least--" He stopped and narrowed his
eyes, as was his way when thinking hard.

"I think he'd be all right, Mr. Mills," said Sydney. "I--I know him
pretty well, and I know he's the sort of fellow that will fight hardest
when the game's going wrong."

"I thought so, too," answered Mills; "but--well, we'll see. Maybe we'll
give him a try. Time's up now.--O Devoe!"

"Yes, coming!"

"Here's your list. Better get your men out."

There was a hurried donning of clothing, a renewed uproar.

"All ready, fellows," shouted the captain. "Answer to your names:
Kendall, Tucker, Browning, Stowell, Witter, Jewell, Devoe, Gale, Pearse,
Mason, Foster."

"There's not much use in talk," said Mills, as the babel partly died
away. "I've got no fault to find with the work of any of you in the last
half; but we've got to do better in this half; you can see that for
yourselves. You were a little bit weak on team-play; see if you can't
get together. We're going to tie the score; maybe we're going to beat.
Anyhow, let's work like thunder, fellows, and, if we can't do any more,
tear that confounded tackle-tandem up and send it home in pieces. We've
got thirty-five minutes left in which to show that we're as good if not
better than Robinson. Any fellow that thinks he's not as good as the man
he's going to line up against had better stay out. I know that every one
of you is willing, but some of you appeared in the last half to be
laboring under the impression that you were up against better men. Get
rid of that idea. Those Robinson fellows are just the same as you--two
legs, two arms, two eyes, a nose, and a mouth. Go at it right and you
can put them out of the play. Remember before you give up that the other
man's just as tuckered as you are, maybe more so. Your captain says we
can win out. I think he knows more about it than we fellows on the
side-line do. Now go ahead, get together, put all you've got into it,
and see whether your captain knows what he's talking about. Let's have
a cheer for Erskine!"

Neil stood up on the bench and got into that cheer in great shape. He
was feeling better. Mills had half promised to put him in, and while
that might mean much or nothing it was ground for hope. He trotted on to
the field and over to the benches almost happily.

The spectators were settling back in their seats, and the cheering had
begun once more. The north stand had regained its spirit. After all, the
game wasn't lost until the last whi