"Okay," said Mack, reluctantly, "but I'm telling you beforehand, it won't do you any good."
Mack arrived five minutes before Coach Edward appeared.
"Well!" greeted Carl, "this is a nice kettle of fish!"
"Mostly my fault, too," said Mack, and related the events leading up to the present moment.
"So Coach Edward is after my job?" mused Carl. "That's what happens after you've had a winning team for a couple years. A few reverses and the proud alumni commence hollering 'get the axe'! Everybody loves a winner and they don't stop to figure there's got to be a loser to every winner. Now that Grinnell's piled up a great record this year, we're supposed to bump you off. If we do, despite the fact we've had no season to shout about ourselves, the alumni will consider our year crowned with success."
"You think you're going to beat us?" grinned Mack.
"Yes—with you suspended!" kidded Carl.
"Cut it!" Mack winced. "I'll prove to you yet that I can play football!"
"Go to it!" invited Carl. "I admire your stick-to-it-iveness! Three years and just a substitute indicates a bear for punishment."
"Being related to you is my biggest handicap," was Mack's rejoinder. "It cost me better consideration before and it's costing me my chances now."