he time that the football season opened Dick & Co. were the envy
of the school for their heavy heads of hair.

With all the hard work of training, Coach Morton did not intend
that the young men should be so busy as to have no time for recreation.
He understood thoroughly the value of the lighter, happier moments
in keeping an athlete's nervous system up to concert pitch.

Though the baseball training of the preceding spring had been
"stiff" enough, Dick & Co. soon found that the football training
was altogether more rugged.

In fact, Coach Morton, with the aid of Dr. Bentley as medical
director, weeded out a few of the young men after training had
been going on for a fortnight. Some failed to show sufficient
reserve "wind" after running. A few other defectives proved not
to have hearts strong enough for the grilling work of the gridiron.

All the members of Dick & Co., however, managed to keep in the
squad. In fact, hints soon began to go around, mysteriously,
that Dick & Co. were having the benefit of some outside training.
Purcell came to young Prescott and asked him frankly about this
report.

"Nothing in it," Dick replied promptly. "We're having just the
same training as the rest of the boys. But I'll tell you a secret."

"Go on!" begged Purcell eagerly.

"You know the training rules---early retiring and all?"

"Yes; of course."

"Well, we fellows are sticking to orders like leeches. Every
night, to the minute, we're in bed. We make a long night's sleep
of it. Then, besides, we don't slight a single particle of the
training work that we're told to do by ourselves. We've agreed
on that, and have promised each other. Now, do you suppose all
the fellows are sticking quite as closely to coach's orders?"

"I---I---well, perhaps they're not," agreed Purcell.

"Are you?" insisted Dick.

"In the _main_, I do."

"Oh," observed Prescott, with mild sarcasm. "'In the main'!
Now, see here, Purcell, we High School fellows are fortunate in
having one of the very best coaches that ever a High School squad
did have. Mr. Morton knows what he's doing. He knows how to
bring out condition, and how to teach the game. He lays down
the rules that furnish the sole means of success at football.
And you---one of our most valuable fellows---are following some
of his instructions---when they don't conflict with your comfort
or with your own ideas about training. Now, honestly, what do
you know about training th