s," and the failure of the Blues for
two seasons in succession had tarnished their prestige and turned toward
other colleges the players emulous of football glory. The "Greys" and
"Maroons" had "gobbled" the most likely "future greats" and the Blues
had been replenished by a number limited in quantity and mediocre in
quality. Of his veterans, the right guard and left tackle had graduated
that summer, and their places in the line would be hard to fill.

Not that the coach felt discouraged. He didn't know the meaning of the
word. It simply meant that he would have to work the harder. Like
Napoleon, the word "impossible" was not in his dictionary. It was said
once of a famous educator that "Mark Hopkins at one end of a log and a
student at the other would make a university." With equal truth it could
be declared that "Bull" Hendricks on the coaching line and eleven men
on the field would turn out a 'Varsity team.

His task was the more difficult just now because he was practically
alone. It was too early in the season for the "old grads" to put in an
appearance. By and by they would come flocking in droves from all
quarters of the compass, eager to renew their youth, and to infuse into
the raw recruits some of the undying enthusiasm that they felt for their
old Alma Mater. Then every separate player on the team could have the
benefit of the advice of some famous former player in his own position,
who would teach him every trick and turn by which he had won his own
reputation. But at present most of the work devolved on him. He had to
teach the backs how to kick, the ends how to run down under a punt, the
guards and tackles how to interfere; and into all he had to infuse the
deathless determination to win that is the very heart and core of the
game. Like a new Atlas, he was carrying the football world on his
shoulders, alone.

No, not quite alone. There was "Reddy." And that sorrel-topped
individual was a host in himself.

Not one fellow out of ten could have told his real name. He was simply
"Reddy" and they let it go at that. His flaming mop of hair to which he
owed his nickname covered a shrewd if uneducated mind. For many years he
had been connected with the college as head trainer, and in this
capacity he had turned out so many winners that he had become famous in
the athletic world. He had supreme control of the physical training of
all the teams turned out by the college--track, baseball and
football--and none ex