tlemen, to our eloquent
young Demosthenes, the only one in captivity."

He skilfully dodged the pass made at him and Bert went on:

"I don't deny that there was a time when the game was a little too
rough, but most of that has been done away with. There has been progress
in football as in everything else. There's no wholesale slugging as in
the early days, when the football field was more like a prize ring than
a gridiron. Of course, once in a while, even now, you'll be handed a
nifty little uppercut, if the referee isn't looking. But if they catch
on to it, the fellow is yanked out of the game and his team loses half
the distance to its goal line as a penalty. So that it doesn't pay to
take chances. Then, too, a fellow used to strain himself by trying to
creep along even when the whole eleven was piled on him. They've cut
that out. Making it four downs instead of three has led to a more open
game, and the flying wedge has been done away with altogether. The game
is just as fierce, but the open play has put a premium on speed instead
of mass plays, and made it more interesting for the spectators and less
dangerous for the players. And the most timid of mothers and anxious of
aunties needn't go into hysterics for fear that their Algernon or
Percival may try to 'make' the team."

"This seems to be quite an animated discussion," said a pleasant voice
behind them; and wheeling about they saw Professor Benton, who held the
chair of History in the college.

They greeted him cordially. Although a scholar of international
reputation, he was genial and approachable, and a great favorite with
the students. In connection with his other duties, he was also a member
of the Athletic Association and took a keen interest in college sports.
He himself had been a famous left end in his undergraduate days, and his
enthusiasm for the game had not lessened with the passing of the years
and the piling up of scholastic honors.

"We were talking about football, Professor," explained Bert, "and
agreeing that many of the rough edges had been planed off in the last
few years."

"I could have guessed that you weren't talking about your studies," said
the Professor quizzically. "You fellows seldom betray undue enthusiasm
about those. But you are right about the changes brought in by the new
rules. It surely was a bone-breaking, back-breaking game during my own
student days.

"And yet," he went on with a reminiscent smile, "even that was chi