"This is going to be a genuinely rough season for
all weaklings."

There was a quick making up of the roll.

"Tomorrow afternoon, at three sharp, you'll all report on the
athletic field," announced Coach Morton, when he had finished
writing down the names. "Any man who fails to show up tomorrow
afternoon will have his name promptly expunged from the squad
rolls. No excuses will be accepted for failure tomorrow."

There was a crispness about that which some of the fellows didn't
like.

"Won't a doctor's certificate of illness go?" asked one fellow
laughingly.

"It will go---not," retorted coach. "Pill-takers and fellows
liable to chills aren't wanted on this year's team, anyway. Now,
young gentlemen, I'm going to give you a brief talk on the general
art of taking care of yourselves, and the art of keeping yourselves
in condition."

The talk that followed seemed to Dick Prescott very much like
a repetition of what Coach Luce had said to them the winter before,
at the commencement of indoor training for baseball.

As he finished talking on health and condition Mr. Morton drew
from one of his pockets a bunch of folded papers.

"I am now," he continued, "going to present to each one of you
a set of rules, principles, guides---call them what you will.
On this paper each one of you will find laid down rules that
should be burned into the memories of all young men who aspire
to play football. Do not lose your copies of these rules. Read
the rules over again and again. Memorize them! Above all, put
every rule into absolute practice."

Then, at a sign, the young men passed before the coach to receive
their printed instructions.

"Something new you've gotten up, Mr. Morton?" inquired one of
the fellows.

"No," the coach admitted promptly. "These rules aren't original
with me. I ran across 'em, and I've had them printed, by authority
from the Athletics Committee. I wish I had thought up a set of
rules as good."

As fast as they received their copies each member of the squad
darted away to read the rules through. This is what each man
found on the printed sheet:

_"1. Work hard and be alive.
2. Work hard and learn the rules.
3. Work hard and learn the signals.
4. Work hard and keep on the jump.
5. Work hard and have a nose for the ball.
6. Work hard all the time. Be on speaking terms with the ball
every minute.
7. Work hard and control your temper and tongue.
8. Work hard and don'