Moore, perceiving he had blundered again, grew red with mortification, while Fire Crackers stripped the sweater from him and examined the jersey. "Say, just see what Bill sold him!" he exclaimed. "Isn't it a shame how he'll impose on the green ones? Look at that bed ticking! And those pads! Gee, I'll fix that!" Before Moore could protest, Fire Crackers had ripped off the protections and flung them away. "Now you'll feel easier," he said with a friendly smile. "Bill Appleby is an infernal old swindler: selling you shin-guards and a nose-protector! Huh! Throw 'em away." "Thank you, sir," said Moore gratefully, "I'll make him take them back." "That's right," said his inquisitor with a queer nod, "you're pretty green at this, aren't you?" "I have never done much, sir." "Well, let me give you a pointer; when you tackle, you want to grit your teeth and slam down hard, then you don't feel it at all." "Thank you, sir." "And when you're tackled," continued Fire Crackers with perfect seriousness, "just let yourself go limp; then you can't break any bones--see?" "Yes, sir." "You like the game, don't you?" "Oh, very much." Fire Crackers' advice did him scant good. On the whole it was probably the most painful afternoon he had ever known in his life. He had no instinct for tackling, that was certain. His arms slipped, his hands could not fasten to anything and he accomplished nothing more than to go sprawling, face downward. "Funny you don't get on to that," said Jock, shaking his head. "I tell you what you do. Run down the line and take a few tackles; then you'll see how it's done." Moore stood balancing, looking down to where Jock's one hundred and sixty-five pounds were gathering for a model tackle. Every natural instinct in him bade him turn tail and run. "Come on now!" cried Jock, spitting on his hands. "Hard as you can." Piggy went as a horse goes to a road-crusher, faltering and finally stopping dead. The next moment, Jock, cleaving the air in a perfect dive, caught him about the knees and threw him crashing to the ground. Piggy rose with difficulty. "Do you get it now?" said Jock solicitously. "I think I do," said Moore faintly. "Well now, try one on me," said Jock, brightening. "Put your shoulder into it and squeeze it. Remember now." Piggy remembered only the sensation of being tackled, and with the thought of that greater evil, improved astonishingly. "That's the way to learn," said Jock approvingly. "Now, notice how I pull your legs from under you, and try to get that." That evening after supper, Moore valiantly determined to take the bull by the horns. Seizing a favourable opportunity, he accosted his captain with the resolution of despair, and told him point blank that he would not be eligible for the team. "Why not?" said Jock aggressively. "I don't know anything about the game, sir," said Moore defiantly, "and I don't like it." "Is that the only reason?" "I don't want to play, sir--that ought to be enough."