and swim straight
across to Africa!"

"Honest?" Steve brightened perceptibly. "But you don't show it, Tom."

"What's the good of showing it? All I hope is that the barge will make
so much noise going back to-morrow that you won't hear my knees knocking
together!"

CHAPTER XXVI

AT THE END OF THE FIRST HALF

Saturday dawned clear and crisp, with a little westerly breeze stirring
the tops of the leafless trees and fluttering the big maroon flag with
the grey B that hung from the staff at the back of the grand stand. That
was not the only flag displayed, for here and there all along the Row
small banners hung from windows, while to add to the patriotic effect
all the red and grey cushions in school were piled against the casements
to lend their colour. There were few recitations that morning and there
might just as well have been none, I fancy. The squad got back from
Oakdale at one-thirty, after an early dinner, and were driven directly
to the gymnasium, pursued by the school at large with vociferous
greetings.

Claflin began to put in an appearance soon after that. Hitherto
Brimfield had travelled to Westplains to meet her rival, and this was
the first time that the Blue had invaded the Maroon-and-Grey fastness.
Hoskins did a rushing business that day, for Claflin had sent nearly her
entire population with the team, and many of the visitors were forced
to walk from the station. There was an insouciant, self-confident air
about the Claflin fellows that impressed Brimfield and irritated her
too. "You'd think," remarked Benson, watching from a window in the gym
the visitors passing toward the field, "that they had the game already
won! A stuck-up lot of dudes, that's what I call them!" But Benson was
not in the best of tempers to-day and possibly his judgment was warped!

The Claflin team arrived in one of Hoskins' barges and took possession
of the meeting-room upstairs to change into their togs. They were a
fine-looking lot of fellows, and they, too, had that same air of
confidence that Benson had found annoying. By a quarter past two the
stage was set. The grand stand was filled to overflowing, the settees
and chairs, which had been brought out to supplement the permanent
seats, were all occupied, and many spectators were standing along the
ropes. Over the stand the big maroon-and-grey banner floated lazily in
the breeze. The field had been newly marked out and the cream-white
lines shone dazzlingly in t