ed Paul. "If I thought I wouldn't I think I'd pitch it
all up and--and go to Robinson!" He grinned across at his chum.

"You stay here and you'll get a chance to go _at_ Robinson; that's a
heap more satisfactory."

"Well, I'm going to make the varsity, Neil. I've set my heart on that,
and what I make up my mind to do I sometimes most always generally do.
I'm not troubling, my boy; I'll show them a few tricks about playing
half-back that'll open their eyes. You wait and see!"

Neil looked as though he was not quite certain as to that, but said
nothing, and Paul went on:

"I wonder what sort of a fellow this Devoe is?"

"Well, I've never seen him, but we know that he's about as good an end
as there is in college to-day; and I guess he's bound to be the right
sort or they wouldn't have made him captain."

"He's a senior, isn't he?"

"Yes; he's played only two years, and they say he's going into the Yale
Law School next year. If he does, of course he'll get on the team there.
Well, I hope he'll take pity on two ambitious but unprotected
freshmen and--"

There was a knock at the study door and Paul jumped forward and threw it
open. A tall youth of twenty-one or twenty-two years of age stood in
the doorway.

"I'm looking for Mr. Gale and Mr. Fletcher. Have I hit it right?"

"I'm Gale," answered Paul, "and that's Fletcher. Won't you come in?" The
visitor entered.

"My name's Devoe," he explained smilingly. "I'm captain of the football
team this year, and as you two fellows are, of course, going to try for
the team, I thought we'd better get acquainted." He accepted the squeaky
rocking-chair and allowed Paul to take his straw hat. Neil thought he'd
ought to shake hands, but as Devoe made no move in that direction he
retired to another seat and grinned hospitably instead.

"I've heard of the good work you chaps did for Hillton last year, and I
was mighty glad when I learned from Gardiner that you were coming
up here."

"You know Gardiner?" asked Neil.

"No, I've never met him, but of course every football man knows who he
is. He wrote to me in the spring that you were coming, and rather
intimated that if I knew my business I'd keep an eye on you and see that
you didn't get lost in the shuffle. So here I am."

"He didn't say anything about having written," pondered Neil.

"Oh, he wouldn't," answered Devoe. "Well, how do you like us as far as
you've seen us?"

"We only got here yesterday," replied Paul. "I th