“I guess Frank will keep his mouth closed after this,” observed Tom Bacon.
“He doesn’t worry me,” announced Ned.
Cold weather was approaching. The mornings were chilly and the nights chillier. It was November, and football had the call. The Boxwood Hall team was doing well, and preparing for the annual contest with the military academy.
“And we’re going to win, too!” declared Ted Newton.
“I hope so,” cried Jerry.
Bart Haley was one of the star halfbacks on the eleven, but there was a danger that he would fall below the standard in studies, and not be allowed by the faculty to take part in the annual Thanksgiving day contest with Kenwell. This would be a big loss to Boxwood Hall.
As the time for the big contest approached, the standing of Bart became so uncertain that his companions, and especially Ted Newton, were worried.
“I can make it all right,” announced Bart one night to a group of boys, our three heroes being among the crowd. “I can make it all right if I don’t flunk in chemistry to-morrow.”
“Then you’re not going to flunk!” cried the football captain. “We’ll coach you now, and coach you good and hard.”
Thereupon those who were well up in that subject began to try to hammer into Bart’s brains the needful knowledge that would insure him a passing mark in the chemistry tests which would take place the next day. It was a rather important examination, and if Bart failed to make the required average in it he would not be eligible for the eleven, and could not play against Kenwell.