“From the thirty yards?” asked Dan skeptically. “Yes; certainly not nearer, Dan; I wouldn’t swear it wasn’t nearer forty.” “What did he look like? Had you ever seen him before? Was he alone?” “Yes, he was all by his lonesome, and he looked sort of tall; about your height, maybe. He had his coat off and wore darkish clothes. That’s all I could see.” “But why the dickens didn’t you say something about it? Have you seen him since?” “No, but I haven’t looked for him. I didn’t say anything about it because I forgot it. And, anyway, I supposed you knew; thought you’d sent him down there to practice.” “I wish I did know! A chap who can kick five goals out of ten would be a find. You’re not joking, Arthur?” “Of course I’m not,” responded Arthur impatiently. “If you really don’t know who he is I advise you to find him, for he certainly could kick goals that day!” “You bet I’ll find him! I’ll find him if I have to hire a regiment of detectives! Anyone guess who he is?” But they all shook their heads. “The only explanation I can offer,” said Tom, “is that Arthur went to sleep and dreamed it. I don’t believe there’s a fellow in school who can stand on the thirty yard line and drop-kick a goal from an angle once out of two tries. Either you were dreaming, Arthur, or what looked like goals weren’t.” “That’s so,” agreed Dan. “At that distance it would be hard to tell. Sometimes you’re mistaken from the end of the field.” “You fellows have it your own way,” said Arthur with a sigh of resignation. “I know what I saw.” “Well, we will have to keep a lookout and see if we can catch him at it again,” said Dan. “And, for goodness’ sake, fellows, ask everyone you know. If there really is a goal-kicker in our midst we can surely find him.” “Well, he will have to show me,” said Tom, still unconvinced. “Look here, Arthur, it wasn’t Wallace, was it?” “No, I’d know Hammel a mile off. Besides, I met and spoke to him ten minutes later in the corridor. No, it wasn’t he.” “Let’s advertise,” suggested Holmes. “A notice in Oxford might fetch him.” “Sure,” Simms agreed. “‘If the student who practiced goal-kicking on the field last week will call on Dan Vinton he will hear of something to his advantage.’ Something like that, eh?” “I’ll try that if everything else fails,” said Dan grimly. “A good drop- or place-kicker will be worth about a million dollars to me this season.” “We’ll find him all right,” said Fogg. “He’s probably one of the subs who has discovered he can kick and hasn’t the sense to say anything about it.” “As for me,” said Tom, “I’m like the countryman at the menagerie when he saw the hippopotamus; I don’t believe there’s no such critter!” CHAPTER XII NED USES TACT On Monday Kendall took his first lesson in golf. He appeared at Ned’s room wearing his old brown sweater and a pair of heavy shoes, one toe of which showed the effects of many collisions with the football. Ned looked him over and shook his head.