Laughingly they descended with him, and added to the merriment of the throng by gaily circling about in it. But, with all his joy, Phil was puzzled. Where had the first telegram come from? Had it been a mistake? Had the operator blundered? He said nothing to his sister about the message received just before the game. The good news quickly spread among the Randall players, and they soon arranged for a celebration. A big fire was kindled, on it were thrown their football suits, for the season was over, and then the champion eleven broke training. A dinner was served that night in the gymnasium, and many girls from Fairview, including Ruth and Madge, attended. "But I can't understand where this message came from," Phil was saying to Tom and Sid a few hours later in their room. "Jove, but it almost knocked me out when I got it! But I knew I had to play the game." He was examining the telegram he had first received. "Let's see that message," said Sid, and he scanned it closely. "That's a fake!" he said suddenly. "A fake!" repeated Tom and Phil. "Yes. There's no check number on it. No message is ever sent out without a check number on it. This never came over the wire. Some one got hold of a receiving blank and an envelope, and played this brutal trick. Maybe it was one of the Boxer Hall fellows. He wanted to get your nerve, so you'd drop out of the game." "I don't believe it was a Boxer Hall chap," said Phil. "Then it was some one who had a grudge against you," insisted Sid. "We can inquire at the telegraph office and find out, maybe." Tom uttered an exclamation. He had suddenly thought of the mysterious warning he had received. Quickly he brought out the torn pieces of paper. He saw it all now. The warning had been intended to cover the telegram--not a physical danger, but a mental one. Rapidly he explained how he got the note. "I didn't say anything to you, Phil," he concluded, "because I was--I was afraid you'd laugh at me. And I kept my eyes open in the game." "I understand," spoke the quarter-back. "But who sent this warning?" Sid was eagerly examining it, for Tom had pasted the torn pieces together. "I have it!" cried Sid. "Langridge sent this!" "How do you know?" came from Phil and Tom at once. "Because that's the kind of paper he uses. It has a peculiar water-mark. I'll show you. I have an old baseball note I got from him last term." Sid brought out his note. The two were compared. The paper was exactly similar, and there were even some characteristic similarities in the writing, though one was in script and the other printed. "Langridge sent this," decided Sid, and the others agreed with him. "Then who sent the fake telegram?" inquired Phil. "Gerhart, for all the world!" exclaimed Sid. "The cad! To play such a brutal trick!" Sid caught up his cap. "Where are you going?" asked Tom. "I'm going to confront him with this evidence, and have him run out of college!" burst out Sid. "This ends his course!"