"Yes, Paul set a pretty good pace," answered Neil.

The visitor discussed the day's contest for a few minutes, during which
Neil glanced uneasily from time to time at the clock, wondered what the
visitor wanted there, and heartily wished he'd take himself off. But
presently Mr. Brill got down to business.

"You know we've had a little victory in football ourselves this fall,"
he was saying. "We won from Erskine by 17 to 6 last week, and we're
feeling rather stuck up over it."

"Wait till next year," said Neil to himself, "and you'll get over it."

"And that," continued the coach, "brings me to the object of my call
tonight. Frankly, we want you two fellows at Robinson College, and I'm
here to see if we can't have you." He paused and smiled engagingly at
the boys. Neil glanced surprisedly at Paul, who was thoughtfully
examining the scars on his knuckles. "Don't decide until I've explained
matters more clearly," went on the visitor. "Perhaps neither of you have
been to Collegetown, but at least you know about where Robinson stands
in the athletic world, and you know that as an institution of learning
it is in the front rank of the smaller colleges; in fact, in certain
lines it might dispute the place of honor with some of the big ones.

"To the fellow who wants a college where he can learn and where, at the
same time, he can give some attention to athletics, Robinson's bound to
recommend itself. I mention this because you know as well as I do that
there are colleges--I mention no names--where a born football player,
such as either of you, would simply be lost; where he would be tied down
by such stringent rules that he could never amount to anything on the