“Well, you saw how it went yesterday,” said Lanny.
“I didn’t see it tried out before an opponent,” answered Chester dryly. There was silence for a moment. Then:
“Well, if you fellows think it isn’t going to make good, cut it,” said Dick. “I may be all wrong about it. And, as Chester says, we didn’t have a chance to try it in a scrimmage.”
“Mind you,” said Chester, “I haven’t got cold feet on it. That is, I’ll try it, all right, and make it go if it can be done. Only thing I say is that I don’t see how it’s going to fool the other fellow!”
“As Dick says,” observed Lanny, “it’s a risk, but we’ve got to take risks to-morrow. I say use it.”
“All right. That’s good enough for me,” agreed Chester cheerfully. “If it does go, it’ll go hard; I’ll say that for it!”
After the others had gone, bidding him good night rather soberly on the porch, Dick took himself to bed. But sleep didn’t come readily to-night. There was too much to think of. He wondered over and over if he had done wisely here or well there, wondered for the hundredth time if his plans, his methods, his strategies were to be crowned with success. He wondered whether the team was really as good as it had seemed to him yesterday, even this afternoon. There were moments, as, tossing back and forth on his pillow, he heard eleven and twelve o’clock strike, when it seemed to him that nothing but certain defeat impended, that there was not the smallest chance in the world for a Clearfield victory! That wasn’t a pleasant vigil that Dick kept up there under the roof that night.
Some time after twelve he fell asleep, but only to turn and mutter for a long while after as his tired mind evolved dream after dream in all of which misfortune pursued him relentlessly.
When he awoke the world was gray and cold, with a foretaste of snow in the air, and he found nothing in the outlook to inspirit him. But a cold bath set sluggish blood to tingling again and a cup of steaming-hot coffee brought back courage and determination. While he was looking through the papers the telephone bell rang and he found Manager Cotner on the line, irritated of voice. Springdale had just telephoned over for thirty-five more seats and they didn’t have that many unless they could get the workmen out there to put up some temporary ones. The matter was really outside Dick’s jurisdiction, but George was so perplexed that Dick gave his mind to the problem for a moment.