“Well, but do we? If they can stop our end plays and spoil forward passes, our speed won’t count for so much. We’ll never be able to get through their line for consistent gains.” “Why not? Other teams have. Why, that center trio of theirs isn’t so much. All they’ve got is weight. If we get the jump on them we’ll have them on the run in no time. And as for spoiling our forward passes, why, that’s easier said than done.” “Anyway, we need a dry field,” said Evan. “If it’s a wet day it’ll be all up with us.” “For goodness sake shut up! You’ve got us beaten now by about ten scores,” laughed Rob. “Don’t you get stage-fright, Mr. Quarter; we need your services. You take my word for it, Evan, that we can lick them. Just wait and see.” “I guess I’ll have to. What do you think about it, Mal?” “Oh, I don’t know much about football,” said Malcolm modestly, “but I think we ought to win if only on psychological grounds.” “I beg your pardon?” asked Evan with elaborate deference. “Just listen to him!” sighed Rob admiringly. “Isn’t he the boy wonder? Prithee, Mr. Webster, elucidate.” “Oh, you know what I mean.” “We know――oh, yes, we know all right, Mal! It isn’t that we don’t catch your drift. Psychology is an open book to us; in fact, my young friend Evan here got out the first patent on psychology. But it’s been greatly improved since then, and so――” “Shut up,” laughed Evan. “What are you talking about, Mal?” “Well, I mean that the――the mental condition of a person counts for a lot, the condition of his mind, you know. And――” “You’re mixed,” said Rob. “But go ahead; a short lecture on mental philosophy by Professor Warne. The class will please come to order and Mr. Kingsford will remove the bent pin from the Professor’s chair.” “Don’t mind him, Mal. Go ahead.” “Silent contempt for yours, Rob. I mean just this; Hop and Prentiss and his whole team are worried. They’ve been losing games right along; they haven’t got together once the whole season and they know it. They’re――they’re disrupted――” “Fancy that!” murmured Rob. “And they haven’t confidence. On the other hand――” “Is an ink-stain,” said Rob. “It’s unkind to draw attention to it, nevertheless, Professor. I assure you that I’ve tried pumice――” “Oh, cut it out, Rob!” begged Evan. “Mal’s right about it.” “On the other hand,” went on Malcolm, “our team has plenty of confidence, we aren’t worried and we believe we’re going to win. We have public opinion on our side, too; the School believes that we are going to win――” “Every one except Evan,” muttered Rob sadly. “And all that counts for us,” said Malcolm. “You take two fellows, one cheerful and confident and another worried and doubtful, and other things being equal the first fellow will win out every time. It’s the same way, I reckon, with foot-ball teams.”