"No," sighed Bert.

"Too bad, old fellow!"

"Yes; the uncertainty is pretty tough on us all," Dodge replied.

"Oh, you'll hear before the day is out, and the news will be all
right, too," declared Bayliss, with well-meant cheeriness. "Then
you'll be with us on the morning cross-countries again. We missed
you a whole lot this morning, Bert."

"Did you?" asked young Dodge, brightening.

"Yes; and, by the way, we've decided on our course---for our set, you
know. We're going to ignore the football call next week. If Coach
Morton asks us any questions, then we'll let him know how the
land lies. We won't try to make the High School team if the muckers
are allowed the same show. We'll have a select crowd on the eleven,
this year, or else all of our set will stay off."

"The muckers have some good football men among them, too," grumbled
Bert. "Of course for that gang that call themselves Dick & Co
we can't any more than make guesses. But some of them would be
handy on an eleven I guess."

"Yes; if they were not muckers," agreed Bayliss loftily. "But
there are enough of our own kind to make as good an eleven as
Gridley High School ever had."