s own, Teeny-bits Holbrook found himself somewhat of a
character at Ridgley School before he had been there two weeks.

CHAPTER II

A BLEMISH

In the middle of October Teeny-bits surprised every one by going out for
the football team. Even his most loyal friends thought that he had lost
his senses. The team was particularly heavy this year; the first-string
men were big, well-formed, aggressive players of the type of Neil
Durant, who weighed one hundred and sixty pounds with not an ounce of
fat, and who was quite as good a half-back, it was said, as many college
players. The most that Teeny-bits could hope for was a place on the
scrub, but that meant drudgery of the worst sort and a daily mauling
that was enough to take the courage out of larger boys than he.

"They'll make Hamburger steak out of you!" warned Snubby Turner. "You'd
better not do it."

"Good night, Teeny-bits! do you want to commit suicide!" said Fred
Harper. "I'll hang a wreath on your door."

But the first team did not put an end to Teeny-bits' career. They
laughed when the coach gave him a chance on the scrub one afternoon and
laughed harder when he at last got a chance to carry the ball and by
clever dodging succeeded in making a twenty-yard gain. He slipped out of
the grasp of Ned Stillson and nearly eluded big Tom Curwood, who covered
Teeny-bits so completely when he finally had him down that ball and
runner were almost completely out of sight.

"He's as slippery as an eel," said big Tom.

"And so small you can't see him," growled Ned Stillson.

After that the first team watched him like tomcats watching a mouse and
Teeny-bits got no chance to break away.

In the locker room after practice Mr. Murray, the coach, came over and
laid a friendly hand on his arm. "Keep it up," he said; "if you weighed
about twenty-five pounds more, by jingo, I believe you'd make the team."

The members of the eleven also were friendly and treated him as they
might have treated a mascot in whom they had great faith. In the
shower-bath room Neil Durant jumped out from under the cold spray and
shook the water from his lean, firmly-muscled body just as Teeny-bits
came in. The big half-back looked admiringly at the new candidate for
the scrub and said:

"Good work, Teeny-bits! You're the original bear-cat all right."

Teeny-bits grinned appreciatively as he stepped under the shower. Neil
stood near by, drying himself with a Turkish towel. As the smaller