From the time he first began to go to school it had been plain
that Dick Prescott inherited his mother's energy, plus some of
his own. He had been one of the leaders in study, work and mischief,
at the Central Grammar School. It was while in the grammar school
that a band of boys had been formed who were popularly known as
"Dick & Co." Dick was naturally the head. The other members of
the company were Tom Reade, Dan Dalzell, Harry Hazelton, Greg
Holmes and Dave Darrin. These were the same now all High School
freshmen who had stepped forward and offered to take Dick's place
in fighting Fred Ripley.

Dick was now fourteen, and so were all his partners, except Tom
Reade, who was a year older. All of Dick's chums were boys belonging
to families of average means. This is but another way of saying
that, as a usual thing, Dick and all his partners would have been
unable to fish up a whole dollar among them all.

Fred Ripley, on the other hand, usually carried considerable money
with him. Lawyer Ripley usually allowed Fred much more money
than that snobbish young man knew how to make good use of.

Fred and Clara Deane were undoubtedly the best-dressed pair in
the High School, and the two best supplied with spending money.
There were a few other sons or daughters of well-to-do people
in Gridley High School, but the average attendance came from families
that were only just about well enough off to be able to maintain
their youngsters at higher studies.

Fred Ripley, despite his mean nature, was not wholly without friends