observed him gravely, and after the meal was over questioned closely.
Neil answered rather irritably, and the trainer's uneasiness increased;
but he only said:

"Go to bed early to-night and lay off to-morrow. You'll be better by
Monday. And you might take a walk to-morrow afternoon; go off into the
country somewhere; see if you can't find some one to go with you. How's
the shoulder? No trouble there, is there?"

"No, there's no trouble anywhere; I just wasn't hungry."

"Well, you do what I've told you and you'll get your appetite back, my
boy."

Neil turned away frowning and took himself to his lodging, feeling angry
with Simson because he was going to keep him off the field, and angry
with himself because--oh, just because he was.

But Neil was not the only person concerned with Erskine athletics who
was out of sorts that night. A general air of gloom had pervaded the
dinner-table. Mills had been even silenter than usual; the three other
coaches present had been plainly worried, and Simson, in spite of his
attempts to keep the conversation cheerful, had showed that he too was
bothered about something. A bomb-shell had landed in the Erskine camp
and had exploded in Mills's quarters.

On the front steps Neil met Cowan. The two always nodded to each other,
but to-night Neil's curt salutation went unheeded. Cowan, with troubled
face, hurried by him and went up the street toward Mills's rooms.