Jack Winters Gridiron Chums | Page 4

everything beaten a mile. It works out all right in theory anyway."
"The proof of the pudding is in the eating," chuckled Steve, who
apparently was not built along quite as sanguine lines as Toby. "But
then it'll be a heap of fun to try something new. All the iceboats I've
ever seen around here have always been built after the same old model.
Nobody ever seemed to think they could be improved on the least bit;
and that it was only a matter of the pilot jockeying in order to blanket
his rival and win out."
"Joe Hooker seems to be taking considerable stock in what we're doing
to build up a machine for gridiron work," mentioned Jack, with a ring
of satisfaction in his voice. "I certainly hope we can make things hum
around here this Fall. Chester's hour has struck, it seems; and after our

baseball victories we ought to be just in time to carry our colors to a
sweeping triumph over Harmony and Marshall."
"Some of the boys are showing up splendidly," Steve continued. "I'm a
whole lot disappointed, though, in my work today, but I expect to
improve, and hope to make the team when the final choice is reached."
"Huh! I guess there isn't much chance of you being dropped, Steve,"
snorted Toby. "I only wish I was as sure of being retained on the honor
roll. That run of mine today was as punk a thing as any greenhorn
could have attempted. I saw Joe look at me as if he'd like to eat me, and
I felt so small I could have crawled into any old rat- hole. But I mean to
surprise him yet, see if I don't. I've got the faith to believe I can play
quarterback, and I will, I tell you; I'm thinking of it most of the night
while I lie awake."
"That kind of grit will take you a long ways, Toby, believe me, "said
Jack encouragingly. "All of us fall far short of perfection; but Joe is
persistent and I've no doubt he already knows just who the members of
the team will be, barring accidents, also the substitutes in the bargain."
"We were mighty lucky to have such a dandy coach right at hand,"
declared Steve; "and Mr. Taft is the best sort of a man to lend him to us
so much, at a loss to himself. He contributed heavily to the fund for
building the gym, too, I understand."
"Yes," added Jack, "a town that has a few public-spirited citizens of his
type is to be congratulated. But here's where I leave you, and hike
across lots to my shack, where a nice bath awaits me. See you later,
Toby; and sorry you can't join us, Steve."
"Oh! bother," chuckled Toby, maliciously; "he's got something a whole
lot better to attend to than just jabbering with his two chums over the
lines of a projected iceboat wonder."
Good-natured Steve only laughed in return, though had the gloaming
not been settled down so early, the other fellows might have seen his
cheeks flaming; for Steve was an exceedingly modest chap, and easily
flustered.
Jack Winters reached home, and had his bath in time to come to the
table when the supper bell rang. And it goes without saying that his
appetite showed no sign of flagging on that occasion, for football work
is calculated to put a keen edge on a boy's natural desire for food.
Later on he again set forth, after a hack at his lessons, and turned to

make his way across lots along a well-worn path, in this fashion cutting
off several corners, and shortening the distance, which is apparently a
thing desired by every American lad.
It was about eight when he arrived at the Hopkins domicile, and was let
in by Toby himself. The other seemed wildly excited, for the first thing
he did was to burst forth with:
"Jack, I've gone and done it, I do believe, this time! Yes, sir, I've struck
an idea that promises fairly to revolutionize iceboats. It came to me like
a flash, and I'm wild to know what you think about it."
Jack did not enthuse as much as Toby would have liked to see. Truth to
tell, Jack had known several of these wonderful "theories" which Toby
had conjured up, to fail in coming up to expectation when put to the
test; so he did not allow himself to anticipate too much.
Nevertheless when the idea was gone over he admitted that there might
really be something in it.
"Perhaps you have struck something worth while at last, Toby," he told
the other, "and we can work it out by degrees when we get down to
actual business. Evidently, you've