Page:The secret play (1915).djvu/239

 got a good team, a fine lot of players, willing, hard-working, cheerful. It's not the best team we've ever had. None of you will claim that. But it's more than an average good one. It's good enough to beat Springdale. I say that assuredly. If it doesn't beat Springdale the fault will be mine and not the players'. But I don't think it's going to be necessary to find fault with anyone, for I firmly believe we're going to win."

More applause then, heartier and less restricted to the element supporting the speaker. But with it came a challenge from across the hall: "Talk's cheap, Lovering! Show us something!" "That's right!" cried Carter. "Win a game and we'll believe it!"

"My one reason for speaking this evening," continued Dick, calmly, "is to tell you plainly, to thoroughly convince you that if we have lost three games out of five it is not the fault of the players. I don't say that we could have won all five games, but I am pretty sure that we could have won three of them. That we didn't was because I thought it unwise to push the team, as it would have had to be pushed, to a condition where it could have won. This, please understand, is not an apology, but mere