reached the bench when Mr. Robey's eyes fell on him. "Thayer!" "Yes, sir!" Clint hurried toward him. "Where were you yesterday?" "In my room, sir. I had--" "Sick?" "No, sir, I wanted to--" "Anyone tell you you might cut practice?" "No, sir, I didn't know--" "Never mind what you knew or didn't know. You know now that if you stay away again without permission you'll get dropped. That's all." Clint returned to the bench contentedly. After all he was, it seemed, not such an unimportant unit as he had supposed! Later he discovered that Tyler was not present and hoped so hard that he would fall heir to that disabled player's position on the second squad that he fell under the disfavour of the third squad quarter-back and was twice called down for missing signals. And then, when, finally, the first and second lined up for a twenty-minute scrimmage, he saw the coveted place again filled by the substitute half-back and found himself sitting, blanket-wrapped, on the bench! Tracey Black, catching his eye between periods, smiled sympathetically. Tracey could have told him that Coach Robey was punishing him for yesterday's misdemeanour, but he didn't, and the explanation didn't occur to Clint. And the latter followed the rest back to the gymnasium after practice was over, feeling very dejected, and was such poor company all evening that Amy left him in disgust at nine and sought more cheerful scenes. CHAPTER V ON THE SECOND At the end of a fortnight Clint had, so to speak, become a regular student of Brimfield Academy in good standing. That is, he had learned the manners and customs and the language, for Brimfield, like every similar institution, had its own ways and its own speech. Clint no