“Yes, but a fellow can’t blab,” still insisted Penny.

Amy argued and stormed and threatened to go into Number 15 and knock Harmon Dreer into a cocked-hat, but in the end he had to subside.  Penny insisted on taking his medicine.

Clint was as sorry as possible for Penny, but he didn’t have much time for sympathy.  With practice on Monday afternoon football affairs at Brimfield started on their last lap.  Only Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday were left for real work.  After that only signal practice and blackboard lectures remained.  Andy Miller showed up again, and with him two other coaches who had absented themselves for a few days, and life became once more terrifically strenuous for the ’varsity players.  Saunders got back into practice that afternoon, but it was plain that his injury still inconvenienced him and he was not allowed to take part in the forty-five-minute scrimmage.  Clint held down the left tackle position and held it down pretty well.  Although he had no suspicion of it, his performance that afternoon settled definitely his status, and on the way to the gymnasium afterwards Mr. Detweiler ranged himself alongside, slid an arm over Clint’s shoulder and said: 

“Thayer, we’re going to play you on Saturday.  Saunders isn’t in shape, I’m sorry to say, and won’t be able to do more than take your place for awhile if necessary.  You’ve done well.  I want to give you credit for that.  You’re not a perfect tackle yet, my boy, but we’ve all got hopes of you and we expect you to give a good account of yourself against Claflin.  And I expect to see you play better Saturday by fifty per cent than you’ve played yet.  How do you feel about it?”

Clint couldn’t have said just how he did feel, and was relieved when, seeing his embarrassment, Mr. Detweiler went on encouragingly.  “Whatever you do, don’t get scared.  Just remember that, while winning from Claflin is a bigger thing than winning from any other team we’ve met, Claflin isn’t very different, after all.  They may play a little better football, but they’re just as liable to make mistakes, just as liable to go to pieces in a pinch.  Make up your mind that we’ve got a better team than they have and that we’re going to everlastingly smear them!  And then go ahead and prove it.  You’ll be up against a good man on attack, this fellow Terrill, but don’t let that make you nervous.  Remember that he’s probably just as much afraid of you as you are of him, Thayer.  If you can get around him a couple of times at the start you’ll have him on the run for the rest of the game.  So jump into him the minute the game begins and let him see that he’s up against a real hard proposition.  Meanwhile, do your level best to smooth down your playing.  You’ve got the right ideas; just develop them.  Make them go.  Put a little more hump into your work.  You’ll find you can do about twice as well as you’ve been doing, if you put your mind on it.  And remember too, Thayer, that I’m looking to you to vindicate my choice of you.  Don’t give anyone a chance to say after the game that I’d have done better if I’d picked Cupples or Trow for the place.  All right.  Take care of yourself.”  And Mr. Detweiler gave Clint a parting thump at the gymnasium door.