Before one o’clock, however, all the excitement had settled down in the car and everybody was asleep. Gibbie had forgotten his troubles and Delvin had quit grumbling, and the rest of the boys were glad, so they slept on undisturbed until the porter awoke them about seven in the morning and told them they had arrived. CHAPTER XIX BEFORE THE BATTLE When the boys awoke to find themselves in the western city, the seat of Jefferson College, a great crowd was on hand to meet them. They were mostly Lowell Alumni who lived in the towns in the West. Many of them had traveled hundreds of miles to attend the game, and win or lose, cheer for Lowell. A number of the members of the team were greeted at the station by their fathers and mothers and sisters who had not seen the boys since the holiday vacation. Then there was also a fair sprinkling of sweethearts to greet them. There was nobody to meet Hal, for his folks couldn’t afford to come all the way from California. His father’s illness, however, had not been serious and he had gone back to his work and was thus able to send Hal his original allowance, so the boy’s worry about money was over. In fact, he had money in the bank, for Hans had a long talk with Hal after the Alumni game, and had convinced him that it would be a good time to show a little thrift, so Hal had put his one hundred and twenty-five dollars in the bank, and Hans had gotten him to agree not to touch it until it was absolutely necessary. He had never had a bank account before and he was proud of it, now that he had started. He had not written any more stories for the _Out Door Weekly_, because Hans had made no more trips to New York. Seeing most of the fellows talking to parents, sisters or sweethearts gave Hal a touch of homesickness, but it was not for long, as presently the whole team was gathered into a half dozen waiting automobiles and driven through the streets and out to the Jefferson Club House, which was within the grounds occupied by the Stadium. Here the boys could bathe and limber up during the morning hours for the game, which was to begin at two o’clock. On the way to the club the automobiles made a detour of the streets, including a trip past the college buildings and the fellows had an opportunity to get an idea of the extent and grandeur of this wonderful western college. There were quite as many buildings as at Lowell, and they were much finer in many respects, but the newness did not make you think of classic halls and college traditions as did the old ivy-clad buildings at Lowell. In years to come this might possibly be said of Jefferson, but it takes time to build up a college and only age can bring to it the loved traditions such as were associated with Lowell, and the boys were glad that they were enrolled as students in the older and more famous university of the East.