reached the bench when Mr. Robey's eyes fell on him.

"Thayer!"

"Yes, sir!" Clint hurried toward him.

"Where were you yesterday?"

"In my room, sir. I had--"

"Sick?"

"No, sir, I wanted to--"

"Anyone tell you you might cut practice?"

"No, sir, I didn't know--"

"Never mind what you knew or didn't know. You know now that if you stay
away again without permission you'll get dropped. That's all."

Clint returned to the bench contentedly. After all he was, it seemed,
not such an unimportant unit as he had supposed! Later he discovered
that Tyler was not present and hoped so hard that he would fall heir to
that disabled player's position on the second squad that he fell under
the disfavour of the third squad quarter-back and was twice called down
for missing signals.

And then, when, finally, the first and second lined up for a
twenty-minute scrimmage, he saw the coveted place again filled by the