pours," added Dick gloomily.

"O, cut out the croaking, you fellows," admonished Bert. "Or, if you're
dead set on proverbs, remember that 'it's no use crying over spilt
milk.' We're up against it good and plenty, but that's all the more
reason to get together and try to kill the 'jinx.'"

There certainly was room for disquietude, if not despair, in the present
condition of the football team. The "Blues" were in the throes of a
"slump." And that misfortune, dreaded like the plague by all coaches and
trainers, had come on them suddenly, like "a bolt from the blue." From
the heights of confidence they had fallen to the depths of hopelessness.
The superb machine, evolved and developed with infinite pains, now
seemed headed straight for the scrap-heap.

Only the Saturday preceding they had been lined up against
Dartmouth--always a fierce proposition--and to the delight of Hendricks
had "run rings around them." They had played with a dash and fire that
made them seem simply unbeatable. The ball had been in the enemy's
territory three-fourths of the time and, after the first quarter, it was
simply a question as to the size of the score. When at last the game was
over, they had run up thirty-two points, and the ball had never once
been within twenty yards of their own goal. The criticisms on the game
in the Sunday papers had dwelt upon the impregnable defense and slashing
attack of the "Blues." On the same Saturday the "Greys" and "Maroons"
had also met redoubtable antagonists, and although they won, the scores
were small and the playing by no means impressive. The general consensus
was that on the form already shown, the "dope" favored the Blues in the
great games yet to come. While admitting the wonderful work of some of
the men who had starred in their positions, special stress was laid upon
the smoothness and accuracy of the team work as a whole.

This of course was balm to the coach, all whose efforts had been
directed toward making individual work subordinate to the development of
a coherent system of team play, and he began to see the reward of the
untiring labors that he had given without stint for the six weeks
preceding. Reddy went about his work with a complacent smile, and the
boys themselves were jubilant at the way they were rounding into form.

Then suddenly the blow fell, to be succeeded by others no less
paralyzing.

"Have you heard the news?" exclaimed Drake, as he burst in upon Bert and
Dick on Monday e