Stone looked doubtful. “I don’t know. Of course, Dick, if you face your backs more you don’t have to turn so far when you continue the pass. It’s well to have the ball travel from centre to runner on as straight a line as possible, you know. If you take it so, and then have to turn like this before you shoot it at the runner, you’re losing time, aren’t you?”
“Why, yes, but only a fraction of a second, I’d say. I do it that way because I can see the ball better from the time centre starts the pass until it’s in my hands. When I turn I just slip my right foot around a few inches and swing on my left. But if it’s better to stand sidewise to the line——”
“Oh, I’m not suggesting that you change now,” protested Stone. “It’s always dangerous to change your style of doing a thing as late in the season as this. If you’d started earlier—but then you may be right about it. You’re the doctor, Dick. If you can do it better the way you are doing it, I say keep on. Of course, in a real game you’ll probably find sometime that your back isn’t where you expect him and there’ll be a mix-up, because when you’re excited you do funny things. Take Gaines, now. He has a great way of trying to beat the ball and goes loping away from position before you’re ready to toss to him. That means he has to slow up or lose the pass. If you stand so you can see your backs as the ball comes to you you know how to act. Of course, when the pass is to the back direct, mistakes like that can’t happen often, but Driscoll doesn’t fancy the direct pass much.”
“Then you don’t think my way is correct and you don’t think I ought to change it,” said Dick, puzzled. “Mr. Driscoll has never said anything about it being wrong.”
“My dear fellow, I’m not saying it’s wrong, either, am I? I think there’s a natural way for everyone to do a thing, and that’s your natural way. And I guess it wouldn’t be wise to try to change now. All I do say is that you’re likely to wish you had changed it some old day. But I wouldn’t worry about it. I dare say you’ll muddle through all right.”
When Dick mentioned the talk to Stanley the latter laughed.
“Forget it, Dick,” he said. “Stone’s worried for fear you may beat him out for the place. Haven’t you any gumption!”
“Beat him!” Dick exclaimed. “That’s likely, I don’t think!”
“Well, convince him that it isn’t likely, and you’ll find that he will stop talking that way. Can’t you understand that if he can get you worried enough you’ll fall off in your playing? He isn’t afraid of Cardin, evidently, but he is of you.”