see how it
works. He's quick as a flash and an expert at dodging, and he may make a
better back than he is a tackle. We'll shift him there for a tryout.

"I'll have to keep quite a bunch of them 'under suspicion' for some time
yet, and we may have quite a different line up by November. But, take it
all in all, I'm not kicking at the way we're going along, so early in
the season. As a matter of fact, I wouldn't let them know for a farm how
good I really feel over their showing. I'd like to get a line, though,
on the other teams. By the way, I saw you talking with Bushnell, the old
'Grey' quarter. Did that Irish blarney of yours get anything out of
him?"

"Niver a bit," mourned Reddy. "I did me best, but he was as
close-mouthed as a clam. I ran across a reporter though, who's been down
that way lately, and he says they're going great guns in practice."

"They're the fellows we've got to beat. That agrees with everything I've
heard from that quarter. We're heavier and I think we're faster than the
'Maroons' this year. But from all accounts the 'Greys' have got
everything, and then some. They'll take a lot of beating."

"Hivin send that they take it instead of giving it," ejaculated Reddy;
and with Hendricks' grunted indorsement of this pious wish, the captain
and first mate of the football craft parted for the night.

CHAPTER VI

REDDY'S RECOLLECTIONS

IN spite of the trainer's autocratic rule, the life of the team while in
training was not just one long grind, without any recreation to break
the monotony. Reddy, it is true, prohibited theaters and kindred
amusements, because they necessarily meant late hours, and late hours,
as the trainer well knew, meant decreased efficiency, both physical and
mental.

Nevertheless, he had no objection to the athletes playing quiet games of
an evening, provided they were well up in their studies, and sometimes
even contributed to the general enjoyment by spinning some yarn culled
from his own vast store of "past performances."

Whenever the members of the squad found him in a reminiscent mood, all
other amusements were suspended, and they would listen attentively to
the little trainer's reminiscences of victories won on field and track.

In his day Reddy had taken part in almost every branch of sport, and
could tell stories about them all. For some time this particular evening
he had not uttered a word, however, and had sat listening to the
conversation of his charge