"He grunted, and said he'd been out to see how badly things were going." "Then, of course, Laura flared up and asked what he meant by such talk," broke in the irrepressible Jessie.

"Then---ouch!" For Belle had slyly pinched the talkative one's arm.
"Mr.Drayne had a great string to offer us," resumed Laura.

"He said football affairs had never been in as bad shape before, and he predicted that the team would go to pieces in all the strong games this year." "We have a rule of unswerving loyalty in the history of our eleven," said Prescott, smiling, though a grim light lurked in his eyes.
"I guess Phin was merely practicing some of that loyalty." "None of us care what Drayne thinks, anyway," broke in Dave Darrin contemptuously.

"He wants to play as a regular, and he's slated only as a possible sub.

So I suppose he simply can't see how the eleven is to win without him.