CHAPTER II.
A Hint from the Girls There had been nothing rapid in Dick Prescott's elevation to the captaincy of the eleven.
Back in the grammar school he had started his apprenticeship in athletics.

During his freshman year in High School he had kept up his training.

In his sophomore year he had trained hard for and had won honors in the baseball nine.

In his junior year, after harder training that ever, he had performed a season's brilliant work, playing left end in all the biggest games of the season.
So now, in his senior and last year at Gridley High School he had come by degrees to the most envied of all possible positions in school athletics.
The election to the football captaincy had not been sought by Dick.

In his junior year it had been offered to him, but he had declined it, feeling that Wadleigh, both by training and judgement, was better fitted to lead the eleven on the gridiron.