"Well, I'm no expert," replied Amy, taking his knees into his arms and rocking gently back and forth on the seat, "but I'd say in my ignorant way that someone had unkindly put sleeping-potions in the milk at training-table! The only fellow who seemed to have his eyes more than half open was McPhee. Mac showed signs of life at long intervals. The rest sort of stumbled around in their sleep. I think Peters actually snored." "Oh, we're going to get a fine old drubbing next Saturday," said Tom pessimistically. "And what a fine exhibition for that chap Proctor! I'll bet Robey could have kicked the whole team all the way back to the gym. He looked as though it would have done him a world of good to have a try at it!" "Oh, well, these things happen," said Tim cheerfully. "It's only a slump. We'll get over it." "Slump be blowed!" said Tom. "This is a fine time to slump, five days before the game!" "I know that, too, but there's no use howling about it. What we need, Tom, is to have you get back there at right guard, old man." "That's what I've been saying," exclaimed Amy earnestly. "I want Tom to go to Josh and ask him to let him play, but he won't. Says it wouldn't be any good. You don't know whether it would or not, Tom, until you try it. Look here, Josh doesn't want us to get beaten Saturday any more than we want it ourselves, and if you sort of put it up to him like that----" "I'd look well, wouldn't I?" laughed Tom. "Telling Josh that unless he let me off pro the team would get licked! Gee, that's some modest, isn't it?" "You don't have to put it like that," replied Amy impatiently. "Be--be diplomatic. Tell him----" "What we ought to do," interrupted Tim, "is get up a petition and have everyone sign it." "I thought of that, too," said Amy, "but this dunder-headed Turk won't stand for even that." "Why not, Tom?" asked Don. "Because." "And after that?" asked Amy sweetly. "Well, look here, you chaps." Tom scowled intently for a moment. "Look here. It's this way. Josh put a bunch of us on pro, didn't he? Well, what right have I to go and ask to be let off just because I happen to be a football man? You don't suppose those other fellows like it any better than I do, do you?" "Oh, forget that! I'm one of them, and I'm having the time of my life. It's been the making of me, Tom. I'm getting so blamed full of learning that I'll be able to loaf all the rest of the year; live on my income, so to say." And Amy beamed proudly. "That's all right," answered Tom doggedly, "but I don't intend to cry-baby. I'm just as much in it as any of you. If Josh wants to let us all off, all right, but I'm not going to ask for a--a special dispensation!" "You don't need to," said Tim. "Let the fellows do it. That has nothing to do with you. What's to keep us from going ahead and getting up a petition?" "Because I ask you not to," replied Tom simply. "It's only fair that we should all be punished alike." "But you're not," said Don.