Quarter-Back Bates

ooks on one of the study tables and a large packing case in the centre of the floor from which emerged the corner of a brilliant blue cushion and the lower half of a boy. While

his face. He tossed the shoes to the floor, dusted his hands by a simple expedient

I suppose you're Ba

s he answered: "Yes. Glad to meet you

yself to a desk, but I'm not particular which I have

Suppose you take the first choice of a des

arms, on which he had rolled up the sleeves of a good-looking shirt, folded. "Yes, that's

wn and seated himsel

ght it would be," he said

he rooms on the front are corkers, Bates. I couldn't afford one of those,

ou're not a

is my second year. I'm in

, but I guess I'd had to work mighty hard to kee

s. If you'd gone into the Fourth you'd have been through just when

ere five or six years ago, and

. Guess I'll leave the rest of this truck until after supper." He seated himself in one of the easy chai

handsome; perhaps he wasn't even good-looking in the general acceptance of the word; but Dick liked his face none the less. The forehead was high and the lightish hair of a rather indeterminate shade of brown was brushed straight back from it. That happened to be a style of wearing the hair that Dick had always objected to, but he had to own that the fashion suited Gard very well. It emphasised the lean length of the face and added to the sharp, hawk-like appearance produce

it," sa

o ask if you w

Sometimes I 'double' in the broad-jump if we need the points. You look as if y

The C's fo

s Dick, do

laughed

ally abbreviated to Stan. Have

rinting. What's the hun

asn't been bet

fth better t

did it once, and that was in practice, with a ha

, do

ty well, but it interferes with track work. Guess we're going to ha

ok a bit older and bigger than

rst. And next year you'll probably be a lot heavier. I don't know many of the football c

is

the team; right, I think. He might be a good fellow for

?" promp

funny that way. And he's the sort that won't do a thing if he thinks you're trying to pull his leg. Blash hated me-well, no, he didn't hat

o make him change

could,' I answered. 'Maybe you'll have a chance to find out.' I wasn't cross, but I thought it was a bit unnecessary, if you see what I mean. 'Wouldn't care to try it now, I suppose?' he said. I told him I was tired out, but I'd race him if he liked as soon as the programme was finished. 'Oh, never mind the rest of it,' he said. 'We're both through. Say we skate down the river a ways and settle the question by ourselves.' So we did. We went about a mile down, beyond the flag, and Blash said we'd skate a mile down and a mile back, and that we'd turn at the old coal wharf. So we went off together, Blash trying to mak

he hole. By that time we were both laughing so we could hardly keep our heads out. The water was just over our depth and the ice was too hard to break with our hands, and we didn't have anything else until I thought of using a skate. That meant getting boot and all off, and Blash sort of held me up while I tried to untie the laces and everything. We were getting pretty stiff with the cold by then, Blash especially, but I finally managed to get one boot off and began hacking at th

we had a dandy hot fire going, took off our outer things and hung them around and we sat there with our backs to the mud bank and steamed. I don't believe any fire ever felt as good as that one did, Dick! Well, that's all of it. Just before dark, we

Dick. "It's a wonder you

nything better to do, we might go over and see Blash after supper. I guess this truck can wait until tomorrow. Only don't sa

ghed. "But, look here, Stan, what could he do, anywa

with making the track team. I don't mean that there's favouritism, but-oh, I suppose if you happen to know a fellow and

pose this fel

Quite a mouthf

me if I play foot

to. Tell him you've got friends there. It's Number 9. You can sit there tonight, anyway, for Eaton's not back yet, and you can have his place. Know where the lavatory is? Got any towels? Here, take one

in my bag, I think. Much o

s called. Stanley named the buildings for Dick as they went along: the gymnasium, then Goss Hall, Parkinson, Williams and Alumni. Their journey ended there, but