"I've filled in the positions on the first and second teams," he declared, waving the slip toward them. "Roughly, of course. You boys have got to work your heads off to show me that you are capable of filling the positions I have marked out for you and to keep them once you've got them. My selection has been guided of course by the records of you fellows. But those I don't name to-day need feel no discouragement, because there's a chance for you all. As I said, this list is tentative." "Gee!" whispered Rooster, "I'm tingling all over." Then utter silence fell on the gymnasium as Al Garwin spoke again. "Of course our first team--that is, the vacancies on it--will all be filled by our scrubs of last year," he began. Garry, who had cherished a wild hope of getting a position on the regulars--any position--felt his heart sink. A swift glance at his friends told him that they were equally disappointed. "As our quarterback and captain," the coach continued, "we shall still have Ralph Wynn." There was a spontaneous cheer from the boys, for besides being a brilliant player on the gridiron Ralph was an all-round good fellow and was firmly established in the esteem and affection of his schoolmates. Coach Garwin held up his hand, and again silence descended upon the boys before him. "We lost two of our linemen by graduation," the coach went on, "Jim Cooney and Tom Andrews, and we've never had a better guard or tackle on the Lenox team." There was a disconsolate murmur from those who had known the missing players, and Nick Danter grinned at Garry. "Sounds as if they'd died instead of just graduating," Nick remarked. "Mournful enough," assented Garry, and again turned his attention to the coach. "We will fill these positions from last year's second team," Coach Garwin continued. "McCarty, you will play right guard, and Payne, you will take Andrews' position at left tackle. Those shoes will be hard to fill and I don't want you to rattle around in them. See that you justify my choice." The two boys, grinning from ear to ear with glee, promised to do their best. "Lucky dogs!" muttered Ted. "But there doesn't seem to be much nourishment for us in all this." "I'm going to move Fred Walker up to center," stated Garwin. "Painter, from the scrubs, will take his place. Now there remains just one position to be filled, and since that's an important one I'm going to lend it--not give it, get that?--to a player whose work on the scrubs last year was worthy of the first string." "Benny Knapp!" came from the old players in chorus. "Come up, Benny, old boy, and stop your blushing," called a wag from the throng. Benny Knapp, a rangy, muscular lad with red hair and a great quantity of freckles, looked hesitantly at Coach Garwin. "You mean me, sir?" he queried. "Sure, I mean you, Benny," replied the coach, his eyes twinkling. "Why so modest all of a sudden? Think you can fill Freddie Greb's place?" "Gee, nobody could!"