game! Oh no, I guess
that's not pretty good! Worry, could you ask any more?"

"Cap, I'll never open my face to him again," blurted out the coach.

Ken appeared at the head of the stairs and had started down, when the
door-bell rang. Worry opened the door to admit Murray, the trainer;
Dale, the old varsity captain, and the magnificently built Stevens,
guard and captain of the football team.

"Hello! Worry," called out Murray, cheerily. "How're the kids? Boys,
you look good to me. Trim and fit, and all cool and quiet-like. Reddy,
be careful of your ankles and legs to-day. After the meet next week you
can cut loose and run bases like a blue streak."

Dale stepped forward, earnest and somewhat concerned, but with a winning
frankness.

"Worry, will you let Stevens and me sit on the bench with the boys to-day?"

Worry's face took on the color of a thunder-cloud. "I'm not the captain,"
he replied. "Ask Homans."

"How about it, Roy?" queried Dale.

Homans was visibly affected by surprise, pleasure, and something more.
While he hesitated, perhaps not trusting himself to reply quickly,
Stevens took a giant stride to the fore.

"Homans, we've got a hunch that Wayne's going to win," he said, in
a deep-bass voice. "A few of us have been tipped off, and we got it
straight. But the students don't know it yet. So Dale and I thought
we'd like them to see how we feel about it--before this game. You've
had a rotten deal from the students this year. But they'll more than
make it up when you beat Herne. The whole college is waiting and
restless."

Homans, recovering himself, faced the two captains courteously and
gratefully, and with a certain cool dignity.

"Thank you, fellows! It's fine of you to offer to sit with us on the
bench. I thank you on behalf of the varsity. But--not to-day. All season
we've worked and fought without support, and now we're going to beat
Herne without support. When we've done that you and Dale--all the
college--can't come too quick to suit us."

"I think I'd say the same thing, if I were in your place," said Dale.
"And I'll tell you right here that when I was captain I never plugged
any harder to win than I'll plug to-day."

Then these two famous captains of championship teams turned to Homans'
players and eyed them keenly, their faces working, hands clenched,
their powerful frames vibrating with the feeling of the moment. That
moment was silent, eloquent. It linked Homans' team to the great
ath