watch from
the side-line!

[Illustration: Roy Porter]

"Fellows who played in the varsity or second last year," directed Mr.
Cobb, "take the other end of the field and practice passing for a while.
I'll be down presently. Captain Rogers won't be out until half-past
four. The rest of you chaps get a couple of balls and come over this
way. That's it. Make a circle and pass the balls around. Stand nearer
together than that, you fellows over there. That's better."

Roy found himself between a short, stout youth of apparently fourteen
and an older boy whose age might have been anywhere from sixteen to
eighteen. He reminded Roy of a weed which had spent all its time growing
upward and had forgotten to fill out at the sides. He wore a faded brown
sweater with crossed oars dividing the letters F H. Roy experienced a
touch of respect for him as a member of the crew quite out of keeping
with the feeling of amusement aroused by his lanky body, unkempt hair
and unpleasant beady brown eyes. Roy liked the little chunky youth on
his other side better. He was evidently a new hand and was in a
continual funk for fear he would drop the ball when Roy passed it to
him. For this reason Roy took some pains to put it to him easily and
where he could best catch it, a piece of thoughtfulness that more than
once brought a shy glance of gratitude from the youngster's big, round
eyes. But if Roy gave courtesies he received none. The lanky youth
seemed to be trying to slam the ball at Roy as hard as he knew how and
once Roy caught a gleam of malicious amusement from the squinting eyes.

"Just you wait a minute, my friend," he muttered.

Despite the tall boy's best endeavors he was unable to make Roy fumble.
No matter where he shot the ball nor how hard he sent it, Roy's hands
gripped themselves about it. After one especially difficult handling of
the pigskin Roy looked up to find Mr. Cobb watching him with evident
approval. The big fellow who had taken exception to the crimson sweater
was not in the squad and Roy concluded that he was one of the last year
team. Presently the order came to reverse and the balls began going the
other way. Here was Roy's chance for revenge and he didn't let it slip.
The first two balls he passed to his tall neighbor quite nicely, but
when the third one reached him he caught it in front of him and without
turning his body sped it on swift and straight for the tall one's chest.
The tall one wasn't expecting it qui