“Same as I do in my Greek?  That’s not nice of you, Foster.  It’s bad enough to have to work up the stuff without having it rubbed in.  And yet,” said Will quietly, “I suppose I am in the same box with Peter John.  He doesn’t know some things and I don’t know others.”

“No one has everything,” said Foster quickly.

“Startling fact!  But we fellows who live in glass houses mustn’t throw stones I ‘fawncy,’ as my learned instructor would put it.  There I am again, finding fault even with Splinter when I ought to be boning on this Greek to make up for my own lacks.  Here I go!” And Will resolutely turned to the books which were lying open on his desk.

The silence that reigned in the room was broken in a few minutes when Hawley opened the door and entered.  His coming was greeted enthusiastically, and when he had accepted the invitation to be seated, he said quickly, “I can’t stay, fellows.”

“You never can nowadays, Hawley.  Since you’ve been on the team you’ve shaken all your old friends.”

“You’d shake too, if you had the captain over you that we have.”

“Is he hard?”

“Hard?  He beats every coach we’ve got.  He goes into the game as if there wasn’t anything else to think of.”

“It counts though,” responded Will emphatically.  “We haven’t lost but two games so far this season, and they were with ——­ and ——.  Of course we couldn’t expect to win those.”

“Oh, we’ve done fairly well.  But the hardest rub is coming next Saturday.  That’s when we’re going down to the city to have our game with Alden.  There’ll be a big crowd out, and the Alden alumni are mighty strong around town there too, and they’ll be out in bunches.  We’ve got to keep up our end, and that’s why I’ve come over to see you fellows.  I want you both to go next Saturday.”

“Sure!” shouted Will, leaping to his feet.  “We’ll be on hand.  You rest your soul easy about that.”

“How many are going, Hawley?” inquired Foster quietly.

“So far, about half the college have agreed to go.  We’d like to get another hundred to go along.  It will make a big difference to the team.  Last year there were six thousand people on the grounds, and it rained hard too, all the time.  This year, if we have a good day, there’ll be ten thousand on hand anyway.”

“How are the fellows going down?” said Foster.

“Chartered a special train.”

“What’s the fare?”

“About six dollars for the round trip.”

“Come back the same day?”

“Can if you want to, the train is coming back that night after the game.  But a good many will stay over till Monday.”

“When do you have to know?”

“You ought to give in your names by to-morrow night.  Peter John is going along.  I think he’ll be a good mascot, don’t you?” laughed Hawley.

“I’m sorry Peter John is going,” said Foster thoughtfully.

“Sorry!” exclaimed Hawley aghast.  “Why, man alive, he’ll have the time of his life.”