"Yes," said Dave slowly; "I think I have. The reason, as I see
it, is that there are no decidedly star players on this year's
probable eleven. The men are all pretty nearly equal, which doesn't
give you a chance to tower head and shoulders above the other
players. Usually, in the years that I know anything of, it has
been the other way. There have been only two or three star players
in the squad, and the captain was usually one of the very best.
You're plenty good enough football man, Wolgast, but there are
so many other pretty good ones that you don't outshine the others
as much as captains of poorer teams have done in other years."

"By Jupiter! Darry has hit it!" cried Farley, leaping from his
seat. "Wolly, you have the luck to command an eleven in which
most of the men are nearly, if not quite, as good as the captain.
You're not head and shoulders over the rest, and you don't
tower---that's all. Wolly, I apologize for my criticisms. Darry has
shown me the truth."

"Then you look for a big slaughter list for us this year, Darry?"
Wolgast asked.

"Yes; unless the other elevens that we're to play improve as much
as the Navy is going to do."

At this moment Page and Jetson rapped and then entered. Ten minutes
later there were fully twenty midshipmen in the room, all talking
animatedly on the one subject at the United States Naval Academy in
October---football.

So the time sped. Dave lost his chance to read his novel, but