Page:Boys of Columbia High on the Gridiron.djvu/69

Rh returning to look for the leader, should they notice his absence.

Watching his chance, Frank dropped behind some bushes. Then, without wasting any time, he started to crawl back to where he might have a view of the wooded side of the athletic field.

Perhaps, after all, the fears of the coach had been groundless. He would spend a short time watching, and then, if nothing developed, he could hasten home.

At the same time, the thought of how Clifford had been deceived and beaten by the too free handling of their secret code, gave Frank an uneasy feeling.

When he had gained a position that would allow him to observe the ground he deemed most suspicious, he waited for developments.

"What was that?" he asked himself in another minute; for it seemed to him that he had heard a sharp crack, as of a rotten branch giving way.

Then his attention was attracted toward a certain spot, where something had undoubtedly fallen to the ground. Eagerly he riveted his eyes on the place, and in this way became aware of the fact that something was certainly moving up among the branches of the pine tree.

Then an object came heavily to the ground, rolled over once or twice, and scrambled half erect. Though some little distance away, Frank could see