cheered for each other. And although the Blue hadn’t won, and although she pretended to be downcast over the result, she was nevertheless secretly very well satisfied with the inconclusive contest, because, just between you and me, Rock Hill had outplayed her in every position save one. And that one position was goal. CHAPTER XXI THE RESCUE Toby rather dreaded meeting Frank Lamson after that game. Now that he had conquered, and something told him that, barring accidents, he was certain of the goal position for the rest of the season, the victory seemed much less glorious. In spite of himself, for he tried to be stern and judicial, he was sorry for Frank. Of course Frank didn’t deserve any sympathy; no fellow did who was guilty of what Frank was guilty of; but, just the same, the sympathy was there and Toby had to sort of put his heel on it every now and then to keep it from rising up and making him uncomfortable. If only Frank hadn’t been so――so sort of decent of late, it would have been easier! But when a fellow seeks you out and shows plainly that he likes to talk to you, why, it’s hard not to entertain a sneaking liking for him! And, besides that, Frank was Arnold’s friend, and in spite of the fact that everything was quite all over between Toby and Arnold and they were never, never going to speak to each other again, Toby still had a weak dislike of doing anything to hurt Arnold’s feelings. Of course it was silly and all that, but there it was! On the whole, Toby wasn’t nearly as happy that Saturday evening as he should have been, considering the fact that the whole school was talking about him playing and giving him every bit of credit that was to be given for staving off a defeat at the hands of Rock Hill. The meeting which he dreaded didn’t take place until the next day. It was rumored that evening that Frank Lamson had been taken sick and had had to leave the rink, which accounted for the fact that he hadn’t been available when wanted to substitute Toby. As no one guessed the emotions of anger and outrage which had prompted Frank’s retirement, the explanation was accepted at face value. It is possible that Frank, having recovered his temper, made that explanation to Mr. Loring. I don’t know as to that. But I do know that Frank was back at practice on Monday very much as though nothing had happened. It was Monday noon when Toby, taking a short-cut from the village, encountered Frank and Arnold on the foot-path that leads up the Prospect. He didn’t see them until he was nearly on them and it was then too late to turn back or avoid them. Toby, conscious of the blood flowing to his cheeks, would have nodded and muttered a greeting and gone on, but Frank was of another mind. Frank didn’t look particularly amiable, possibly because he had been in the midst of an indignant tirade against Coach Loring, and Toby wanted very, very much to keep right on. He couldn’t, though, because Frank deliberately barred his path.