ocks through Clayton's
windows, and then if he says anything, punch his head for him."

This idea seemed to please the majority of the men, and they were
instantly on their feet and rushing out of the door to execute their
vengeance on the tyrant, when Tug thundered out for them to come back.

"I've got a better idea," he said, "and one that will do us more
credit. I'll tell you what I am going to do: I am going to take this
matter into my own hands, and drill that scrub team myself, and see
if we can't teach the varsity a thing or two. I believe that, with
a little practice and a little good sense, we can shove 'em off the
earth."

This struck the fellows as the proper and the Lakerim method of doing
things, and they responded with a cheer.

III

Tug persuaded Reddy, B.J., Pretty, and Bobbles, who had not been
trying for the team, to come out on the field. He even coaxed the busy
Sawed-Off into postponing some of his work for a few days to help them
out. He thus had almost the old Lakerim eleven at his command; and
that very night, in that very room, they concocted and practised a few
secret tricks and a few surprises for Clayton, who was neither very
fertile in invention nor very quick to understand the schemes of
others.

Clayton was too sure of his own position and power to pay any heed to
the storm that was brewing for him, and was only too glad to see more
Lakerim men on the scrub team for him to abuse.

The next day Tug persuaded some of the others of the scrub eleven to
"lay off" for a few days, and he also persuaded the captain of the
scrub team to give him command for a week. Then he took his new
eleven, seven of them old Lakerim veterans, out on the field, and
worked with them early and late.

To instil into the heads of his men the necessity of being in just the
right place at the right time, Tug drew a map of the field on a large
sheet of paper, and spread it on his center-table; then he took
twenty-two checkers and set them in array like two football teams. He
gathered his eleven into his room at night, told each man Jack of them
which checker was his, and set them problems to work out.

"Suppose I give the signal for the left-guard to take the ball around
the right-end," he would say, and ask each man in turn, "Where would
you go?"

Then the backs drew their checkers up to position as interference, and
the tackles and guards showed what particular enemies they were to
bowl over. Many