at I was going to do," answered the football captain quickly.
"We'll have to investigate this matter after the game is over."

"I don't see why I should be put off the team!" cried Slugger Brown,
when notified that a substitute would take his place. "It was an
accident and nothing else."

"We'll see about that later, Brown," answered Gif briefly. "Anyway, you
had no right to have spikes on your shoes."

With one substitute in place of Brown and another playing Jack's
position, the game went on and came to a finish in favor of the regular
team by a score of 22 to 16.

"Not such a very good showing for the regulars," was Gif's comment.

"Maybe, if Jack had been in shape to play, we might have beaten you,"
remarked Fred, grimly.

"Oh, I'm not willing to admit that," answered the football captain.
"Just the same, some of you fellows on the scrub did very well, indeed.
I'm going to continue to keep my eyes on all of you."

Down in the gymnasium the wound inflicted by the spikes in Slugger
Brown's shoe had been carefully washed and dressed by Mr. Crews and
then bandaged.

"I don't think you'll have any great trouble from it, Rover," remarked
the gymnasium instructor. "But, just the same, you had better favor
that leg for a few days."

"Then you wouldn't advise me to play football?" questioned Jack in
dismay.

"Not for the next few days. After that I think you'll be all right."

As soon as the game was over, Gif, aided by Mr. Crews, began an
investigation, closely questioning all of the players and those looking
on who had seen the encounter between Brown and Jack. Of course, there
were various versions of the affair, but the consensus of opinions
seemed to be that the tackle had been an unfair one and that Brown
could have avoided spiking Jack had he been more careful. It was
likewise considered unfair to use spiked shoes even in a practice game.

"I guess he did it just to be nasty," said Gif to Mr. Crews. "You see,
he and Nappy Martell and that crowd are all down on the Rovers."

"I know nothing about the quarrels between the cadets," was Mr. Crews'
reply. "But I do know that spiking anyone on purpose cannot be
permitted in this institution. I recommend, Garrison, that Brown be
suspended from the team."

This was going a little further than Gif had anticipated. He knew that
Brown was a fairly good player, carrying considerable weight, and that
the cadet's heart would be almost broken if he was taken out of