.i.c.k?" laughed Darrin.
"I"ve told Mr. Pollock and Mr. Bradley that I believe my plans will carry me a good distance away from "The Blade" office after this year," replied d.i.c.k, with a meaning smile. "If they won"t believe me now, perhaps they"ll wake up later."
The town had not been wanting in croakers at the outset of the football season, who had predicted that d.i.c.k Prescott and his chums would "drag down" the football team and its fine traditions from past years.
But the eleven, mainly under d.i.c.k and under Dave"s captaincy in two fierce gridiron battles, had gone right along winning games.
The last three battles had been fought out to a successful finish in November. There now remained only the Thanksgiving Day game to complete the season.
By all traditions each football team in the country strives to have its biggest fight take place on Thanksgiving Day. By another tradition, every team seeks to have this game take place on the home grounds.
In the latter respect Gridley lost this year. The game, which was against Fordham High School, was scheduled to take place at Fordham.
Enthusiasm, however, was at top notch. Citizens hired the Gridley Band to go along with the young men and help out on noise. A special train in two sections was chartered, for some seven hundred Gridleyites had voted in favor of an evening dinner on Thanksgiving Day; they were going along to see the game.
Fordham had lost two games, against exceptionally strong teams, earlier in the season, but had of late a fine record. Fordham had dropped several of its original players, putting in heavier or better men, and a new coach had been employed. The Fordham boys were now believed to be able to put up a strenuous game.
"I hope you"re going to win, Prescott," said Mr. Macey, meeting d.i.c.k on the street one afternoon not long before Thanksgiving.
"Have you any doubts, sir?" smiled the captain of the Gridley team.
"Well, you see, Fordham was my native town. I run down there often, and I know a good deal of what"s going on there. Fordham"s second coach has attended the last two games you played, and he has been stealing all your points that he could get."
"He has, eh?" muttered Prescott. "That"s news to me. Oh, well, it"s legitimate to learn all you can about another team"s play."
"From the reports Fordham has of your play the young men over in that town are certain that they"re enough better to be able to bring your scalps into camp."
"Perhaps they"ll do it," laughed d.i.c.k pleasantly. "We"ll admit that we"re about due for a walloping whenever the crowd comes along that can do it."
"I am only telling you what I hear from Fordham," continued Mr.
Macey.
"And I"m glad you did, sir. We"ll try to turn the laugh on Fordham."
"Then you think you can beat "em?"