Phil put the charm in his pocket. The strain was over. They all seemed relieved. But Phil, so much was his heart bound up in the eleven, could not forget the great affront that had been planned against it. Two days later, meeting Gerhart alone on the campus, he approached him, and showing the freshman the watch-charm, exclaimed: "Take care, you dirty coward! We know where you lost this!" Gerhart started, turned first pale and then red. He soon recovered himself, and answered: "I don't know what you mean." "Yes, you do," snapped Phil. "You stole my signals!" "That's a lie," said Gerhart coolly, and he walked on. But if Phil could have seen him a little later, when he joined Langridge, the quarter-back would have wondered at the rage and fear shown by the freshman. "Clinton knows! He found my charm! I was afraid I'd lost it in his room," said Gerhart. "Well?" asked Langridge. "One of us has got to leave Randall!" exclaimed Gerhart savagely. "It's he or I; and it will be he, if I can accomplish it!" CHAPTER XXXI "IT'S TOO LATE TO BACK OUT!" Gerhart and Langridge were walking along the road that led to Haddonfield. The freshman was filled with unreasoning rage against not only Phil, but Tom and Sid, as well. "Probably all three know," said Gerhart. "I was a fool not to look to see if I left any clues behind when I was in the room." "Maybe you were a fool for ever trying that signal and liniment trick at all," suggested Langridge, who did not mince words. "Maybe," admitted his crony. "But I thought I could get back at Clinton, Cross and Lighton, for not letting me play. Only that Stoddard was such a white-livered chump I'd have pulled off the signal trick." "As it was, you lost." "Yes; but the game isn't over yet. There's still the Boxer Hall contest." "You don't mean to say you're going to try and give away the signals in that game, do you?" cried Langridge. "No; but I'm going to keep Clinton out of the game. If I can do that I'll feel that I'm even with him--the beast!" "But can you do it? If you do it, it may make our team lose, for Clinton is one of the best players, and it's hard to substitute a quarter-back." "I can do it; and I wish the eleven would lose! That's what I want to see!" "You haven't got much college spirit," observed Langridge. "I've as much as you. Weren't you in with me on this scheme?" "I suppose so." Langridge didn't seem to derive much satisfaction from the admission. "Of course you were. You hate Clinton and his bunch as much as I do." "Yes." "And you'd like to see 'em laid out good and proper, wouldn't you?" "Yes," hesitatingly, "I guess so." "Of course you would! Well, you're going to if you stick to me. I've got the best plan yet." "What is it?" "Come along to town, and you'll see part of it. I've got to get certain things, and then I'll be ready." "You want to be careful you don't leave any evidence after you this time." "No danger. Will you help me?"