n and commenced to clear away, and the two sallied out.

CHAPTER IV

BIFFEN'S PROGRESS

That day, after morning school, Biffen's held a meeting, and thereat Acton
was proposed captain by Worcester and seconded by Raven; and Biffen's
confirmed Worcester's qualified opinion of their sense by electing him
_nem. con_.

From that day Acton threw his heart and soul into the regeneration of
Biffen's. There did not pass an afternoon but that he turned out for
footer, and coached, encouraged, bullied, stormed, praised each individual
member of the team with the strictest impartiality and Spartan justice.

The smallest fault was dragged out into the light of day, and commented on
with choice fulness, and any clever concerted piece of work got its due
reward. Acton would stand no half-hearted play; he wanted the last ounce
out of his men. The fellows stared a bit at first at his deadly
earnestness, so unlike Dick's disgusted resignation at their shortcomings;
but they found the change refreshing on the whole, for they could stand a
lot of bullying from a fellow like Acton, who never seemed to make a
mistake, or to have an off-day, and who could give stones and a beating to
the best man among them. They respected his skill, and buckled to the work
in hand. In about a fortnight there was a suggestion of style about the
moving of some of the fellows up the field. Worcester backed up Acton with
whole-hearted enthusiasm, and Raven was lost in wonder at the forward
movement. This backing Acton found rather useful, for Dick and Raven were
as popular as any in St. Amory's.

Some of the fellows were inclined to turn restive after about a fortnight,
when the novelty of earnestness in football had worn off, but Acton's
demands were as inexorable as ever. Matters came to a head (probably, as I
expect, to the new captain's inward satisfaction) when his girding upset
Chalmers--about the best forward of Biffen's regenerated lot. There was to
be a match with some of the Fifth for the Saturday, and Acton had arranged
a preliminary canter the day before to test his attack. Chalmers was the
winger, but on the day he was tremendously selfish, and stuck to the ball
until he was robbed or knocked off it. Now, Acton loathed the "alone I did
it" type of forward, and asked Chalmers pretty acidly what his inside man
was for. This riled Chalmers considerably, for he had a large private
opinion about his own play, and he said pretty hotly, "Mind