“Don’t be a chump! No, there isn’t, but there’s a general rule that says you must keep yourself in trim so you’ll be able to do your best for the team and the school. And when you fight another chap you’re taking chances you haven’t the right to take. Besides, Tubb, there’s another thing. You’re disturbing the—the——”
“Well, didn’t Frick disturb the same thing, whatever it is, when he kicked me this afternoon? Think he helped keep me in trim, like you say? Well, I don’t!”
“Frick took an awful chance and got away with it, but I don’t think that’s any reason you should. Hang it, Tubb, you’ve made the First Team and you’ve got a great chance of playing against Broadwood, and that’s something a lot of fellows would give their eye-teeth for! Don’t go and spoil it by having a mix-up with this chap. If you must get even with him, wait until the football season’s over, anyway. He won’t get away.”
Tubb scowled. “I might forget it by that time,” he objected.
Toby laughed. “All the better then! Take a chance on that, anyhow. Will you?”
Tubb hesitated, the scowl still lingering. At last: “I might,” he answered, “I’ll see.” Then, after a moment: “I’d sort of hate to lose my job with the team, Tucker,” he said frankly, “and that’s a fact. You could have knocked me flat with a feather when they yanked me onto the First. I—I guess I talked a lot of rot about ‘pull’ and that sort of thing, because there wasn’t any pull about my getting on the First, was there? It was just my playing. Not that I think I’m anything wonderful, Tucker. Halliday’s better than I am, and maybe Meadows is, too, but I’m going to beat him out for the place if I bust a leg doing it!”
“That’s the way to talk,” approved Toby warmly. “And if you feel that way about it, Tubb, I don’t see how you can think of risking your chance. Why, Frick isn’t worth it!”
“Maybe that’s so,” agreed Tubb thoughtfully. “Just the same, if that pup looks cross-eyed at me again, or tries to get fresh——”
“Keep out of his way,” laughed Toby.
“Huh! I guess not! He’d think I was scared of him.”