"We'll put it all over Fairview," finished Billy Housenlager. "We've just _got_ to do 'em!"
"Glad you feel that way," spoke Captain Woodhouse. "But with Phil laid up----"
He did not finish, but they all knew what he meant. Up to the last, there was hope that Phil might pull around in time to play at least part of the game, but the doctor soon put an end to this thought.
"It's utterly out of the question," he said, and Phil, with a groan, turned his face to the wall.
As if Randall did not have trouble enough, more developed the night before the game. There had been a final meeting of the eleven, and Phil had managed to limp to it on a crutch. Final instructions were given by the coach, some new plays were decided upon, and a particular code of signals, of which there were several in use, was adopted.
"No objections to taking a glass of ginger ale before we turn in, is there, Mr. Lighton?" asked Jerry Jackson of the coach, who was a strict trainer.
"Come on then, fellows, I'll stand treat. Got something extra in my allowance this month," went on the Jersey twin, and he led a crowd of his chums to a small refreshment place that did a thriving business just outside the college grounds.
Whether it was the ginger ale, or the excitement caused by anticipating the game, was not ascertained, but it was a fact that in the night Sid Henderson was taken ill. Tom heard his chum groaning, and, sitting up in bed, asked:
"I don't know, but I feel as if I was burning up inside."
Tom was at Sid's bed in a moment, and placed the back of his hand on his friend's cheek.
"Why, you've got a fever!" he exclaimed "I'm going to call for Dr. Marshall."
Wallops was sent for the physician, who pronounced Sid a very sick youth, and ordered his removal to the sick ward, a sort of emergency hospital maintained at Randall.
"I shouldn't be surprised but what it was the ginger ale," said the physician, after questioning Sid. "You have a very bad bilious attack."
"Will I--will I be all right by morning?"
"By morning? Gracious, young man, what do you think we doctors are, magicians? We have to wait for Nature to help us."
"Play? I should say not! You've got to stay in bed."
"Well, wouldn't that get your goat!" exclaimed Tom, when he heard the news. "Phil and Sid both out of the game. Now we _are_ up against it, for further orders."