“Nervous about your studies!” cried Brayton sharply.  “Yet not a whit anxious for the honor of the Army that you hope to serve in all your lives.  Now, you fellows know, as well as any of us, that we don’t much mind being walked over by a crack college eleven.  But we want to beat the Navy, year in and year out.  Why, fellows, this year the Navy has one of the best elevens in its history.  All the signs are that the middies are going to walk roughshod over us.  And yet you two fellows, whom we need, are sulking in quarters, poring over books—–­nervous about your studies!”

Scorn rang in Brayton’s heavy tones.

“If I really thought you needed me-----” began Dick.

“Of course, if you did actually need two duffers like-----” broke
in Cadet Holmes.

“Need you!” retorted Brayton.  “I’m almost ashamed to be sitting here with two such cold-blooded duffers.  But do you know why I’m here?  Because Lieutenant Carney, our coach, told me to come here and actually beg you to turn out—–­if I had to beg.  Now, am I going to be submitted to that humiliation by two fellows I’ve always liked and considered my friends?”

“Is the football situation as bad as that?”, asked Dick seriously.

“Bad?” repeated Brayton gloomily.  “Man, it’s rotten!  Today is Thursday.  Saturday we have to meet Lehigh.  That’s a team we can usually beat.  Lieutenant Carney is so blue that I believe he’d like to compromise by giving Lehigh the game at a score of twelve to nothing!  And the Navy!  Think of the fun of having Annapolis strutting around with the Army scalp tied to an anchor!”

“If you really mean what you’ve been saying,” said Dick slowly, “then we’re going tomorrow afternoon.  I’m taking the liberty of speaking for Greg.”

“That’s straight and correct,” affirmed Holmes hastily.

“But I’m not sure, Brayton, that you’ll find us such bang-up material as you appear to think.”

“Oh, bother that!” cried the Football captain jubilantly.  “I know what Lieutenant Carney can do with you.  So, for the glory the Army, then, you’ll come out, after this, and stand by us for the rest of the season?”

“For the glory of the Army, if we have anything to do with it,” cried Dick heartily, “we’ll ‘fess’ cold in every confounded study on the third-year list.  For the glory of the Army we’ll consent to being ‘found’ and kicked out of the service!”

“Hear, hear!” came rousingly from Cadet Holmes.

“Fellows—–­thank you!” gasped Brayton, grasping both their hands and shaking them hard.  “Lieutenant Carney will be delighted.  So will all the fellows.  Mr. Carney has had a hard, up-hill time of it as couch this year.  But now—–!”

There could be no question that Brayton’s joy was real.  He was a keen judge of football material, and he had been deeply chagrined when Dick and Greg had withdrawn from the early training work of the squad.