m..."

"How do you feel about that?" Frank asked.

Mack drew in a deep breath as team members looked at him with intent
interest.

"All right, boys!" broke in Coach Edward, entering the locker room.
"Snap out of it! We're going to have our last scrimmage of the year
tonight. Going to try out those new plays I ran you through yesterday.
Let's go!"

The players, springing to their feet, jostled each other through the
doorway onto the field, Mack joining with them, secretly glad of the
coach's interruption. Inwardly he was in such a turbulent state that
he didn't really know how he felt about the Pomeroy-Grinnell clash. He
should be intensely loyal to Grinnell, without question ... but there
were other factors crowding in. If to lose the Grinnell game actually
meant the loss of his brother's coaching job ... it also meant the loss
of his mother's support. Carl had been assuming this responsibility
until he, Mack, could finish his schooling and help out. Under these
circumstances, with Carl's position probably wavering in the balance
due to an unsteady season and the demand of Pomeroy alumni for winning
football, the outcome of the Grinnell game took on added if not painful
significance. The situation was even beginning to take the edge off
Mack's original desire to compete against his brother's team and show
it up. There was always drama in the idea of brother against brother.
Newspapers were already hinting at the possible conflict and would make
much capital of the matter if it did come to a head. But Mack did not
now relish the thought of being in any way instrumental in the loss of
his brother's coaching job.

"I'm getting in more and more of a jam, it seems to me," he muttered,
as he trotted out on the field. "Maybe I'd be better off if I quit
this game entirely."

Opportunities often come when least expected. Coach Edward suddenly
decided that he wished the regulars to face the strongest lineup he
could possibly throw against them as a severe test of the new plays.
As a result, Mack Carver found himself at right half on the Second
Eleven which had been trained in Pomeroy plays.

"You've run through many of these Pomeroy plays yourself," Coach Edward
said to him, "so we're depending on you to carry the brunt of the
Second Team offensive and give us a good idea of what to expect next
Saturday."

There was nothing in the coach's attitude to indicate a remembrance of
the unpleasant interview betw