“Yes, I suppose so. There’ll be a lot of kicking about that time.” Duffield shrugged his shoulders.
“Let ’em kick. Has Warne found any dates yet?”
“He hadn’t got any replies when I asked him this noon. Maybe he’ll hear from some of them to-night.”
“All right. See you to-morrow. You’d better run up to the gym and get warm.”
On Saturday the cut was made and all but twenty-nine candidates were diplomatically informed that their further services would not be required. Rob’s prediction proved true, for the disgruntled ones had a good deal to say. But they didn’t find much sympathy except from each other. The School Team journeyed away from home that day and won a listless, poorly played game from Hope Hill Academy, 8 to 0. During their absence the Independents held practice on the School Team’s gridiron and in the twenty minutes of scrimmaging the first squad scored twice on the second, once by straight line-plunging and once with the help of a blocked kick which Kasker captured and romped over the line with. On Monday Malcolm announced that he had arranged for three games, the first to be played the following Saturday with Cardiff High School, the second with Hillsgrove High at Hillsgrove the Wednesday after and the third with the Overbrook Academy Second Team three days later. The Cardiff game would be an ideal one for a first contest since Cardiff was not a strong team. The Hillsgrove game was possible enough because Hillsgrove was only three miles distant and the expense of getting there and back would amount to little. Rob wanted something better than the Overbrook Second for the third contest, but, as nothing better offered, was forced to be content with it. On that Saturday the Overbrook First Team was coming to Riverport to play the School Team and the Overbrook Second would accompany it and take on the Independents as a side issue.
“That leaves us one more Saturday and Thanksgiving Day,” said Rob thoughtfully. “I’d like to get a couple of rattling games for those dates, Mal.”
“So would I,” answered Malcolm, “but I don’t know where to look for them. Every team has its dates filled, you see.”
“That’s the dickens of it. We’ll have a talk with Duffield to-morrow. Maybe he can suggest something.”
“I wish,” said Jelly, who happened to be present at the time, “that we could have a game before Saturday. That’s a long time to wait, fellows. Couldn’t we find someone to take us on Wednesday?”
“I’m afraid not,” said Malcolm.