"Come on, then," invited Phil, and, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, he swung alongside of Madge, leaving Tom to walk with Ruth. Nor was Tom at all slow to take advantage of this arrangement, though for a brief instant he hardly knew whether or not he ought to go with her, considering how friendly Madge had been with him since she gave up going with Langridge. "How does it feel to lose?" asked Ruth, as she walked with Tom. "Not very good," he answered, as he listened to Madge's gay laugh at something Phil said. He was reflecting how well she got along with the handsome quarter-back. But Tom was not unaware of the charms of the pretty girl at his side. They talked on many subjects during the walk to town, and Tom felt like a chap who has had offered to him the choice of two most delightful companions, and cannot tell which one he likes best. Ruth was certainly an attractive girl, and her jolly laugh--but just then he heard the rippling tones of Madge's voice. "Oh, hang it all!" he thought to himself. "What am I up against?" They spent a jolly afternoon before it was time for Tom and Phil to start back to Randall. "I hope you'll come over again--soon," said Ruth to her brother as they were about to part. "I will, if Miss Tyler will second your invitation," replied Phil. "Of course I will," said Madge heartily. "Can't I come, too?" asked Tom. "Of course," answered Ruth promptly. "I shall expect you to report to me on the condition of my colors." "Oh, of course," was Tom's remark. Then he waited for Madge to say something to him, but she turned away without a word. Yet Tom could not forget that she had added her invitation to that of Ruth in regard to Phil. Whereat, wondering over some matters on the way home, Tom said to his chum: "Girls are queer, aren't they?" "Are you just finding that out?" asked the quarter-back. "I guess so," was what Tom said. CHAPTER XV PHIL SAVES WALLOPS They were talking the game over in their room--Phil, Sid and Tom. Sid, from the effects of the strong liquid which Gerhart had substituted for the liniment, still had to carry his hand in a sling, but the fingers were slowly losing their stiffness. "Where you fellows made a mistake," Sid was saying, as he moved about on the creaking old sofa to get into a more comfortable position, "where you fellows made a mistake was in not doing more kicking early in the game." "Oh, I suppose you could have run things better than Phil did?" suggested Tom, not altogether pleasantly. "Not better, but different. You should have tired them out, and then smashed their line all to pieces." "It wasn't altogether such easy smashing as you would suppose, sitting and watching the game from the grandstand, was it, Tom?" came from Phil. "Not exactly," responded the left-end, as he rubbed his shoulder, which he had bruised making a hard tackle. "They were as tough as nails. I suppose we did fairly well, considering everything."