“Now, what do you think of that?” demanded Haynes to himself.  “Turned down for that fellow Prescott—–­that shifty dodger and cheap bootlick!  And I shook hands with you yesterday, Prescott!  I never will again!  Confound you, you turned out in togs at this late hour, just to put me out of the running!”

CHAPTER XII

IN THE BATTLE AGAINST LEHIGH

Before noon the next day Lehigh turned up—–­team, subs., howlers and all, and as many as could crowded into the conveyances that had been sent down to the railway station to meet the team and coaches.

The cadet corps, busy to a man with Saturday morning recitations, did not see the arrival of the visiting team.  But the Lehighs and the afternoon’s game were the only topics for talk at dinner in the cadet mess hall.

“They’ve sent over a race of giants,” growled Brayton down the length of the table at which he sat, while a poor little plebe cadet, acting as “gunner,” was serving the roast beef.  “Sergeant Brinkman, of the quartermaster’s detachment, told me that the weight of the team sprung the axles on two of the stoutest quartermaster wagons.  Every man that Lehigh sent over weighs a good part of a ton.  What do you think of that, Prescott?”

“Glad enough to hear it,” smiled Dick, nodding.  “I believe it’s the light, lithe, spry fellows who stand the best show of getting through the enemy’s line.”

“If all our smaller men were like you, I’d believe it, too, muttered Brayton.

“But we haven’t any more light men like you and Holmes, Prescott,” broke in Spurlock from the adjoining table.

“I’m going to duck the team and quit playing,” protested Dick, “if Holmesy and I are to be twitted about being wonders.”

“But, honestly, Prescott” began Brayton, “you two are-----”

“Average good Army men, I hope,” interposed Dick.   “Nothing more,
I hope.   At least.   I speak for myself.   If Holmesy wants to star-----”

“I’ll call you out, ramrod, if you carry the joke too far!” warned Greg.

Seeing that both of the chums were in earned and didn’t want to hear their merits sung, the others near them desisted.  But, at many a table further removed, the whole trend of prediction was that, with Prescott and Holmes now definitely on the eleven, the Army stood its first chance of defeating Navy that year.

The Navy!  It is the whole hope of West Point to send Annapolis down to defeat.  The middies of the Navy on the other hand, can smile at many and many a defeat, provided the Army trails behind the Navy at the annual football game.

As the cadets marched out of mess hall and back along the sidewalk to barracks, those who allowed their gaze to stray ever so little across the roadway in the direction of the administration building noted that the holiday crowd had already begun to gather.