That's what beat us, you see; Robinson had an unusually heavy line and
rather heavy backs. They plowed through us without trouble."

Neil studied the football captain with some interest. He saw a tall and
fairly heavy youth, with well-set head and broad shoulders. He looked
quite as fast on his feet as rumor credited him with being, and his dark
eyes, sharp and steady in their regard, suggested both courage and
ability to lead. His other features were strong, the nose a trifle
heavy, the mouth usually unsmiling, the chin determined, and the
forehead, set off by carefully brushed dark-brown hair, high and broad.
After the first few moments of conversation Devoe devoted his attention
principally to Neil, questioning him regarding Gardiner's coaching
methods, about Neil's experience on the gridiron, as to what studies he
was taking up. Occasionally he included Paul in the conversation, but
that youth discovered, with surprise and chagrin, that he was apparently
of much less interest to Devoe than was Neil. After a while he dropped
out of the talk altogether, save when directly appealed to, and sat
silent with an expression of elaborate unconcern. At the end of half an
hour Devoe arose.

"I must be getting on," he announced. "I'm glad we've had this talk, and
I hope you'll both come over some evening and call on me; I'm in Morris,
No. 8. We've got our work cut out this fall, and I hope we'll all pull
together." He smiled across at Paul, evidently unaware of having
neglected that young gentleman in his conversation. "Good-night. Four
o'clock to-morrow is the hour."

"I never met any one that could ask more questions than he can,"
exclaimed Neil when Devoe was safely out of hearing. "But I suppose
that's the way to learn, eh?"