ree or four mile run every morning, taking
another run in the afternoon, cutting off pudding and all that sort of
thing, and going in for it heart and soul. It is no use training unless
one does a thing thoroughly."

"Well, one could but try," Skinner said. "There is no reason why one
shouldn't train for football just as one does for rowing or running. You
are the last fellow I should have expected to hear such a proposal from,
Easton, but if you are ready to do it I am sure every one else will be."

There was a cordial exclamation of assent from the others.

"Well, of course it will be a horrible nuisance," Easton said
regretfully; "but if one does go in for a thing of this sort it seems to
me that it must be done thoroughly. And besides, it is very annoying
just at the ticklish point of a game, when you would give anything to be
able to catch the fellow ahead of you with the ball, to find that your
lungs have given out, and that you haven't a cupful of wind left."

"I believe, Easton, that you are a downright humbug," Scudamore said;
"and that while you pretend to hate anything like exertion, you are just
as fond of it as Skinner is."

"Well, at any rate," Skinner broke in, "we will try Easton's suggestion.
From to-night the team shall go into strict training. I will see
River-Smith now and get leave for us to go out at six o'clock every
morning. We will settle about the afternoon work afterwards. Of course
pudding must be given up, and there must be no buying cakes or things of
that sort. New bread and potatoes must be given up, and we must all
agree never to touch anything to drink between meals. We will try the
thing thoroughly. It will be a month before we play our next match with
Green's. If we can but beat them I do not care so much about the
others. There are two or three houses we should have no chance with if
we were to train as fine as a university eight."

The rest of the team were at once informed of the determination that had
been arrived at. Had it emanated only from Skinner several of the
members might have protested against the hardship of going into training
for football, but the fact that Easton had proposed it weighed with them
all. If he was ready to take such trouble over the matter no one else
could reasonably object, and the consequence was that, although not
without a good deal of grumbling at being got up before daylight, the
whole team turned out in their flannels and two thick jerseys p