Tom thrust his hands deep into his pockets, looked up at the clouds and laughed heartily.
"I expected it," said he; then he stopped laughing and scowled fiercely. His merriment was forced, and he was as angry as he ever got to be.
"Are you willing that Prime and his crowd should lay out a programme for the races without saying a word to us about it?" demanded Ralph, who forgot that that was just the way in which he and his two companions had treated Prime.
"And did you really ask Wayring to propose our names at the club's next meeting?" chimed in Loren.
"No, to both your questions," replied Tom, emphatically. "They must be a bright set of boys if they think we are going to let them rule us. Why, that was the reason we decided that we did not want any thing to do with Wayring and his followers. But I have thought better of that resolution, and I'm going to make friends with Joe if I can."
"And cut Prime and the rest?" exclaimed Ralph.
