Fred was also working hard, and a little later he made a run which netted the scrub team fifteen yards.
"Fine! Fine!" cried his cousin encouragingly.
"That was well played," announced Gif. "But I want every man on the field to do better than he has been doing," he added, stiffening up, for he knew that a captain can only get out of his men the best that is in them by thus urging them on.
During several of the plays Jack had come into contact with Slugger Brown, and the big fellow showed that he had no friendly feeling for the Rover boy.
"You be careful," warned Jack, when Brown started once to tackle him unfairly. But the big fellow merely grinned in a sarcastic fashion. Then, less than two minutes later and while there was a wild rush on, Slugger Brown, by a sidelong and unexpected leap, hurled Jack to the ground and spiked him in the leg with his shoe.
CHAPTER XVIII
SLUGGER BROWN IS EXPOSED
To be thrown down so violently was bad enough, but to be spiked in the leg hurt so much that Jack could not repress a gasp of pain.
"Get off of me, Brown!" he panted when he could speak. "What do you mean by spiking me that way?"