t ovation. The members of the second team crowded
about their idol, Judd, and immediately began plotting the destruction
of the "beloved" varsity. Cateye, meanwhile, was kept busy answering
greetings from his old team-mates.
"Hello, Cateye, how's that knee of yours?" It was Neil, quarterback,
speaking.
"Fine!" responded Cateye, adjusting his shoulder pads.
"That's good. I sure am glad to see you back. Between you and me,
Cateye, left guard has been the weak spot on our team since you were
laid up. Besides, Benz hasn't been playing up to standard and although
we've been trimming the seconds we haven't got that old fighting
spirit. The boys are due to recover their form to-day."
"Everybody out!" ordered Coach Phillips. The players trotted from the
locker room onto the field.
"Billings, you take right guard on the seconds and Cateye, your old
position at left guard on the varsity. We'll have fifteen minutes of
signal practice and a thirty minute's scrimmage. Lively now!"
Practice that afternoon did go off better. Benz played with a
vengeance, eager to out do any play that Judd might make, and he was
successful in tearing off several long gains; through Judd's position
too! Benz was elated.
The explanation was quite simple. Judd, assigned the position of right
guard found that he was pitted directly against Cateye who played left
guard for the varsity. Rather than show up his room-mate Judd made
half-hearted attempts to stem the varsity's advance, and the seconds,
losing some of their confidence in Judd's stonewall defence, allowed
the varsity to score almost at will.
A hundred or so onlookers, enthused by the varsity's exceptional
showing, shouted, "Oh you Pennington!" until their voices were hoarse.
It was a badly bruised and dejected second team that crawled off the
field after scrimmage was over following one of the worst trouncings
that they had ever experienced. The varsity, upon the other hand, was
bubbling over with pep and renewed confidence.
"Guess we've found our stride again!" cried Benz, almost the first
cheerful words he had uttered in a week.
"Found our stride!" ejaculated Pole, "Why man, we're away ahead of our
stride."
"Don't get too cocky over that showing," warned Bartz, inclined to be
cautious. "Even the best of 'em fall, you know."
"Bartz is right," spoke up Neil, "In order to keep our record clean up
to the Pennington game we've got to wallop Paulson this co
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