That was Alton’s third score, for she had gone over the High School line twice in the third period. It also proved to be her last, and the final figures were 20 to 0. On the whole, in spite of two scares, Alton had not had much difficulty with the adversary. Nor had she been provided with much work for her line on defense, since High School had early recognized the futility of attacks inside the tackles. In one way, though, the home team had profited. She had been shown that her ends were not yet good enough to cope with a really fast and clever running game. Joe Tate had shown up better on defense than any of the other three ends who had been tried that afternoon, and it was predicted that he would displace Dutch at the left wing. The prediction proved wrong, however, for Dutch continued to hold the position, doubtless in recognition of his offensive ability. As for Bert, he went back to Upton convinced that, in spite of that one fortunate stunt, he had finally and conclusively lost out to Keys in the struggle. He was rather silent, a fact not apparently noticed by Chick, since Chick was silent too. Chick had played during nearly a half of the game and had done poorly, and he knew it and was at once puzzled and resentful. All the fall he had made light of his derelictions, convinced of his ability to play as good football as he had last season. It was Chick’s secret contention that Coach Cade should be as convinced of the fact as he himself was and so view occasional failures with a lenient eye. Now, however, Chick had begun to doubt. To-day he had earnestly and whole-heartedly tried to be the old Chick again, to show Johnny and all the others who had been viewing him askance that when it pleased him to he could play the end position as it should be played; even a little better! And he had failed. And he didn’t know why he had failed. Time and again runs had gone around him, time and again he had been put completely out of the play. And this not against a strong team but against a confessedly mediocre one! He tried to understand it and failed. Or almost. He finally entertained the theory that not his body but his mind had played him false. Looking back it seemed that his former ability to diagnose the play and act quickly had been lacking. And it came to him that, despite earlier indifference, he now wanted intensely to make good in this his last year of Alton football!