aided him to get to a safe spot on shore. He was shivering from head to feet, and his teeth chattered so that he could hardly speak.
"I wa--want t-t-to get where it is wa-wa-warm!" chattered Nat. "That wa--water is li--like i-i-i-ice!"
"Take off your wet coat," said Phil, kindly. "Here, you can have mine. I've got a sweater on." And he passed over the garment.
Nat was glad enough to don something dry, and the exchange was quickly made.
"If you'll take my advice, you'll make a run of it to the nearest farmhouse and warm up," said Ben. "If you don't you may take your death of cold."
"I--I wi--will," answered Nat.
"I'll go with you. There is a farmhouse just down the road a bit."
"We'll go back to where we left Dave and the others," said Phil. "They were after your boat," he explained.
"Did th--they st--stop h-h-her?"
"I don't know. We saw her, in the river, running wild. How did it happen?"
"I was fi--fixing the rudder li--line at the st--st--stern when all of a su--sudden we hit a r--r--rock or something and I we--went overboard," answered Nat. "Before I co-could g-g-get back the b-b-boat got away from m-m-me."
"Dave and some others went after the boat. We saw it running by itself, among the rocks."
Nat was too cold to pay attention just then to what had become of his property. He ran as fast as he could to the farmhouse, and there was taken in and allowed to dry himself in front of the fire, and was given a cup of hot tea. In the meantime Phil rejoined Dave and Roger, and told how the money-lender's son had been found.
It was after the supper-hour when all of the boys got back to Oak Hall, and Job Haskers was on the point of reading them a lecture and forcing them to do without supper when Doctor Clay appeared. To the master of the school the lads related their story, and he at once excused them for their tardiness, and told them to go directly to the dining-room, while he ordered Lemond to get out the school coach and go after Nat.
"Poole can be glad he was not drowned," said the doctor. "It was nice of you to stop the engine of his boat. But after this I want all of you to be more careful. I do not want to lose any of my boys!" And the look he gave them went to the heart of every lad present.
"What a difference between him and old Haskers!" murmured Phil.
"I'd give as much as a dollar to have Haskers leave," added Sam.
"I reckon every fellow in the school would chip in a dollar for that," was Plum's comment.
When Nat got in he was sent at once to his room, to change all of his clothes, and was then given a hot supper, which made him feel quite like himself. Later on he questioned Dave about the motor-boat, and said he would try to get the craft from among the rocks the next day, hiring a professional boatman to assist him. He did not thank Dave for his aid, nor did he thank Phil and the others.
"I guess it isn't in him to thank anybody," was Ben's comment. "Nat is one of the kind who thinks only of himself."
"He will have a hard time of it, getting his boat," said Dave, and so it proved. It took half a day to get the craft from among the rocks, and then it was found that she leaked so badly she had to be sent to a boat-builder for repairs.
That Saturday was the day scheduled for the football game with Lemington. As Nat could not take the eleven to that town in his motor-boat, as promised, the school carryall was pressed into service. This made some of the other students, who had arranged to go in the carryall, find other means of conveyance, and there was considerable grumbling.
"Poole said he would take 'em in the motor-boat," growled one student. "He ought to have seen to it that his boat was repaired on time."
The Old Guard football eleven all had bicycles or motor-cycles, and they went to the Lemington Athletic Grounds in a body on their wheels. All carried the school colors, and many also had horns and rattles.
"We'll show 'em that we can root for Oak Hall even if we are not on the eleven!" declared Dave.
Job Haskers took but little interest in athletics, declaring he thought too much time was wasted over field sports, but Andrew Dale was keenly alive to what was going on. He knew all about the trouble in the football organization, and he watched the departure of Dave and his chums with interest.
"Aren't you going, Mr. Dale?" asked Dave.
"Oh, yes, I am going in the carriage with Doctor Clay. Do you think we shall win, Porter?"
"We'll win if rooting can do it!" cried Dave.
"Then you intend to 'root,' as you call it?"
"Yes, sir--we are going to root for all we are worth."
"I am glad to know it," answered Andrew Dale; and then he turned away to attend to some school duties. Later on, when he and the doctor were on the way to the game, he mentioned the trouble in the football club, and told how Dave and his chums had been left out in the cold, and how Dave and the others were now going to cheer for and encourage the school eleven.
"Fine! Grand!" murmured the master of the school, his eye lighting up with pleasure. "That is the proper school spirit! It does Porter, Morr, and the others great credit."
"Exactly what I think, Doctor," answered the first assistant. "Many players would have remained away altogether, or gone to the game to throw cold water on the efforts of those on the gridiron. It shows a manliness that cannot be excelled."
"Yes! yes!" murmured Doctor Clay. "A fine lot of boys, truly! A fine lot! It seems a pity they were forced off the team."
"Perhaps they'll be back--before the football season is over," answered Andrew Dale, gravely.
"What do you mean, Dale?"
"Perhaps the football eleven will need them and be glad to get them back."
CHAPTER XVI
A STRUGGLE ON THE GRIDIRON
When Dave and his chums reached the athletic grounds they found the grandstand and the bleachers about half filled with people. The Lemington contingent had a good number of rooters, and they were already filling the air with their cries of encouragement. The boys looked around, but saw nothing of Vera Rockwell or Mary Feversham.
"Maybe they didn't think it worth while to come," suggested the senator's son.
"No Rockville fellows here, either," said Phil. "They play an eleven from Elmwood this afternoon."
The Lemington players were already on the field, and it was seen that they were rather light in weight, only the full-back being of good size.
"Our eleven has the advantage in weight," said Roger. "But I rather fancy those fellows are swift."
"Yes, and they may be tricky," added Ben.
As soon as Dave and his chums were seated, Dave gave the signal, and the Oak Hall cheer was given. Then followed another cheer for the school eleven, with a tooting of horns and a clacking of wooden rattles.
"Mercy! but those Oak Hall students can make a noise!" exclaimed one girl, sitting close by.
"That is what they call 'rooting'!" answered her friend. "Isn't it lovely!"
"Perfectly delicious! They ought to win, if they shout like that!"
Guy Frapley heard the racket, and walked over to the spot from whence it proceeded. He was astonished beyond measure to see Dave leading off, yelling at the top of his lungs, and waving a rattle in one hand and the school colors in the other.
"What