The three chums looked at each other. Phil felt of Sid's curiously stiffened hand. "I don't see how it could be the liniment," he said. "I've used it right along. It's the same thing doc gave me. You must have hurt your hand worse than you thought." "I guess I did," admitted Sid. So skilfully had Gerhart carried out his dastardly plot that even his unusual visit to the room of the trio attached no suspicion to him. The breaking of the bottle of liniment destroyed one link in the chain against him, and it would be difficult to trace anything to Gerhart now. Dr. Marshall looked grave when he saw Sid's hand. "That is very unusual," he said. "It must have been something you put on it. The muscles and tendons have been stiffened. There is a drug which will do that, but it is comparatively rare. It is sometimes used, in connection with other things, to keep down swelling, but never to soften a strain. Are you sure you used only the liniment I left for Clinton?" "That's all," declared Tom. "Let me see the bottle," said the physician, as he twirled his glasses by their cord and looked puzzled. "We can't; it's all gone," explained Phil, and he told of the accident. "Humph! Very strange," mused Dr. Marshall. "I'm afraid you'll not be able to use your hand for a month, Henderson. You have every indication of having used the peculiar drug I speak of, yet you say you did not, and I don't see how you could have, unless it got in the liniment by mistake. And that it did not is proved by the fact that Clinton used the same liniment without any ill effects. Only that Parsons used a rag to rub with, his hand would be out of commission, too. It is very strange. I wish there was some of the liquid left. I will see the druggist who put it up. Possibly he can explain it." "Well, I'm glad I didn't put any on my shoulder," said Phil. "It would have been all up with me and football, then." "It certainly would," admitted Dr. Marshall. "Let me look at your dislocation." "When can I get into the game again?" asked Phil anxiously, after the inspection. "Humph! Well, I think by the middle of the week. It is getting along better than I expected. Yes, if you pad it well you may go into light practice to-morrow, and play in a game the end of the week." "Good!" cried Phil. "Then's when we tackle Fairview Institute for the first game of the season!" The next day a notice was posted on the bulletin board in the gymnasium, stating that the 'varsity eleven would line up against the scrub that afternoon in secret practice. Then followed a list of names of those selected to play on the first team. It was as follows: