[CHAPTER II]
MORE BAD NEWS
“And so Ed is going to leave,” mused Tom, after a momentous pause. “It sure will make a hole in the team.”
“Oh, it’s got me all broke up,” gloomily declared Kindlings, who was captain of the recently organized eleven. “I don’t know what I’m going to do to fill his place, and Mr. Lighton, while he says we’ll make out somehow, feels pretty bad over it. But it can’t be helped, of course, for Ed has to go.”
For the time being, the news of the loss of one of Randall’s best football players overshadowed the matter of the missing chair. Tom had changed his mind about going out to see if he could get on the trail of who had taken it, and sat with Kindlings and his two other chums, discussing what could be done to replace Kerr as right half-back.
“Bricktop Molloy might work in there,” suggested Phil, “only he’s too good a tackle to take out of the line.”
“Why can’t you go there yourself, Phil?” asked Tom. “You’ve done some playing back of the line.”
“No, I need Phil at quarter,” objected Dan. “We’ll have to think of something else. If I didn’t need you at end, Tom, I’d try you in Ed’s place.”
“Oh, I’m no good bucking the line,” objected the tall lad who pitched for the ’varsity nine.
“What’s the matter with one of the Jersey Twins?” asked Sid.
“Both Jerry and Joe Jackson are too light,” and Dan shook his head. There were many suggestions, and various expedients offered, and, while the discussion is under way perhaps a moment can be spared to make our new readers a little better acquainted with the main characters of this story.