He had missed two tries from placement, one on the twenty yards and another on the twenty-seven, and had only succeeded at a drop-kick by the barest of margins.

He couldn't even lay the blame on his injured shoulder, for that was no longer a factor in his playing; the bandages were off and only a leather pad remained to remind him of the incident.

No, he had simply worried his stupid head over Paul's troubles, he told himself, and had thereby disappointed the coaches, the captain, and himself.

Simson found him presently and sent him trotting about the field, an exercise that worked some of his gloom off and left him in a fairly cheerful frame of mind when he ran up the locker-house steps.
But at dinner he found that his appetite had almost deserted him.

Simson observed him gravely, and after the meal was over questioned closely.
Neil answered rather irritably, and the trainer's uneasiness increased; but he only said: "Go to bed early to-night and lay off to-morrow.