ce and immediately felt
better. He went home with a lighter heart than he had had in weeks.

CHAPTER III

A KICKER IS DISCOVERED

Trumbull High put the skids under Newton Academy in the next to the
last game of the season but in so doing the eleven lost the services of
its star fullback, Jimmy Blackwell, who suffered a badly sprained
ankle. There was gloom in Trumbull that night. Chances were that
Blackwell had played his last game for the school and chances were that
Trumbull would be no match for Canton High with Blackwell out of the
lineup.

Coach Little had no player on the string of first substitutes who could
begin to fill Blackwell's shoes. He moved Rudolph, second team
fullback, up to Blackwell's position after some consideration. Rudolph
was short but stockily built--a good little man. The boy would need a
great deal of grooming but he seemed the only one available. In
looking about for someone to fill the vacancy on the second team left
by Rudolph's advancement, Coach Little thought of Billings. Why not?
There was a slight possibility ... one never could tell....

When Judd was notified that he was to take the fullback position on the
second team he was totally unnerved by the shock. He couldn't sleep
for dreaming of what would probably happen to him in scrimmage. The
players would all be laying for him. They thought him a physical
coward and they would show no mercy. He had done nothing to command
their respect. Now that his opportunity had come to redeem himself, he
didn't want it. But when school was over the next afternoon, Judd
found himself in the dressing room preparing for that which he feared
the most.

Just outside, Burton, second team quarterback, was talking to some of
his players. "Say, fellows, I just heard the Coach put Judd in at
full. Some joke, huh? Watch me. I'll give him the ball every time I
get a chance. We'll run him ragged. When he gets through scrimmage
today he'll wish he'd never seen a football." The players laughed and
sided in with Burton.

Judd finished tying his shoe and stood up, shakily. He had heard what
was said. He dreaded to go out on the field. He was the last one to
leave the dressing room. No one paid any attention to him. Oh, if he
could just crawl off some where--some place where everyone would Let
him alone and where no harm could befall him! The shrill blast of the
whistle caused him to run toward the field. The teams were l