“One story is ours and the other is Callahan’s,” answered Sumner, quickly. “They can’t hang together if Callahan lies.” Pete whispered into Sumner’s ear, “Ask Thorne about it!” “Ask him yourself!” Talbot got upon his feet. “We’ve been answering questions for a while, now I think it’s our turn to ask a few. I want Thorne to tell us whether we recognized any signals on his side of the line.” “Yes,” answered Thorne. “How many?” “I am sure of one, the play outside tackle.” “Was it in the first or last part of the game?” “The last.” “Was it an old signal or a new one?” “A new one.” “I think he’s mistaken about that,” cried Newbold, and he applied himself immediately with angry exhortations to his colleague’s ear. Thorne reddened under the attack, but did not retreat. “You see, it was just as Sumner said,” commented Talbot, addressing the central bench. “We picked up a few signals during the game. Callahan couldn’t have given us that tackle signal, if we had asked him.” “Unfortunately it isn’t a question of one signal, but of many,” said President John, quickly. “You ask us to believe what the football experts assure us is impossible.” “If you have a fool quarter-back, anything is possible,” retorted Talbot. “When three plays out of four in succession are sent at the same hole with only a slight alteration in the signal, a fellow must be an idiot not to guess what the signal means!” Pete stopped short there, for Sumner pulled him down. “We didn’t do that!” snapped Newbold. Again Mr. Snyder interfered. “I think we may as well vote now,” he said. “We have heard both sides.” “Yes, vote!” muttered Talbot. “That’s what we’re here for! It’s no use to waste time on the truth if you’ve already made up your minds not to accept it.” The words were spoken too low to carry distinctly, a prudence which must be credited to the restraining influence of Sumner’s clutch upon the speaker’s knee. “We will take the vote then,” announced the chairman, in accents of genuine relief; but he added immediately, “Unless some one has additional evidence to present or questions to ask.” “I think further discussion would be unprofitable,” said Mr. Snyder, quickly. “Newbury has made a charge and Westcott’s has denied it. It only remains for us to give our decision.” To this sentiment the general silence gave consent. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- CHAPTER XIII THE COMMITTEE DECIDES PRESIDENT JOHN had his ballots ready. “I will distribute blank slips of paper,” he said, “and Mr. Frost will kindly gather up the votes. Those who think that the protest should be sustained will write ‘Yes’ upon their ballots, the others will write ‘No.’”