"Wake up, Sleep! Have you heard the game they have sprung on us?" cried Buck Graham, bursting in upon Forsyth. "It's outrageous; it's unconstitutional; it's—it's—low-down," he spluttered, pounding the table with his fist. "They say—Mr. Watson told Travers and Sargent, so it's straight—that the Doctor has made a new rule, and every fellow who doesn't get over sixty in classics will have to stop playing football."
"Well, I'll be—kicked!" ejaculated Sleep Forsyth. "That will finish poor old Buff Miller."
"It knocks us all out," said Graham, indignantly, "except the Welsh Rarebit. The fellows are having a mass-meeting in the gym about it now; they're in a fearful way. Come on over, Sleep."
The gymnasium was filled with an excited crowd of boys, all talking at once, and breathing out, like Saul of old, threatenings and slaughter. The inherent "meanness" of the new law went without saying, but how to circumvent it was the grave question.
"We might send in a petition in good Latin," suggested Fitzhugh.
"Yes; you write it," jeered Doggy Parker. "How about 'the hair of the players getting a cutting'? That's the way Fitz translated the sentence about the shades receiving the gladiator after the contest, Atkins," turning to a tall boy who was leaning against the bars, "to the Doctor, too. Wasn't it a bad break? I believe that's the reason he's put up this game on us."
"Well, it's all up with football," said Captain Miller, gloomily. "How can any one expect a team to play decently if they have to grind like so many old machines?"
"You'd better order patent duplex-burner, double-reflecting spectacles for us, instead of shoes and sweaters, Buff," said George Fluellen, the Welsh Rarebit, sarcastically, "and make 'Arry 'Arris coach us in Latin daring practice. Instead of ''Es a-'oldin' 'is man,' say, 'Agite!'—Line up!"
"We might just as well cancel all our dates," interrupted Lewis, the right end, "if we have to start in and dig old Greek roots like ground-hogs. What's the use of coming to school if you can't play football without studying?"