“I know,” answered Mills.  “It’s always that way.  When I first began coaching I used to get into a regular blue funk every year just before the big game; used to think that everything was going wrong, and was firmly convinced until the whistle sounded that we were going to be torn to pieces and scattered to the winds.  It’s just nerves; you get used to it after a while.  As for the new defense for tackle-tandem, it’s all right.  Maybe it won’t stop Robinson altogether, but it’s the best thing that a light team can put up against a heavy one playing Robinson’s game; and I think that it’s going to surprise her and worry her quite a lot.  Whether it will keep her from scoring on the tackle play remains to be seen.  That’s a good deal to hope for.  If we’d been able to try the play in a game with another college we would know more about what we can do with it.  As it is, we only know that it will stop the second and that theoretically it is all right.  We’ll be wiser on the 23d.

“Frankly, though, Burr,” he continued, “as a play I don’t like it.  That is, I consider it too hard on the men; there’s too much brute force and not enough science and skill about it; in fact, it isn’t football.  But as long as guards-back and tackle-back formations are allowed it’s got to be played.  It was a mistake in ever allowing more than four men behind the line.  The natural formation of a football team consists of seven players in the line, and when you begin to take one or two of those players back you’re increasing the element of physical force and lessening the element of science.  More than that, you’re playing into the hands of the anti-football people, and giving them further grounds for their charge of brutality.

“Football’s the noblest game that’s played, but it’s got to be played right.  We did away with the old mass-play evil and then promptly invented the guards-back and the tackle-back.  Before long we’ll see our mistake and do away with those too; revise the rules so that the rush-line players can not be drawn back.  Then we’ll have football as it was meant to be played; and we’ll have a more skilful game and one of more interest both to the players and spectators.”  Mills paused and then asked: 

“By the way, do you see much of Fletcher?”

“Yes, quite a bit,” answered Sydney.  “We were together for two or three hours yesterday afternoon.”

“Indeed?  And did you notice whether he appeared in good spirits?  See any signs of worry?”

“No, not that I recall.  I thought he appeared to be feeling very cheerful.  I know we laughed a good deal over—­over something.”

“That’s all right, then,” answered the coach as they turned in through the gate and approached the locker-house.  “I had begun to think that perhaps he had something on his mind that troubled him.  He seemed a bit listless yesterday at practise.  How about his studies?  All right there, is he?”

“Oh, yes.  Fletcher gets on finely.  He was saying only a day or two ago that he was surprised to find them going so easily.”