"I don't see anything of Porter or Babcock," went on Poole, with a side wink at his cronies.
"No, it's funny where they are," answered Gus Plum, in a loud voice.
"Maybe they got afraid to play," added Jasniff, in an equally loud tone.
It soon became noised around that Dave and Paul had failed to show themselves, and Dr. Clay himself came from the grand stand to see about it. But nobody could give him any information.
"Something must have happened to detain them," said the owner of the Hall. "They would certainly get here if they could."
At last it was time to go out on the field for practice. Henshaw was put in Babcock's place, as he was able to play the position almost as well as anybody, and a lad named Farrell took the position reserved for Dave.
"There goes Henshaw out," said Nat Poole, in a low voice. "He seems to be all right."
"Why shouldn't he be all right?" demanded a student sitting behind the speaker.
"I wasn't talking to you, Dodd."
"Well, why shouldn't Henshaw be all right?" insisted Dodd.