"Of course, it was all the biggest piece of luck that ever happened, Ned. Hop aimed the ball just right, and somehow or other I managed to kick it. Maybe any one would have done just as well, because I guess it was an easy goal. Anyway, the honor of the Turners was safe!"

"You're a regular brick," said Ned, a bit huskily. "What-what happened afterward? I didn't stay."

"Afterward Hop looked at me kind of queer and said, 'I guess that'll do for you, Turner,' and I beat it away from there as fast as I knew how, and Mulford sent in some other poor unfortunate. There were only half a dozen plays after that, and we kicked whenever we got the ball."

"Do you think any one but Hop found out?" asked Ned, anxiously.

"Not a one. And I'm not sure, mind you, that Hop did. You see, he didn't _say_ anything. Only, he did call me 'Nid' at first, and then 'Turner'

the next time. I haven't seen him since. I guess I never will know, unless I ask him. One thing's sure, though, Ned, and that is that Hop won't talk."

"You don't think I'd ought to fess up?" asked Ned.

"I do not," replied Laurie stoutly. "What's the good? It wasn't your fault if you went to sleep out in the country. If any one's to blame, it's me. I oughtn't to have hoaxed them. No, sir; if Mulford or any one says anything, just you tell them you fell asleep and couldn't help getting there late. But I don't believe any one will ask questions now.

They're all too pleased and excited. But, gee, Neddie! I certainly am glad I made that goal instead of missing it. I'd be a pretty mean feeling pup to-night if I hadn't!"

"It was wonderful," mused Ned. "You putting it over, I mean. With all that crowd looking on, and Farview shouting-"

"Shouting? I didn't hear them. I didn't know whether there was any one around just then! I had troubles of my own, partner! Know something?

Well, I think there's the chap who kicked that goal." Laurie raised his right foot and displayed one of Ned's scuffed football shoes. "I guess I just sort of left things to him and he did the business. Good old Mister Shoe!"

Ned jumped to his feet and pulled Laurie from the bed. "For the love of lemons," he cried, "get those togs off before any one comes in!"

"Gee, that's so!" Laurie worked feverishly, while Ned stumbled over a chair and turned the key in the lock.

"A fine pair of idiots we are!" exclaimed Ned, as he ripped Laurie's shirt off for him. "Suppose Hop or Kewpie had come in while we were sitting here!"

Hillman's spent the rest of the evening in celebration. In the dining-hall the appearance of any member of the squad was the signal for hand-clapping and cheers, and when Ned entered, followed by Laurie, the applause was deafening. Ned showed himself to be a very modest and retiring hero, for he fairly scuttled to his seat, and kept his head bent over his plate long after the applause had died away. Then, stealing an unhappy glance at Laurie, he found that youth grinning broadly, and was the recipient of a most meaningful wink. After supper, in the corridor, the twins ran squarely into Hop Kendrick. Ned tried to pull aside, but Laurie stood his ground. Hop was plainly a very happy youth to-night, although even when happiest he never entirely lost his look of earnest gravity.

"Well, we did it, Nid!" he said joyfully, clapping that youth on the shoulder. "That was a corking kick of yours, son!"

Ned stammered something utterly unintelligible, but Laurie came to the rescue: "Ned says it was the way you pointed the ball that won that goal, Hop," he said casually. "He's mighty modest about it."

Hop shot a quick glance at the speaker, and Ned declared afterward that there was a smile behind it. But all he said was: "Oh, well, pointing isn't everything, Nod. _Some one's_ got to kick it!"

When he had gone on, Ned and Laurie viewed each other questioningly.

"Think he knows?" asked Ned. Laurie shook his head frowningly. "You've got me, partner!" he answered.

And, because neither asked Hop Kendrick outright, neither ever did know!

There were songs and speeches and a general jollification after supper, ending in a parade of cheering, singing youths who marched through the town from end to end, and at last drew up outside Doctor Hillman's porch and shouted until that gentleman appeared and responded. The Doctor's words were few, but they hit the spot, and when there had been another long cheer for him, and another long cheer for the team, and a final mighty cheer for the school, the happy boys called it a day and sought the dormitories.

Ned was just dropping off to sleep that night when Laurie's voice reached him through the darkness.

"Ned!" called Laurie.

"Huh?"

"Are you awake?"

"Uh-huh."

"Listen. It's a fortunate thing to be a twin."

There was a long moment of silence. Then Ned's voice came sleepily:

"'Cause if one twin can't the other twin kin!"

CHAPTER XXII-THE BOYS MAKE A PRESENT

The week or so succeeding the Farview game seemed like an anticlimax.

The bottom had sort of dropped out of things and there was no immediate excitement to look forward to. The weather became as miserable as weather possibly could, the slight snowfall that followed the rain of Thanksgiving Day lasting only long enough to be seen by the early risers. Perhaps it was well that lack of events and inclement weather ruled, for Ned and a good many other boys in school were no worse for an opportunity to apply themselves undisturbedly to their studies.

Basketball candidates were called the first Monday in December, and the twins held a serious conference on the question of reporting. Ned, who felt rather flat since there was no more football, was half inclined to go in for the game, and would have had Laurie insisted. But Laurie voted that for the present the Turners had done sufficient in the athletic line, that the honor of the family demanded no further sacrifices on the altar of duty. So Ned abandoned the idea and talked of trying for the crew in the spring.

When December was a week old, the fellows set their gaze on the Christmas recess, which this year began on Wednesday, three days before Christmas, and lasted until the 2d of January. Eleven days are not sufficient to make a trip across the continent and back advisable, although the twins figured that, with the best of fortune, they would be able to reach Santa Lucia in time for dinner Christmas night. On the other hand, the missing of one connection would delay their arrival until the following afternoon, and, as Laurie pointed out, they were fairly certain to be held up somewhere on the way, and a sleeping-car wasn't exactly an ideal place in which to spend the holiday! Besides, there was a noticeable lack of encouragement from home. It had been accepted beforehand that the boys were to remain at the school during the recess, and nothing in Mr. Turner's fortnightly letters hinted that he had changed his mind.

"I'd just as lief stay here, anyway," declared Ned. "We can have a lot more fun. Maybe there'll be a bunch of snow, and I'm dying to try skiing."

"You bet! And skating, too! And then there's that other scheme. Mustn't forget that, Neddie."

"You mean-"

"Yes. Didn't you say we'd do it during vacation?"

"Sure! It-it'll take quite a lot of money, though, Laurie. And we'll have presents to buy for Dad and Aunt Emmie and the cousins-"

"The cousins get Christmas cards, and that's all they do get,"

interrupted Laurie, decisively. "That's all they ever give us, and I'd rather spend my money on something that'll really-really benefit some one. I guess Dad'll send us some more money, too, for Christmas. We can do it, all right. I've got nearly seven dollars right now. I haven't spent hardly any money this month."

"All right. Some day soon we'll go downtown and find out how much it's going to cost and what we'll need and everything. I say, we can get Bob to help us, too!"

"Rather! And three or four other fellows, I guess. Every one likes the Widow, and George says there will be five or six fellows here during recess. He was here last year, and he says he had a dandy time."

"Let's get George this afternoon and get the thing started. We can find out the-the area and ask the man how much we'll need."

"Sure! And we can buy it and store it at Bob's. Then all we'll have to do will be carry it over the fence. I'll go down and see if I can find him. Look here, Neddie. Why don't we do it before Christmas and make it a sort of Christmas present? Say we worked hard all day Thursday and Friday-"

"Great! Only if it snowed-"

Laurie's face fell. "Gee, that's so! I suppose we couldn't do it if it snowed. Or rained. Or if it was frightfully cold."

"They say it doesn't get real cold here until after New Year's," said Ned, rea.s.suringly. "But of course it might snow or rain. Well, we'll do it in time for Christmas if we can. If we can't, we'll do it for New Year's. I'll bet she'll be tickled to death. I say, though! We never found out about the color!"

"I did," answered Laurie modestly. "I asked Polly. She said white."