"'Rah! 'rah! 'rah! for Randall!" yelled Bean Perkins in his loudest grandstand voice. "Wow!"
"Can some of that, and save it for the Newkirk game," suggested Woodhouse, with a grin. "Now I've thought it all over, and I've decided that I'll put Sam Looper in Bricktop's place at left guard, and----"
"'Rah for the Snail!" shouted the irrepressible Bean.
"Oh, I can be quick enough when I want to," declared Sam, his face shining with delight at the honor that had come to him unsought. He had practiced hard on the scrub, and while he was not a bright and shining light, he had grit and stamina, and was very strong. There were some doubtful looks over his selection, but everyone was willing to admit that while he was not as good as Bricktop, he might do after some gruelling practice.
"And to fill Kerr's place I'll name Pete Backus," went on the captain.
"'Rah for Grasshopper!" cried Bean. "He'll jump over their heads and make a touchdown."
"Quiet!" begged Mr. Lighton, for there was a pandemonium of yells and laughter at this.
"And I want Pete to jump into plays when he has the ball," continued Kindlings. "Do you approve of those selections, Mr. Lighton?"
"Certainly, Woodhouse. I only want to say that of course it all depends on how these new candidates make out in practice."
"Oh, sure," assented the captain. "They've got to make good, or we'll put some one else in. You understand that, Pete and Sam."
"Of course," they murmured, and each secretly determined to leave nothing untried that would win for him the coveted honor of playing on the 'varsity eleven.
"Then everybody be on hand for practice on the gridiron at three o'clock sharp to-morrow," announced Kindlings. "We'll run through some hard plays, do some passing and tackling, and play a fifteen minute half against the scrub. Sharp work, everybody!"
"'Rah for Kindlings!" yelled Bean, and the shout that followed, if it did not exactly raise the roof of the gymnasium, at least testified to the regard in which the captain was held.
There was more talk from Mr. Lighton, who had worked out a new system of signals for the present season, and he gave the lads a short drill in it before the meeting adjourned.
Meanwhile Phil, Tom and Sid had been keeping their ears on the alert, and their eyes open for any hint, in talk or action, that would give them a clew to who had taken their chair and clock. But they were not successful. If any of the football squad was guilty, the fact was successfully concealed.