knows, though he'll work his head off to win the game."

"I'm not claiming anything!" declared Jack; "and only saying that
Chester will have no cause for complaint, no matter whether we win or
lose; for every fellow's grimly determined to do his level best.
Victories sometimes hinge on small things, and the luck of the game
may go against us. But we'll be fighting all the time up to the
blowing of the last whistle that tells the time of the fourth period
has expired."

"Tell them what Coach Hooker said this very afternoon, Jack?" begged
Joel.

"Please do, Jack," the fair Mollie pleaded; while the other two looked
so wistful that Jack could not have declined had he wanted to, which
was far from the fact.

"Oh! Joe seemed to be especially well pleased with our work today," he
remarked, "and told us that taken all in all we made as lively and
hustling a lot of youngsters as he had ever had the pleasure of
handling. He even went on to say that if we worked as well in the
Marshall game we would carry off the prize as sure as two and three
make five. And let me tell you, after hearing those inspiring words we
played better than ever the next round, and had old Joe beaming with
joy. I honestly believe he thinks a heap of our bunch, since it's been
weeded out."

"We're all proud of you, just remember that," said Mollie, boldly;
"and we do hope you'll be able to make the Marshall boys eat humble
pie next Saturday. Why, nearly everybody that's worth knowing at all