Page:Stanwood Pier--Harding of St Timothys.djvu/155

Rh "Move back, all you fellows!" he said. "Nobody but the eleven and the substitutes wanted here. Everybody else get back."

He waved his arms, and three or four other players stepped out and began waving their arms, until the crowd had retreated, abashed. Then the team gathered close about the carriage.

"You're doing well, fellows," Rupert said to them, his eyes shining with enthusiasm. "You're holding 'em mighty well—and you have n't shown up any of your trick plays yet. Tilden, your man was getting the jump on you there the last few minutes. You want to be a little quicker; but that was good, the way you broke through on that last kick. Holder, try to stiffen up your end a bit. Sometimes it was pretty ragged; but you're coming up to the scratch all right."

So he went down the list of players, criticising them when it was necessary, and then salving the criticism with some appreciative word, applauding enthusiastically without criticism when he could, and making each one in turn