bolical.

"You're the goods, Tommikins!" exclaimed Steve, squeezing the arm he
held. "They didn't make an inch through you. You were great!"

"They got through once or twice," mumbled Tom.

"Oh, for a yard or so," scoffed Steve. "Who gave you that peach of a
mouth, Tom?"

"Johnson, I think." He touched it gingerly. "It feels as big as a
house."

"You're a blooming hero, Tom. Say, Marvin told me the New York papers
have got all about that business at Oakdale yesterday. He didn't see it,
but someone told him. Wouldn't you love to read what they say? I'm
going to get the papers as soon as the game's over."

"Silly rot," mumbled Tom. They were waiting for the throng ahead to get
through the doorway. When they followed Tom paused a moment in the
hallway, his gaze following the striped legs of the Claflin players as
they went up the stairs. Steve tugged at his arm.

"Come on, slow-poke! What's the matter?"

"Nothing. That is, I was just thinking how rotten those fellows will
feel if they get beaten."

"Maybe they won't," said Steve soberly. "If they don't, think how rotten
we'll feel!"

Tom smiled, wincing with the twinge from his swollen lip. "I suppose
someone's got to feel bad. Come on."

In the locker room and in the rubbing room beyond all was bustle. The
rubber was hard at work over the table and Danny Moore was already busy
with surgeon's plaster and medicated gauze and nasty smelling lotion.
There was very little talk as yet. Fellows sank on to benches and
wearily relaxed their tired muscles. Mr. Robey and "Boots" were
consulting in low tones by one of the grated windows. Tom eased himself
to a seat and began to strip down one torn woollen stocking, displaying
an abrasion along the shin bone that brought an exclamation from Steve.

"Shut up," said Tom. "Swipe a bunch of that absorbent cotton from Danny
for me, will you? If he sees this he will make a fuss about it. I don't
want it to get stiff on me. Hi, Fowler, how is it?"

"All right," replied the left-guard, working a bunch of bleeding
knuckles experimentally. "It was hot work, though. Can we hold them next
half, Hall?"

"Sure! They're as tired as we are, I guess. Besides, we had them on the
run there toward the last."

Tom dragged himself off to the wash-room to bathe his leg with the
cotton Steve had brought.

"Ten minutes more," announced Lawrence.

"Hurry in to the table, you fellows," called Danny. "Williams, come here
and let me see tha