comforted. Kicking goals from the fifteen-yard line didn't sound very
difficult, and he set to work resolved to distinguish himself. But
drop-kicks were not among Neil's accomplishments, and he soon found that
the cross-bar had a way of being in the wrong place at the critical
moment. At first it was hard to keep from turning his head to watch the
progress of the game, but presently he became absorbed in his work. As a
punter he had been somewhat of a success at Hillton, but drop-kicking
had been left to the full-back, and consequently it was unaccustomed
work. The first five tries went low, and the next four went high enough
but wide of the goal. The next one barely cleared the cross-bar, and
Neil was hugely tickled. The count was then ten tries and one goal. He
got out of the way in order to keep from being ground to pieces by the
struggling teams, and while he stood by and watched the varsity make its
first touch-down, ruminated sadly upon the report he would have to
render to Mills.

But a long acquaintance with footballs had thoroughly dispelled Neil's
awe of them, and he returned to his labor determined to better his
score. And he did, for when the teams trotted by him on their way off
the field and Mills came up, he was able to report 38 tries, of which 12
were goals.

"Not bad," said the coach. "That'll do for to-day. But whenever you find
a football, and don't know what to do with it, try drop-kicking. Your
punting is very good, and there's no reason why you shouldn't learn to
kick from drop or placement as well. Take my advice and put your heart
and brain and muscle into it, for, while we've got backs that can buck
and hurdle and run, we haven't many that can be depended on to kick a
goal, and we'll need them before long."