m his brow. Bug smiled up drowsily and went on
sleeping.

"As good as folks think I am, Bug!" he mused. "You have gotten between
me and the rattlesnakes that were after my soul a good many times,
little brother-of-mine. As good as folks think I am! Do you know what it
costs to be that good?"

Ten minutes later he sat in Lloyd Fenneben's library.

"I have come for help," he said in reply to the Dean's questioning face.

"I hope I can give it," Fenneben responded.

"It's about tomorrow's game. There are sure to be some professional
players on the other team. I want Sunrise to win. I want to win myself."
Vic's voice was harsh tonight. And the Dean caught the hard tone.

"I want Sunrise to win. I want you to win. There will probably be some
professionals to play against, but we have no way of proving this,"
Fenneben said.

"What do you think of such playing, Doctor?" Vic asked.

"I think the rule about professionalism is often a strained piece of
foolishness. It is violated persistently and persistently winked at, but
so long as it is the rule there is only one square thing to do, and that
is to live up to the law. You should not dread any professionalism in
the game tomorrow, however. You'll bring us through anyhow, and keep the
Sunrise name and fame untarnished." The Dean smiled genially.

Burleigh's face was very pale and a strange fire burned in his eyes.

"Dr. Fenneben"--his musical voice rang clear--"I'm only a poor devil
from the short-grass country where life each year depends on that year's
crop. Three years out of four, the wind and drouth bring only failure
at harvest time. Then we starve our bodies and grip onto hope and
determination with our souls till seedtime comes again. I want a college
education. Last summer burned us out as usual within a month of harvest.
Then the mortgage got in its work on my claim and I had to give it up.
I had barely enough to get through here at pauper rates this year--but
I could n't do it and keep Bug, too. I went into Colorado and played
baseball for pay, so I could come here and bring him with me. That's why
I can out-bat our team, and could win dead easy for Sunrise tomorrow.
Nobody in Kansas knows it. Now, what shall I do?"

The words were shot out like bullets.

"What shall you do?" Lloyd Fenneben's black eyes held Burleigh. "There
is only one thing to do. When you ranked high in grades with only the
trivial matter of excusable absence against you--no broken law