e coach in less than a week with an almost
sullen face and announced shortly:

"I hain't goin' ter play no more football, I aims ter quit hit."

"Quit it! Why?"

"I've been studyin' hit over," the retiring candidate explained
gloomily. "A man thet hain't no blood kin ter me is payin' what hit
costs ter send me hyar. I hain't hardly nothin' but a charity feller,
nohow--an' until he says hit's all right, I don't aim ter spend ther
time he's payin' fer out hyar playin' fool games--albeit I likes hit."

At the solemness and the unconscious self-righteousness of the tone, a
laugh went up, and Boone turned with a straight-lined mouth to meet the
derisive outburst.

"But I'm out here now, though," he added pointedly, lowering his head as
does a bull about to charge, "an' I kin stay a leetle longer. If any of
you fellers, or ther whole damn passel of ye, thinks I'm quittin'
because I'm timorous, I'd be right glad ter take ye on hyar an'
now--fist an' skull."

There was no acceptance of the invitation, and Boone, turning, with his
shoulders straight, marched away.

But when McCalloway read his letter, he promptly responded:

"A razor is made to shave with--. Its purpose is work and only work.
Still, if it isn't honed and stropped it loses its edge. It's hardly
fair to regard as wasted the time spent on keeping that edge keen. I
want you to get the most out of college, and that doesn't mean only what
you get out of the books. If I were you, I'd play football and play it
hard."

Boone went down the stairs, four steps at a time. He could hear the
coach's whistle out on the campus and he came like a hound to the chase.
"Hi, thar!" he yelled, "kin I git back in thet outfit? _He_ 'lows hit's
all right fer me ter play."

* * * * *

Back in the hills Victor McCalloway was more than a little lonely. He
began to realize how deeply this boy--at first almost a waif--had stolen
into the affections of his detached life. Once or twice he went to
Lexington to see how his protege progressed, and he had several brief
visits from General Prince and more than several from Larry Masters.
After what seemed a very long while indeed, Boone came home for his
first summer vacation.

Araminta Gregory had a brother at her farm now, so the boy went direct
to the house of Victor McCalloway, which was henceforth to be his home.

CHAPTER XVI

Happy Spradling, whose father had overseen the raising of Vict