"After the table and the chairs are used up, we'll provide tacks for the rest." "Does this little boy ever have a serious streak ?" asked one of the callers, regarding Dan with feigned interest.
"Yes; whenever he finds himself marked down to 2.1 in more than three studies," laughed Dave.
"Oh, that's no laughing matter," grimaced another of the visiting midshipmen.
"I don't suppose you can guess what we came to talk about ?" went on Midshipman Hepson.
"At a wild guess it might be football," hazarded Darrin.
"Wonderful! Marvelous!" gasped another visitor.
"Darry, we've come in to tell you that we believe that you and your erratic roommate are going to save a desperate situation for us," resumed the captain of the Navy team.

"Not that we were destitute of good players before.

But we lacked enough of different kinds to make a strong, all-around eleven.

Now we've a team that we're not afraid, after more work, to put up against anything that the Army can show us." "Now, I wouldn't be too sure," urged Dave.

"Confidence is all right, but don't let it rob us of a jot of practice and work." "Are you afraid of the Army, Darry ?" demanded Hepson.
"I'm not going to be too cock-sure, if the story is true that Prescott and Holmes are out with the Army team this year." "Are they such great players!" demanded Hepson.
"They are," Dave responded solemnly, "or were.