stopped it would have to be stopped before it hit
our line."

Mills nodded.

"I had the idea, as I say, but I couldn't apply it. And that's the way
things stood last night when I went to bed. I had sat up until after
eleven and had used up all the paper I had, and so when I got into bed I
saw diagrams all over the place and had an awful time to get to sleep.
But at last I did. And then I dreamed.

"And in the dream I was playing football. That's the first time I ever
played it, and I guess it'll be the last. I was all done up in sweaters
and things until I couldn't do much more than move my arms and head. It
seemed that we were in 9 Grace Hall, only there was grass instead of
floor, and it was all marked out like a gridiron. And everybody was
there, I guess; the President and the Dean, and you and Mr. Jones, and
Mr. Preston and--and my mother. It was awfully funny about my mother.
She kept sewing more sweaters on to me all the time, because, as she
said, the more I had on the less likely I was to get hurt. And Devoe was
there, and he was saying that it wasn't fair; that the football rules
distinctly said that players should wear only one sweater. But nobody
paid any attention to him. And after a bit, when I was so covered with
sweaters that I was round, like a big ball, the Dean whistled and we got
into line--that is," said Sydney doubtfully, "it was sort of like a
line. There was the President and Neil Fletcher and I on one side, and
all the others, at least thirty of them, on the other. It didn't seem
quite fair, but I didn't like to object for fear they'd say I
was afraid."

"Well, you _did_ have the nightmare," said Mills. "Then what?"

"The other side got into a bunch, and I knew they were playing
tackle-back, although of course they weren't really; they just all stood
together. And I didn't see any ball, either. Then some one yelled 'Smash
'em up!' and they started for us. At that Neil--at least I think it was
Neil--and Prexy--I mean the President--took hold of me, lifted me up
like a bag of potatoes, and hurled me right at the other crowd. I went
flying through the air, turning round and round and round, till I
thought I'd never stop. Then there was an awful bump, I yelled 'Down!'
at the top of my lungs--and woke up. I was on the floor."

Mills laughed, and Sydney took breath.

"At first I didn't know what had happened. Then I remembered the dream,
and all on a sudden, like a flash of lightning, it occurr