e of her goal. That Brimfield did not add
another touchdown was only because her line, overanxious, was twice
found off-side and penalised. Even then the ball went at last to within
six inches of the goal line and it was only after the nimble referee had
dug into the pile-up like a terrier scratching for a bone in an ash-heap
that the fact was determined that Thacher had saved her bacon by the
width of the ball. She kicked out of danger from behind her goal and
after two plays the final whistle blew.

It was a very hot and very weary crowd of fellows who thronged the
dressing room in the gymnasium five minutes later and, above the swish
of water in the showers, shouted back and forth and discussed the game
from as many angles as there had been participants. Possibly Brimfield
had no very good reason for feeling proud of her afternoon's work, for
last year she had defeated Thacher 26 to 3. That game, however, had
taken place two weeks later in the season, when the Maroon-and-Grey was
better off in the matter of experience, and so perhaps was not a fair
comparison. At all events, Brimfield liked the way she had "come back"
in that third period and liked the way in which the substitutes had
behaved, and displayed a very evident inclination to pat herself on the
back.

Tim, who had haled Don into the gymnasium on the way back to hall, tried
his best to convince all those who would listen to him that they had
played a perfectly punk game and that nothing but the veriest fluke had
accounted for that score. But they called him a "sore-head" and laughed
at him, and even drove him away with flicking towels, and he finally
gave it up and consented to accompany Don back to Billings, limping a
trifle whenever he thought no one was looking.

Don missed Tim at supper, for the training tables started that evening
and Tim went off to one of them with his napkin ring and his own
particular bottle of tomato catsup, leaving his chum feeling forlornly
"out of it."

CHAPTER V

DON GOES TO THE SECOND

LIFE at Brimfield Academy settled down for Don into the accustomed
routine. The loss of one day made no difference in the matter of
lessons, for with Tim's assistance--they were both in the Fifth Form--he
easily made up what had been missed. They were taking up German that
year for the first time and Don found it hard going, but he managed to
satisfy Mr. Daley after a fashion. Don was a fellow who studied hard
because he had to.