But the panic that shook the team did not extend to their coach. Not that Mr. Phillips was not seriously disturbed, but he had been watching the practice very closely for the past two weeks and felt that the predicament was not a hopeless one. The teams were to gather that morning at ten o'clock for a brief practice, just to run through the signals and limber up for the afternoon game. They came together, regulars and scrubs, their hearts heavy and their faces anxious. Mr. Phillips wasted no time in preliminaries and went straight to the point. "Grayson," he said abruptly, "you play at quarterback this afternoon." Garry caught his breath and a murmur of surprise ran through the group of players. "I'm as much a stickler for school tradition as any of you," Mr. Phillips went on. "But there come times when tradition must go down before common sense. Grayson is a freshman. But he knows football and knows how to run a team. I want you regulars to give him as loyal support as you have given to Wynn. Wynn himself would be the first to ask it if he were here. I want you to whip Greenfield this afternoon. That's all that counts. Will you do it?" The shout of assent that went up showed the spirit of the boys, and the coach smiled. "I knew I could count on you," he said. "Now go in and win." The half hour of practice that followed was spirited and snappy. Garry, his head in a whirl at first, soon got his bearings and ran the team in a way that brought a glint of satisfaction to the eyes of the coach. That afternoon the Greenfield team came over chock full of confidence, bringing a brass band with them to celebrate the expected victory. They had heard that Ralph Wynn was out of the game and that a freshman was to run the team. "A freshman! It is to laugh!" shouted one of Greenfield's rooters. "Lenox must indeed be hard up! It's only a question now of the score that Greenfield will run up! It'll be like taking candy from a baby!" And with this many agreed, not all of them Greenfield rooters, either. But before the game had been long in progress it became evident that the baby was quite a lusty youngster after all. Greenfield won the toss and elected to kick off. Kearny kicked to Knapp, who came back eleven yards to the Lenox thirty-yard line. Dittler made a yard through the Greenfield line. A forward pass by Minter was grounded. Knapp kicked for forty-nine yards and the ball was grounded on the Greenfield forty-yard line without a return.