open
holes in the second team's line in a style that more than once brought
commendation from Coach Robey. Walton glowered from the bench until
Cotter disgustedly asked if he felt sick. Whereupon Walton grinned and
Cotter, with a sigh, begged him to scowl again!

The first team presented its full strength that afternoon, and Mr.
Boutelle's Claflin plays made little headway. With Rollins back in
place, the first team scored almost at will during three periods, and
even after an entirely new backfield was put in it continued to smash
the second up very effectually. Mr. Boutelle scolded and raved and
threatened, but all to scant purpose. The first got its plays off very
smoothly, played low and hard and, for once, played together. The final
score that day was the biggest ever piled up in a practice contest, 30
to 3. Had Mr. Robey allowed Rollins to try goals from touchdowns it
would have been several points larger.

Tom Hall had so far carefully avoided the field, but today he appeared
there and sat in the stand with Roy Draper and tried his best to be
cheerful. But his best wasn't very good. Already the feeling against him
had largely subsided, and the school, realising, perhaps, that Tom's
loss to the team did not necessarily spell defeat for it, was inclined
to be sorry for him. But Tom didn't realise that, since he still kept to
himself and was suspicious of advances. He hadn't quarrelled with the
school's verdict, but it had hurt him and, as he didn't like being hurt
any more than most of us, he avoided the chance of it. In those days he
stuck pretty close to his room, partly because the office required it
and partly because he had no heart for mingling with his fellows. Roy
Draper had to plead long and earnestly that afternoon to get him to the
gridiron. As badly as he felt about losing his place on the team,
however, Tom didn't begrudge Pryme his good fortune, and he was honestly
pleased to see that the latter, in spite of his deficiencies, would
doubtless fill the right guard position very capably in the Claflin
game. He studied Pryme's work attentively that afternoon, criticised it
and praised it and showed no trace of animosity.

"He will do all right," he confided to Roy. "Crewe will help him a lot,
and so will Thursby. If he could use his hands a bit better he'd be
fine. He holds himself nicely, doesn't he? On his toes all the time. I
hate to see a lineman play flat-footed. That's one trouble with Don
Gilber