The two dropped behind and remained in conversation until the camp was reached. Sam was taken over to the dormitory where the visitors were to sleep and, Steve and Mr. Langham assisting, got out of his clothes and had a wet bandage wrapped around his knee. The knee was swollen and lame, and Mr. Gifford shook his head over it. “It will feel a lot better to-morrow, Sam,” he said, “but you’ll not be able to do much walking inside of a couple of days, I’m afraid.” “I’ll make out somehow,” replied Sam. “You needn’t think you’re going to do me out of my fun.” “A lot of fun you’d have,” said Steve grimly. “Best thing for you to do is to stay right here for another day and then catch up with us by train. We won’t make more than fifteen miles to-morrow, I guess.” “Well, if it isn’t all right, I suppose I’ll have to,” answered Sam regretfully. “I don’t quite see how I managed to do such a fool stunt.” “The Chief said something about waiting another day,” remarked Mr. Gifford, “but I’m afraid he can’t do that. In the first place, we’re putting a lot of these chaps out of their beds--some of them are sleeping on the floor in the other dormitories; and in the second place, if we’re to get back in time to get ready for Visitors’ Day we can’t afford to lose much time.” “I wouldn’t want him to wait on my account,” said Sam. “If I can’t go with you to-morrow I’ll catch up the next day. Hang the luck, anyway!” “Never mind,” said Steve soothingly. “You made a peach of a catch, Sam, and we beat ’em!” Just then Mr. Collins and Mr. Williams entered to tell Sam how sorry they were, Mr. Collins expressing the fear that the injury was his fault. “I’m afraid I went into you pretty hard,” he said. “Awfully sorry. About all I was thinking of was beating out that ball!” “It wasn’t any fault of yours, sir,” Sam assured him. “Somehow in trying to get the ball on you I gave my leg a twist. I--I’m sorry we couldn’t both win that game.” “That’s all right. The Chief has promised to take us down to call on you fellows next summer. Then look out for us!” “We’ll be mighty glad to see you,” said Mr. Gifford. “I’m afraid we can’t treat you as handsomely as you have us, Mr. Collins, but we’ll do our best; even to beating you again, if possible!” “We’ll see about that,” Mr. Williams laughed. “You chaps certainly played a good game, though, and you deserved to win. Mr. Craig, you’d better stay right here with us until that knee’s all right. We’ll look after you finely.” “I heard the Chief say that Mr. York had invited Mr. Craig down to his place,” said Mr. Collins. “You’d better go, Mr. Craig. He’s got a mighty comfortable house down there and I guess he’d be able to give you rather a better bed than we can.” “Why, I--I guess I’d just as lief stay here,” murmured Sam, “if you don’t mind having me. I’m hoping, though, that I’ll be all right to-morrow.”