awfully funny, isn't it?" asked Rollins. "Gilbert always struck me
as an awfully plucky player."

"Has anyone said he isn't?" inquired Clint quietly.

"N-no, no, of course not!" Rollins flushed. "I didn't mean anything like
that, Clint. Only I don't see----"

"He hasn't been looking very fit lately," offered Harry Walton. "I
noticed it two or three days ago. Too bad!"

"Yes, you're feeling perfectly wretched about it, I guess," said big
Thursby drily, causing a smile around the table. Walton shrugged and
rewarded the speaker with one of his smiles that were always
unfortunately like leers.

"Oh, I can feel sorry for him," said Walton, "even if I do get his
place. Gilbert gave me an awfully good fight for it."

"Oh, was there a fight?" asked Thursby innocently. "I didn't notice
any."

Thursby got a real laugh this time and Harry Walton joined in to save
his face, but with no very good grace.

"If anyone has an idea that Don Gilbert is scared and quit for that
reason," observed St. Clair, "he'd better keep it to himself. Or,
anyhow, he'd better not air it when Tim is about. He nearly bit my head
off in the gym because I said that Don was a chump to give up like this
a week before the Claflin game. Tim flared up like--like a gasoline
torch and wanted to fight! I didn't mean a thing by my innocent remark,
but I had the dickens of a time trying to prove it to Tim! And he almost
jumped into you, too, didn't he, Holt?"

"Yes, he did, the touchy beggar! You all heard what Robey said, and----"

"I didn't hear," interrupted Steve, "and----"

"Why, he said----"

"And, as I was about to remark, Holt, I don't want to. And it will be
just as decent for those who did hear to forget. Robey says lots of
things he doesn't mean or believe. Perhaps that was one of them. I'm for
Don. If he says he's sick, he is sick. You've all seen him play for two
years and you ought to know that there isn't a bit of yellow anywhere in
his make-up."

"That's so," agreed several, and others nodded, Holt amongst them.

"I didn't say he was a quitter, Steve. I was only repeating what Robey
said, and Tim happened to hear me. Gee, I like Don as well as any of
you. Gee, didn't I play a whole year with him on the second?"

"Gee, you did indeed!" replied Crewe, and, laughing, the fellows pushed
back their chairs and left the table.

Tim didn't hurry on his way along the walk to Billings, for he was
earnestly trying to think of some scheme tha