“Well, he took it mighty nice, like I’ve been trying to tell you. He said he guessed we could get along without Number 14 if we had to, and that a couple of other plays didn’t amount to anything anyway. He says he thinks Devore’s game is mostly bluff; that Devore will come around about next Saturday and pretend to be hep to our whole line of offense and show that Number 14 and a couple of other plays to prove it. His idea is that we’ll get cold feet and shove a lot of good plays into the discard and get rattled generally. Johnny says Devore couldn’t get the Kenly folks to touch his dope with a pair of tongs, and probably doesn’t mean to try.” “I can’t just see him going to Johnny with that line of talk,” mused Bert. “I guess he’d be afraid to.” “No, but he’d write a letter, maybe, or send some one else. Anyhow, Johnny doesn’t seem worried much, and that makes me feel a heap better than I did last night. There’s one thing, though, that’s not so good,” he added glumly. “What’s that?” “He made me promise to keep away from Devore. Anyway, until after the game. And I suppose by that time I’ll get over my mad and the little rat never will get what’s coming to him!” “Hard lines,” laughed Bert. “Maybe Johnny has something in mind for Devore, though. I wouldn’t be surprised, Chick.” Chick brightened. “Say, I never thought of that! I wonder! I hope he has!” Chick had a lot more to say, much of it repetition of what had gone before, and talked until darkness settled in Number 21. Bert encouraged him, heartily glad that the old enthusiastic Chick had returned. Chick was all for self-sacrifice and service, eager to make amends, filled with a new fervor of loyalty. It might not last, but Bert hoped it would. The loyalty seemed to be more toward Mr. Cade than toward the Team or the School, but that was not important. Results were what counted. There was a long, rather halting period of practice on Monday, with most of the time given to smoothing out the plays to be used against the ancient enemy. Bert shared the backfield with Ted Ball, Nip Storer and Jim Galvin during the drill and during a large part of the scrimmage with the Second. He discovered that he felt more at home there than before, that he seemed to fit in better. Perhaps he only imagined it, but it did appear as though Nip and he worked together particularly well, and he had a feeling that Nip thought so too. He began to suspect that Ted had known what he was talking about Saturday evening and that it was possible after all that Mr. Cade meant to start him against Kenly.