Tom was a surprise both to himself and to Steve.

Steve had never taken his chum very seriously as a football player, probably because Tom was not the spectacular sort, but he was forced to acknowledge now that the latter had beaten him at his own game! The members of the second didn't see the Benton game for the reason that "Boots" wouldn't consider it at all.

What, waste an afternoon looking on when they might be holding practice?
Not if he knew it! But the absence of some sixteen members of the second team didn't keep Brimfield from being well represented at that contest, for most every other fellow in school journeyed across to Hastings-on-Sound with the 'varsity and witnessed a very good, if in one way unsatisfactory, game.

For Brimfield and Benton tussled with each other through four ten-minute periods without a score.

Perhaps Benton had slightly the better of the argument, although not many Brimfieldians would acknowledge it.