Buckhart was blustering, but bluster did not amount to anything in this game. New Era had Fardale on the run, and she kept the work up. Again the ball was rushed down to Fardale’s line, the cadets being unable to hold the greased players. This time, however, Austin failed to kick a goal. Dick talked to his men. “Hold ’em, fellows,” he urged—“hold ’em as well as you can this half. I have an idea. We’ll get after them hard in the last half. They’re not our match. We can down them handily on even terms.” Dick was satisfied from what he had seen of New Era’s playing that the team was not a match for Fardale on even terms. Had the suits of the visitors not been greased they could not have held their own with the cadets. Having arrived at this belief, Dick began to think swiftly, and an idea soon flashed through his head. So he urged his men to hold New Era down as well as possible in the first half, promising a change in the final half. The boys responded as well as they could under such discouraging conditions. Covered with dirt and grease, they stuck their toes into the mud and fought every inch of the ground. But New Era pushed her advantage, and before the half ended she had made three touch-downs, failing, however, to kick but one goal. And the whistle blew for the end of the half with the ball again less than seven yards away from Fardale’s line. CHAPTER XXIX—THE MAGIC POWDER Sympathizers with the cadets crowded about the gate as they passed out to trot over to the gym. “Too bad, fellows!” “Go for them next half!” “Don’t give up!” Some of them shook hands with the players as the latter passed out. “You’re all right, Captain Merriwell!” “We’re betting on you yet!” Dick laughed. His hand was grasped once or twice. He felt something left in his palm. Looking down, he discovered a folded bit of paper. As he trotted toward the gymnasium Dick unfolded the paper. On it he read, written with a lead-pencil: “To solve the mystery of the spook, look at Chester Arlington’s watch. Ask him to let you see it. Ask Abe Gorman has he seen it before. —_A Friend._” Dick thrust the paper into a safe place and kept on to the gym. Chester Arlington was there. He had his coat and vest off, his sleeves rolled up, and he was ready to give attention to any one who needed it. Dick seized Elmer Dow at the door of the gymnasium and said something to him in a low tone. “Have to go to the village for the stuff,” said Elmer. “No,” declared Dick. “I bought a lot to use on rainy days when we had to play ball.” Then he told Elmer where to find whatever it was that he wanted, and Dow hurried away. Bradley’s shoulder had been twisted again, and Arlington was at work on him. Abe Gorman was once more taking interest in the eleven, and, as he had managed the team, he was present in the gym. “What time is it, Arlington?” asked Dick of Chester. “Don’t know. There’s my coat and vest on that peg. Look at my watch.”