"Just when we were getting into such dandy shape, too," groaned Dick. "Why in thunder didn't they keep up in their work," demanded Drake fiercely. "They must have known they were falling behind, and there's too much at stake for them to take any risk." "There, there," soothed Bert. "Don't you suppose they're feeling worse about it than any one else?" Just then there was a knock at the door and Axtell and Hodge themselves stalked in. "I see you've heard about it," said Hodge, falling heavily into a chair. "I wish you fellows would take me out and kick me around the campus." "Same here," echoed Axtell despondently. "I'll pay for all the shoe leather you wear out doing it." "O, brace up, fellows," said Bert cheerily. "Things will come out all right yet. How bad is it anyway?" "It isn't so bad with Axtell," replied Hodge. "He's only got a condition in Latin, and he can probably work that off in a week. But I'm stuck on mathematics and Greek both, and I've got about as much chance as a snowfall in June of making them up before the big games." "I wonder if there's no chance of getting the faculty to let you put off making them up until after the games," pondered Bert thoughtfully. "Such a chance," said Drake sardonically. "That stony-hearted crew hasn't any sporting blood. They'll insist that every t must be crossed and every i dotted before they'll take off the conditions." "I'm not so sure of that," replied Bert. "There's Benton. He used to be a star at left end, and I don't think he's forgotten how he used to feel about such things. I can't any more than fail anyway, and I'm going to take a hack at it. You fellows stay right here and I'll run over and see him." He found the professor at home, and received a cordial greeting. "I see you boys trounced Dartmouth last week," he said genially. "I've seldom seen a better game." This gave Bert his opening. "We hope that isn't a circumstance to what we'll do to the 'Greys' and 'Maroons,'" he replied. "That is, we did hope so up to this afternoon." The professor looked at him sharply. "Why not now?" he asked. And then Bert told him of the conditions of Hodge and Axtell, and the hope he entertained that some way might be found to make them up after the big games instead of before. He spoke with all the earnestness he felt, and the professor listened sympathetically. "It's too bad," he assented. "I'm afraid, though, there's no remedy. The rules of the college are like those of the Medes and Persians, not to be broken, even"--and his eyes twinkled--"for so important a thing as a football game. Those matters anyway are in the province of the Dean. You might see him if you like, but I fear that it is a forlorn hope."