“Hold on,” exclaimed Nip eagerly. “You said he was on-side!”
“Keep out, you!” Tommy warned. There were chuckles from some of the others and Hank looked harassed.
“How could I be on-side, I’d like to know? Even if I was—”
“Second question,” interrupted Tommy. “Your side has the ball ten yards from the opponent’s goal line and on the fourth down makes a forward pass over the line. You receive the pass. You stand with one foot on the end line, but the ball reaches you a yard inside the zone and you complete the pass. What about it?”
Hank looked about for aid, but met only grinning countenances. “The ball came down inside the zone?” he asked cautiously.
“A yard inside. You have to reach well out for it.”
“If I catch it it’s all right,” said Hank. “You said I had my foot on the end line, not over it. Anyway, if the ball was inside—”
Ted’s chuckle unsettled him, and he scowled his annoyance. “Hang it, I didn’t say I could answer all the catch questions you could think of! Just the same, I’ll bet I’m right about that. Ain’t I, Ted?”
“Third question,” said Tommy inexorably.