got to do a lot of
healing first. He has a fine time every day pulling and cutting the old
skin off it. Guess he enjoys it so much he will hate to have it heal. I
should think, Danny, that if I had a heavy glove, sort of padded in the
palm, I might play a little."

"Sure, I'll fix you up something real nate," replied Danny readily.
"Nate an' scientific, d'ye see? An' so soon as the Doc says the word you
come to me an' I'll be having it ready for you."

"Will you? Thanks, Danny. That's great! I would like to get back to
practice again. I'm afraid I'll be as stiff and stale as anything if I
stay out much longer."

"Go easy on your eating, lad, and it'll take you no time at all to catch
up with the rest of 'em. Spread this hand for me while I see the shape
of it. What happened to your finger there?"

"I broke it when I was a little kid, playing baseball."

"Sure, whoever set it for you must have been cross-eyed," said the
trainer, drily. "'Tis a bum job he did."

"Yes, it's a little crooked, but it works all right."

"You'd have hard work gettin' your engagement ring over that lump, I'm
thinking. It's a fortunate thing you're not a girl, d'ye mind."

Don laughed. "Engagement rings go on the other hand, don't they, Danny?"

"Faith, I don't know. Bad luck to him, he's done it again!"

"Who? What?" asked Don startledly.

"Jim Morton. That's twice today he's spilled most of the water from the
pail. Well, I'll have to go an' fill it, I suppose."

Danny went off to get the water bucket and the teams lined up again near
the visitors' twenty-five yard line. Coach Robey had put in a somewhat
patched-up team today. Captain Edwards was at left end, Clint Thayer at
left tackle, Gafferty at left guard, Peters at centre, Pryme at right
guard, Crewe at right tackle, Lee at right end, Carmine at quarter, St.
Clair and Gordon at half and Martin at full. It was not the best line-up
possible, but it was so far handling the situation fairly
satisfactorily. The practice of the last two days had developed one or
two strains and proved more than one of the first-choice fellows far
below condition. Tim Otis was out for a day or two with a twisted knee
and Tom Hall with a lame shoulder. Thursby had developed an erratic
streak the day before and was nursing his chagrin further along the
bench. Holt, the best right end, was in trouble with the faculty, and
Rollins, full-back, had pulled a tendon in his ankle. A full team of
second- and