The venerable president drew back, almost as if he had received a blow. He looked at Sid keenly.
"Very well," he remarked quietly, and there was a note of sadness in his voice. "I shall have to inflict severe punishment. The rules call for suspension or expulsion, but, in view of your previous excellent record, I will make an exception. You will be debarred from all further participation in athletics for the remainder of the term--unless," and the doctor paused, "you can make some explanation that will prove your innocence," and he looked almost as a father might at an erring son.
"I--I can't make any explanation," answered Sid brokenly, as he turned away, while the doctor, with a shake of his head, took up his Sanskrit book, and went back to his study.
Of course, the story was all over college the next day, for those things leak out, through messengers or servants, or in some mysterious manner. But, in this case, the suspension of Sid from further participation in the ball games, had to be made known.
"For the love of onions, what are we going to do?" demanded Tom. "We can't do without Sid." He was quite broken up over the affair.
"We'll have to play Pete Backus in his place," suggested Phil.
"Yes, I know, but Pete----" began the perplexed captain.
"He'll have to train harder than he has been," observed the coach, who, with Tom and some friends, were talking over the alarming situation.
"Oh, Pete'll do it, if he once makes up his mind to it, and I'll see that he does," agreed Tom.
"Does this mean that we'll have to cancel the next game with Fairview?" asked Ed Kerr, who was anxious to know, for, as manager, he would have to shift his dates.
"No, we'll play 'em," replied the coach. "It will mean more and harder practice for the next two weeks, though, and we have a game with that Michigan school Saturday. They're hard as nails, too, I hear, but maybe it will do our fellows good to get a few more drubbings. It may wake them up, for there's no denying that the fellows are not playing up to the mark."
"I'm sure it's not my fault," began Tom, a bit aggressively.
"I didn't say it was," retorted Mr. Leighton, and there was a sharp tone in his words. "Only we've got to play better if we want to win."