you feeling?"

"Oh, I'm--ouch!--I'm all right; a bit sore here and there."

"Devoe's going to kick," said Stone uneasily.

The ball had been brought out, and now Foster was holding it directly in
front of the center of the cross-bar. The south stand was cheering and
singing wildly in a desperate attempt to rattle the Erskine captain. The
latter looked around once, and the Robinson supporters, taking that as a
sign of nervousness, redoubled their noise.

"Muckers!" groaned Neil. Stone grinned.

"Everything goes with them," he said.

The referee's hand went down, Devoe stepped forward, the blue-clad line
leaped into the field, and the ball sped upward. As it fell Neil turned
to Stone and the two stared at each other in doubt. From both stands
arose a confused roar. Then their eyes sought the score-board at the
west end of the field and they groaned in unison.

"NO GOAL."

"What beastly luck!" muttered Stone.

Neil was silent. Mills and Jones were standing near by and looking
toward the bench and Neil imagined they were discussing him. He watched
breathlessly, then his heart gave a suffocating leap and he was racing
toward the two coaches.

"Warm up, Fletcher."

That was all, but it was all Neil asked for. In a twinkling he was
trotting along the line, stretching his cramped legs and arms. As he
passed the bench he tried to look unconcerned, but the row of kindly,
grinning faces told him that his delight was common property. Paul
silently applauded.

Meanwhile the teams had again faced each other. Twelve minutes of play
remained and the score-board said: Erskine 5, Opponents 6. Both elevens
had made changes. For Erskine, Graham, immense of bulk but slow, had
replaced Stowell at center, and Reardon was in Foster's position.
Robinson had put in new men at left tackle, right end, and full-back.
The game went on again.

Devoe got the kick-off and brought the ball back to his thirty yards;
but he was injured when thrown and Bell took his place. Smith and Mason
each made two yards around the ends and Pearse got through left-guard
for one. Then a plunge at right tackle resulted disastrously, Mason
being forced back three yards, and Smith took the pigskin for a try
outside of right tackle. He was stopped easily and Mason kicked.
Robinson got the ball on her fifty yards and ran it back to Erskine's
forty-three. Once more the tackle-tandem was brought into play. Smith
failed to stop it, and the head of the defense