ith Neil Durant
after practice when the captain surprised him by saying:

"I used to know Norris; we used to go to a day school in Washington
together."

"You did!" exclaimed Teeny-bits. "What was he like?"

"It was four or five years ago and we were young kids, but I remember
that Norris was gritty as the dickens; he used to play quarter-back
then; of course he's developed a lot since those days."

Somehow that little incident seemed to change Teeny-bits' state of mind
toward Norris; he had been unconsciously thinking of him as scarcely a
human being, rather as a super-athlete who was virtually invincible. He
began to develop a great desire to play against him, and then suddenly
something happened that seemed to make what had been a remote
possibility almost a certainty.

Ten days before the big game, during a scrimmage in front of the scrub's
goal line, White's weak ankle gave way sharply beneath him with the
result that the bone was cracked and White was out of the game for the
season. It was a heavy blow to the team; White had never been a
spectacular player, but by hard work he had earned the reputation of
being the "Old Reliable" of the team. Neil Durant and Ned Stillson were
better at running with the ball and played perhaps more brilliantly, but
White was steady and sure. His team-mates called him "a bear at
secondary defense." He had an uncanny way of guessing where a play was
coming through, and he made it his duty to plant himself in front of
it,--and to stop it. If he had had more of leadership in his
personality, he might have made as good a captain as Neil Durant made.

Coach Murray and Neil helped him off the field, plainly showing their
disappointment and sympathy.

"Two of you fellows help White over to the locker building and 'phone
for Doctor Peters to come down with his car," said the coach, addressing
a group of substitutes at the side lines.

Teeny-bits jumped forward, but the coach said:

"Let some one else do that, Teeny-bits. I want you out on the field."

Teeny-bits walked back to the scrimmage line with the captain and the
coach. A moment ago he had been a substitute; now suddenly he had become
a regular. The other members of the team had a word of encouragement for
him, but it was impossible for them to hide completely their belief that
a disaster had come upon the eleven. Teeny-bits was a good substitute,
they all acknowledged, but as a regular against such a team as
Jefferson, w