Page:The secret play (1915).djvu/88

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  • tions. And many marveled that the regulars accepted

the afternoon's duties so uncomplainingly. But those who marveled had not, of course, been present in the dressing-room when Dick had made his short speech to the assembled players.

His appearance had been greeted with a welcome that must have pleased him, although if it did he failed to show it. He was very quiet, very business-*like, very terse. "First of all, fellows," he announced without preliminary rhetoric, "it must be understood that you and I are here for just one thing. That's to get together a team that will beat Springdale. If we can win other battles, well and good. If we can't, well and good. In order to beat Springdale we've got to play regular football, fellows, and in order to do that we've got to learn how. Some of you know more football than others, but I'm not going to take your words for it. To-day you are all on the same level and we are going to start all over, just as if this was the first day of practice and you hadn't already played one contest. There's no First Squad, no Scrub Team, no Third Squad yet. Every fellow has got to show me what he can do and for the next two or three days you will all have to go back to elementary work. Those of