"Yes, I guess it was," admitted Ray, as he gently felt of a lump the bandage covered.
"And the way they handled Paul was rotten," went on the captain.
"Oh, I'm not kicking," declared the plucky guard. "I'll be ready for 'em next time."
"I'm glad there is a next time," spoke Dick. "How do we stand, anyhow?"
"There are several games yet," said Dutton, "and we can win most of them easily. The only hard ones are with Mooretown and the next one with Blue Hill. That's the last, and we need to win that and the Mooretown contest to get the championship."
"It's a big contract," said the young millionaire with a sigh.
"Oh, brace up!" cried Dutton as cheerfully as he could. "Here come some of the fellows. Don't let 'em see you in the dumps, Dick."
Our hero tried to look cheerful, but it was hard work. Several of his players filed in. It was the day after the defeat by Blue Hill and there were sore bodies as well as sore hearts, for there had been more men knocked out in that desperate conflict than in any previous one. And, so said the senior cadets, there was no game ever played by Kentfield in all the years of her history that was more fiercely fought.
"Blue Hill has the best team in years," said Innis Beeby.
"So have we!" cried Jim Watkins.