Left Half Harmon
CHAPTER XVIII
REVENGE!
Alton played the enemy at Hillsport this year, a small town some twelvemiles to the south. The distance, however, didn't measure up to thetime it took for the journey, for team and supporters had to take thetrain to Darlington, nine miles away, and then cross to Hillsport bytrolley, consuming all of an hour and ten minutes on the way. Saturdaywas what Martin called a "mushy" day. The sun came and went from beyonda haze of gray clouds and a light, damp breeze blew inland from thesea. It was too warm for an ideal football day, but those who wereto look on found no fault with it. Most of the School accompaniedthe players and, since Manager Ross when providing for the team'stransportation had failed to make any arrangement for the followers,a lamentable lack of conveyances developed at Darlington. There wasa special car waiting for the players, but the single regular carwhich was due to make the trip to Hillsport ten minutes later couldnot possibly be made to hold more than eighty of the nearly threehundred fellows who fought for places. A hurry call was telephonedto Hillsport for extra cars, but before they came several scores ofgood-natured but impatient youths had set forth on foot to cover thelast two-and-a-half-mile leg of the journey. Fortunately for these, thegame was not started until nearly fifteen minutes after the advertisedtime and the last flushed and perspiring Altonian had dragged himselfto a seat before the Green kicked off to the Gray-and-Gold.
There is no good reason for devoting much space to the contest, for,although the final score was not as one-sided as early evidencespromised, it was plainly to be seen from the first moment that thevisiting horde was certain of victory. Save that McLeod was in Macon'splace at right end for Alton, the line-up was quite as expected. McNattwas at full-back and Mawson at left half. Gil Tarver held the helm.There were no substitutes introduced by Coach Cade until the thirdinning was well along. Then Jack Macon, who had been suffering froma mild attack of tonsillitis, went back to his position, and Willardand Moncks were sent in to replace Mawson and Cochran. Still later,Hutchins ousted Gil Tarver and Cravath replaced Nichols at center. Bothteams found the weather uncomfortable and toward the last the playslowed up until it fairly dragged.
There were no spectacular incidents. Alton used few plays and made themgo. There was never at any time necessity for uncovering anything new.Hillsport, encouraged by much excellent support from the east sideof the field, started off very confidently to make gains through theopposing line. After several failures she shifted her attention to theends, and still later attempted a kicking advance. To the latter, tothe surprise and delight of the visiting spectators, McNatt repliedand replied eloquently. Substitutions had deprived the Alton team ofher usual punters and the task of returning Hillsport's kicks devolvedon the full-back, and the full-back accepted the task untroubledlyand, while he was too much out of practice to quite equal the bestefforts of the rival punter, he performed some very satisfactory featsin aerial warfare. McNatt was held back today, being afforded fewchances to shine lest his fame reach Kenly too early in the season.Whether there were any Kenly scouts on hand to take notes was notknown, but Coach Cade was determined that if there were they shouldhave but little to report. McNatt on defense, though, was not to berepressed, and many an ambitious Hillsport back was nipped in thebud, so to speak. On the attack McNatt gained whenever he was calledon, but the work was very evenly distributed among the backs. Willardplayed a strong, hard game which, if no better than Mawson had put up,was equally as good. Alton made her first score in the first period,smashing Cochran over for a touchdown at the end of eight minutes ofplaying. Cochran crowned his touchdown with a goal. In the secondperiod Alton worked to Hillsport's eighteen yards and lost the ballon a fumble by Tarver, and was on her way to a second touchdown whenthe whistle blew, leaving her in possession of the ball on the enemy'stwenty-three yards. In the third period, after Hillsport had ralliedand taken the pigskin to near Alton's thirty, the Gray-and-Gold tookthe ball on downs and began a fourth journey up the field that finallyresulted in the second score, McNatt going off left tackle for fouryards and the touchdown. Tarver kicked a neat goal. That ended thescoring, and, while Hillsport opened up several long passes after thenext kick-off and occasioned a moment of uneasiness once, neither sidethreatened the opponent's goal, and the play became utterly listless asthe end approached.
Today's Hillsport eleven was not by any means the team that hadworsted Alton last fall, and Alton's victory was nothing to be veryproud of. It was, consequently, satisfaction from revenge achievedrather than pride of performance that caused the visiting crowd tocheer and sing with such unction when the game was over. Alton "rubbedit in" a little, I fear, and, since the Hillsport fellows didn't takedefeat any too gracefully, it looked at one time as if there wouldbe trouble before the marching victors left the field. However, aclash was averted, and Alton, waving gray-and-gold banners and stillcheering, took herself across the grounds to the car line. Betteraccommodations were afforded for the return trip to Darlington and noone had to walk.
The Alton team had dressed in the field-house, a small wooden structurebuilt under one of the grandstands, and by the time they were oncemore in street clothes the spectators had long since vanished. Willardand Martin had shared the same suitcase and when, having reached thewaiting trolley car, some three blocks distant from the field, it wasdiscovered the suitcase was missing each laid the blame on the other.
"I thought you had it," said Martin.
"I thought you had it," replied Willard. "You were at it last."
"I was? I'll bet you! I'll match you to see which of us goes back forit."
"I don't mind going," said Willard, "but I'll miss the car, I guess."
"We'll wait for you," said Bob, who, with Cal Grainger, had beenenjoying the joke. "There'll be another car pretty quick. Get a moveon, Brand!"
Willard found the field-house locked when he reached it again, andno one was in sight. There was just one thing to be done, and hedid it. Finding a flat piece of iron amongst the litter behind thelittle building, he forced a window and crawled through. Rather to hissurprise, the suitcase was just where they had left it, and, leaving ashe had entered, he closed the window again and hurried back across theschool grounds. It was well after five o'clock and lights were showingin some of the dormitory windows. At the main entrance a group of threeawaited him; Martin, Bob and Cal. The special car had gone, but Bobassured him that there would be another one along pretty soon, and so,their bags at their feet, they perched themselves on the coping ofthe wall and waited. At intervals Hillsport youths passed through thegateway, eyeing them with a disfavor that brought chuckles from Bob.
"Gee, they're a sore bunch," he said. "We could get up a scrap withouthalf trying."
"Don't see what they've got to be sore about," observed Cal Graingerbelligerently. "We haven't daubed green paint all over their town!"
Willard held his watch to the light and inquired uneasily: "What timedoes that train go, fellows?"
"Quarter to six," answered Martin. "What time is it?"
"Nearly half-past five," replied Willard.
Bob whistled. "We'll never make it," he laughed. "When's the next one?Anyone know?"
No one did. Cal remarked that even if the car came right then itwouldn't get them to Darlington in time for the train that the otherswere taking.
"What do we care?" asked Bob. "We don't _have_ to get back until tenif we don't want to. Look here, let's get some supper here and go homeafterwards!"
"Might as well," agreed Martin. "We couldn't possibly get to schoolbefore seven. Got any money? I'm broke."
"A couple of dollars," answered Bob. "How about you, Cal?"
Cal confessed to being the Croesus of the party, having the magnificentsum of four dollars and some cents on his person, and, unlike somewealthy persons, he was quite willing to share his riches. So, allbeing agreed, they set forth for the center of town, following thecar-track for guidance. The long-awaited car overtook them presently,but, although Bob was for taking it because of his
suitcase, he wasoverruled, Cal relieving him of his burden. Half a mile from the schoola quite pretentious restaurant rewarded their search and they troopedin and took possession of a table for four. Having ordered rather anelaborate repast, it was decided that Cal should go out and gatherinformation regarding the train service, and Cal, hastily swallowingthe rest of the slice of bread that he was engaged on, went. Hereturned five minutes later grinning broadly.
"What's the trouble?" asked Bob. "Spill it, son. I know that grin ofyours!"
"There was a train two minutes ago," chuckled Cal, "and the next onedoesn't go until eight-thirty-three!"
"What do we care?" asked Bob. "That'll get us home long before ten."
"Sure, but what'll we do for two hours in this benighted burg?" askedMartin.
"Maybe there's a movie house. There's bound to be," said Bob.
"I didn't see any," Cal replied. "I guess they don't allow 'em here."
"We'll ask someone." Bob hailed a waiter.
"Movies? No, sir, not in Hillsport. There's two good ones over toWarner, though," replied the waiter.
"How far's Warner?"
"Three miles by the trolley. It takes about twenty minutes."
"Great green grasshoppers!" exclaimed Cal. "What a place to live in!What do you do at night here?"
"Well, there's a pool-room on the street above and a bowling-alleyacross the square," chuckled the waiter. "Mostly, though, we go to bed!"
"I don't blame you," muttered Martin. "Only thing to do is eat as muchas we can and take our time about it. How long before those steaks'llbe here?"
"Guess they're ready now, sir. I'll go see."
When the waiter had departed Cal took another piece of bread, levied onWillard's butter and spoke thickly. "Listen, fellows," he said. "Tellyou what we can do. We can get back at Hillsport."
"Get back at it!" jeered Martin. "Get out of it's what we want!"
"I mean we can do a little celebrating," continued Cal, lowering hisvoice, although the tables were empty on each side of them. "Get me?"
"Not clearly," answered Bob. "Elucidate, please. Also, kindly keep awayfrom my butter, you big hog!" Bob removed his modest pat to a saferplace, and Cal, foiled, ate the remainder of the slice unbuttered.
"Have you forgotten what they did to us last year?" he demandedindignantly.
"Hardly! They licked us. And then they painted the score all over--Iget you! By jiminy, that's a corking scheme, Cal! We'll do it! We'llmake this old burg as pretty as a picture! We'll--"
"We'll get in a peck of trouble," interrupted Martin. "Not for me,thanks!"
"Oh, don't be a piker," begged Cal. "They did it to us and didn't getinto any trouble. What's sauce for the sauce--I mean--"
"Is sauce for the saucer," aided Bob. "Righto! We get your meaning, son.I see no reason why we shouldn't be allowed some slight--ah--evidence ofour joy. Hillsport got away with it, so why shouldn't we?"
The arrival of supper interrupted further discussion of the matter, andit was not until the first intense pangs of hunger had been appeasedthat Martin returned to the subject. "We'd have to have paint andbrushes," he said discouragingly, "and we couldn't get them at thistime of night."
"We'd only need one bucket of paint and one brush," replied Bob. "Andhow do you know we can't get them? This is Saturday night, and there'ssure to be some place open."
"Well, we couldn't get gray and gold in one bucket, you lobster,"returned Martin impolitely.
"We don't need gray and gold, you shrimp. They wouldn't show up wellenough. We want a nice quart can of black. That's the ticket! Nice,black black! Who's going to have pie?"
It appeared that as many as four of their number were going to indulgein that delicacy, and that Martin, having consumed one large glass ofmilk, was in the market for a second. He had the forethought, though,to count his money before giving his order, and, finding he was safe,added: "How much does paint cost? I've only got carfare left."
"Cal's got a dollar yet, haven't you?" answered Bob. "Paint isn'texpensive. Maybe seventy-five cents for a quart. A brush oughtn't to bemore than a quarter, had it?"
"You can buy a toothbrush for a quarter," said Cal, "but I guess apaint brush costs a heap more. I've got a dollar and sixty cents left,though, and I'll gladly devote it to the cause. Finish your eats,fellows, and let's get started."
Willard followed doubtfully when the repast was over. "I'll go along,"he said, "but I'd rather not have anything to do with the game. Itdoesn't look healthy to me."
Martin laughed. "It's all right if we don't get nabbed, Brand. I'd likemighty well to see the expressions on the faces of some of these chapsover here tomorrow!"