“It was all found out, and Gridley wasn’t hurt,” thought Phin, gnashing his teeth.  “Good luck always seems to follow that fellow Prescott!  Can’t he be beaten?  We shall see!  Prescott, my fine bully, I’m not through with you yet.”

The first half ended without either side scoring.  Impartial onlookers thought that perhaps formidable Tottenville had had rather the better of it, but no one could tell with certainty which was the better team.

When neither side scores in the first half that which remains to be determined is, which side will show the bigger reserve of vitality in the second half.

And now the ball was off again, with twenty-two men pursuing and fighting for it as though the fate of the nation hung on the result.  Dick, too, soon had things moving at a gait that had all Gridley standing up and boosting with all the powers of lungs, hands and feet.

All that remained to interest Phin Drayne was to discover whether his late comrades had sufficiently mastered their new signals not to fail in their team work.

Once in the second half there was a brief fluster.  Two Gridley men went “woozy” over the same signal.  But alert Dave Darrin rushed in and snatched a clever advantage out of momentary confusion.

After that there was no more confusion.  Gridley took the game by a single touchdown, failing in the subsequent kick for goal.  Five minutes later time expired.

Feeling doubly contemptible now, and sick at heart, Phin Drayne crawled weakly down from the grand stand.  He made his way out in the throng, undetected.  He returned to the costumer’s, got off his sneaking garb and donned his own clothing, then slipped away out through a back door that opened on an alleyway.

Not until Sunday afternoon did Drayne yield to the desire to get out of doors.  His training life had made outer air a necessity to him, so he yielded to the desire.  But he kept to back streets.

Just as luck would have it, Drayne came suddenly face to face with Dr. Thornton.

The good old principal had a fixed belief which followed the practice of American law, to the effect that every accused man is innocent until he has been proved guilty.

In addition, the doctor had recovered a good deal from his first depression.  Therefore he was able to meet this offending pupil as he would want to under the circumstances.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Drayne,” was Dr. Thornton’s courteous greeting.  “It is beautiful; weather to be out, isn’t it?”

“It is a perfect day, sir,” Drayne replied.

Once he had gotten past the principal the young wretch gave way to his exultation.

“No charge has been made, then,” he told himself gloatingly.  “If I had been denounced, the Prin. could hardly have been as gracious.  Well, hang it all, what are charges going to amount to, anyway?”

At the High School Monday morning, both before school and at recess, the members of the football squad cut Drayne dead.