Haynes heard, and his face was convulsed with rage as he turned swiftly away.

“Queer how folks take so much stock in that fellow Prescott!” muttered the turnback.  “Why can’t a man like Lieutenant Carney see that Prescott is nothing but a dub, while Holmes is only a dub’s helper?”

All through the Army seats it was beginning to be felt that the late placing of Prescott and Holmes in the Army had probably been an error.

There were even many who rated Haynes higher than he deserved to be rated, and who believed that the turnback might have done much to save the day.

As it was, the Army had about given up hope.  Lehigh was stronger than usual; that was all, except that the Army team appeared to be weaker than in the year before.

The band still played at appropriate moments; the corps of cadets answered every signal for a yell, but Army spirits were drooping fast.

“Greg,” muttered Dick, with a rueful face, “you can wager that we’re being roasted by everyone out of earshot!”

CHAPTER XIII

WHEN THE CHEERS BROKE LOOSE

Fifteen minutes left to play.

By this time even the most hopeful spectators had settled down to the conviction that the Army was to lose the game.  The most sanguine hoped that the score would not exceed 6 to nothing.

“We’re done for on this trip!” muttered Lewis, the Army’s right guard.

“No, we’re not,” retorted Dick, his eyes flashing.  “We can’t lose; that’s all there is to it!”

“Who told you that,” demanded Lewis.

“That used to be our motto, our fighting principle on the old Gridley High School team in the days when it never lost a game,” replied Prescott.

“Hm!” returned Lewis.  “I wish we had some more of your old Gridley players on the team today, then.”

Then they scurried to their places, leaving Dick in wonder as to whether Lewis’ last remark had been intended for sarcasm.

“Greg.” whispered Dick, his pulses throbbing, “you see those fellows on the Lehigh right flank?”

They’re the fellows we’ve got to down.  We’ve got to down them, if we get killed!”

“That’s the word!” gritted the Army left tackle.  “Dick, I’d about as soon be killed as let the Army be walked over!”

This had all been whispered rapidly.

The Army had just got the ball again, and was only ten yards over into Lehigh territory.

Now Boyle’s signal was sounding: 

“Twelve—–­seven—–­six—–­three!”

Dick straightened.  Greg squirmed.  Both knew that their chance had come again.

Making an oblique dash, Boyle himself passed the pigskin to Dick Prescott.  Then all of the Army line that could do so stiffened in and surged behind Prescott and Holmes.

Lehigh’s bigger right end was making like a cyclone for Dick.  The Lehigh man was backed finely.