But it was not to be. Smash through the line though her players did, for there seemed no stopping them, successful as the forward pass was, and with the gain netted by an on-side kick, Randall could do no better than to carry the ball to the Fairview ten-yard line. There might have been a try for a field goal, but Phil decided there was no chance for it, whereas bucking the line was almost a sure thing. His men were doing magnificent work, for they had carried the ball continuously from the middle of the field without loss. Two minutes more of play would have given them a touch-down, but the fatal whistle blew, and with a groan the Randall players knew their last hope was gone. There came the usual cheers and college yells for the vanquished from the victors, and the return of the compliment. Then the downcast Randall lads filed slowly across the gridiron. They were sad at heart, and Coach Lighton noticed it. "Fellows, you did magnificent work!" he exclaimed enthusiastically. "You really did!" "All except winning," said Tom gloomily. "I think we played rotten!" burst out Phil, who seemed to take it much to heart. "And I let Sellig get around me, and missed tackling him," said Joe Jackson, fairly groaning. "That cost us the game." "Nonsense!" exclaimed Captain Cross, who knew the danger of despondency. "You did all right, Joe; and the other Jersey twin shone like a star on a dark night. We're all right." "Yes, except for what ails us," added Dutch Housenlager, making a playful attempt to trip up Tom. "Here! Quit that!" exclaimed the left-end in no gentle voice. Coach Lighton noticed it. Tom, as well as the others, was "on edge." It would not need much more to demoralize the team. He must stop the growing feeling. "Fellows," he exclaimed, "you're all right! I know what I'm talking about. I've coached teams before, and I say that for the first game of the season you did all that could be expected. I'm proud of you. I----" "A thing like this happened once before," said a voice at the elbow of the coach. "My uncle says----" But Ford Fenton got no further, for Dutch Housenlager, putting out his foot, neatly tripped the offending one, and the rest of his sentence was mumbled to the grass. "Serves him right!" exclaimed Tom, and in the laugh that followed the nervous, disappointed feeling of the team, in a measure, passed off. "Fairview has a good team," went on Coach Lighton. "I give them credit for that. But we have a better one, and now that we know their style of play and their weakness we can beat them next game. We'll have another chance at them." "And we'll wipe up the gridiron with 'em!" cried Holly Cross. "Forget it, fellows! Let's sing 'Marching to the Goal Posts,'" which they did with such a vim that the spirits of all were raised many degrees. "Well, Phil," remarked Tom, as he was getting off his football togs, "we were sort of up against it, eh?"