"I wish I could snooze," spoke Phil. "Why can't you?" asked Sid. "I've got to bone away on Greek. Got turned back in class to-day, and Pitchfork, who's a regular fiend at it, as well at Latin, warned me that I'd be conditioned if I didn't look out." "You want to be careful, son," cautioned Sid. "Remember how I nearly slumped in Latin before the big ball game last year, and only just got through by the skin of my teeth in time to play? Don't let that happen to you. It isn't good for the constitution; not a little bit." The three chums went to the gymnasium and had a warm shower, followed by a brisk rub-down, after which they all felt better. Then, in their room, they talked the walk rush all over again, until Phil threw books at Sid and Tom to make them keep quiet so that he might study. The week that followed was marked by some hard practice on the gridiron, for there was in prospect a game with the Orswell Military Academy, the eleven of which was seldom defeated. Therefore, Coach Lighton and Captain Cross worked their men well. Phil, in particular, received some very special instructions about running the team. Some new plays were practiced, and a different sequence was planned. "I want three corking good plays to be worked in sequence when we get to within reaching distance of the twenty-five-yard line," said the coach. "Maybe we can try for a field goal, but the chances are against it if the wind blows. A good sequence will do wonders." Then the coach explained the sequence plays. They were to be three, in which the right-half, the full-back and the left-tackle would successively take the ball, without a word being spoken after the first signal for the play had been given. The plays were to be executed in quick succession, and the coach depended on that to demoralize the cadet eleven. "There'll probably be such cheering when we get to within twenty-five yards of their goal that it will be hard to hear signals, anyhow," Mr. Lighton went on. "So memorize these plays carefully, and we'll try to work them. When Clinton remarks: 'We have twenty-five yards to go, fellows; walk up together, now,' that will be the signal for the sequence plays." They tried them against the scrub, and did remarkably well. Then came a day of hard work, followed by some light practice, and a rest on the afternoon preceding the game with the cadets.