Then he rode back to Poodle and shouted, “I feel great, now. This’s something like training! Watch me play to-morrow. I’ll eat the San Dinero gentlemen.”
Poodle was cold and gloomy and pessimistic, by this time.
“I hope you do,” he said, as though he didn’t believe it.
“So do I, Pood’. Look here. I s’pose I’m a fool but—if San Dinero licks us—I’ll wish I’d never seen an aeroplane, or Mexico. Gee, I wish the game were on, right now.”
They were a little quiet as they loped back to the stable.
CHAPTER XXVIII
THE BIG GAME
The Santa Benicia team came on the field, after the first half, with Left Eared Dongan in the line-up. Pink Eye Morrison had hurt his ankle, at left end, and had been replaced by Dongan. Otherwise, they had gone through the first half without injury, and the score was six to six.
Was Hike in the game? Rather. When the coach saw him on Thursday morning, bright of eye and ruddy of cheek, there was no question of his going in. “What did you do to get in such good shape?” he asked.
“Rested right,” replied Hike.
He had never played so well, though he did not try for any spectacular runs. He was making sure that Santa Benicia, rather than Hike Griffin, should win.