training-house with long faces. When we get in
you run up-stairs as if you couldn't face any one, but be sure to sneak
back to the head of the stairs to see and hear the fun. I'll fix Worry
all right. Now, don't flunk. It's a chance."

Ken could not manage to keep a straight face as they went in, so he hid
it and rushed up-stairs. He bumped into Raymond, knocking him flat.

"Running to a fire again?" growled Raymond. "Got a fire-medal, haven't
you? Always falling over people."

Ken tried to simulate ungovernable rage and impotent distress at once.
He waved one fist and tore his hair with the other hand.

"Get out of my way!" roared Ken. "What'll you say when I tell you I'm
barred from the varsity!"

"Oh! Ken! No, no--don't say it," faltered Raymond, all sympathy in
an instant.

Ken ran into his room, closed the door and then peeped out. He saw
Raymond slowly sag down-stairs as if his heart was broken. Then Ken
slipped out and crawled down the hall till he could see into the
reading-room. All the boys were there, with anxious faces, crowded
round the coach. Worry was livid. Reddy Ray seemed the only calm
person in the room and he had tragedy written all over him.

"Out with it!" shouted Worry. "Don't stand there like a mournful
preacher. What did 'em fat-heads say?"

Reddy threw up his hands with a significant gesture.

"I knew it!" howled Worry, jumping up and down. "I knew it! Why did
you take the kid over there? Why didn't you let me and Homans handle
this thing? You red-headed, iron-jawed, cold-blooded wind-chaser!
You've done it now, haven't you? I--Oh--"

Worry began to flounder helplessly.

"They said a few more things," went on Reddy. "Peg is barred, Raymond
is barred, I am barred. I told them about my baseball career out West.
The directors said some pretty plain things about you, Worry, I'm sorry
to tell. You're a rotten coach. In fact, you ought to be a coach at an
undertaker's. Homans gets the credit for the work of the team. They
claim you are too hard on the boys, too exacting, too brutal, in fact.
Andrews recited a record of your taking sandwiches from us and aiding
and abetting Murray in our slow starvation. The directors will favor
your dismissal and urge the appointment of Professor Rhodes, who as
coach will at least feed us properly."

Reddy stopped to catch his breath and gain time for more invention. Of
all the unhappy mortals on earth Worry Arthurs looked the unhappiest.
He believed e