never last the game through."

"I suppose not. I--I wish I had a chance at it," said Sydney longingly.

"I wish you had," said Mills. "I think you'd stand all the punishment
Robinson would give you. But don't feel badly that you can't play; as
long as you can teach the rest of us the game you've got honor enough."

Sydney flushed with pleasure, and Mills took up the diagram again.

"Guard and tackle will have their work cut out for them," he said. "And
I'm not sure that left end can't be brought into it, too. There's one
good feature about Robinson's formation, and that is we can imagine
where it's coming as long as it's a tandem. If we stop them they'll have
to try the ends, and I don't think they'll make much there. Well, we'll
give this a try to-morrow, and see how it works. By the way, Burr," he
went on, "you can get about pretty well on your crutches, can't you?"

"Yes," Sydney answered.

"Good. Then what's to prevent you from coming out to the field in the
afternoons and giving us a hand with this? Do you think you could afford
the time?"

Sydney's eyes dropped; he didn't want Mills to see how near the tears
were to his eyes.

"I can afford the time all right," he answered in a voice that, despite
his efforts, was not quite steady, "if you really think I can be of
any use."