The Mystery at Putnam Hall: The School Chums' Strange Discovery

  CHAPTER IX

  THE FOOTBALL GAME

  At first the playing was rather tame, but inside of a few minutes bothelevens warmed up, and from that moment the work became fast andfurious.

  The Dauntless team had the advantage of weight, but the eleven had notplayed together as much as had the majority of the Putnam Hall cadets,consequently some of their combination efforts were decidedly ragged.One move resulted in a bad fumble on the part of the left end. The ballwas captured by Jack, and he carried it forward fifteen yards beforedowned.

  "Oh, my, isn't it rough!" screamed Laura Ford, as the young major hitthe grass with great force, two of the Dauntless men being on top ofhim.

  "Oh, that's all in the game," was Pepper's comment. "But I shouldn'twant to see anybody get his ribs stove in," he added.

  Putnam Hall got the pigskin to within ten yards of the Dauntless goalline, and then came an unexpected turn of affairs. The leather was lostby the Putnam Hall center, and carried around the right end and up thefield for thirty yards.

  "Hurrah! that's the way to do it, Dauntless!"

  "Keep it up!"

  "Dauntless to the front!" yelled Roy Bock. "Everybody in the game!" andthen, in the midst of the excitement, he drew back with a soft apple inhis hand and threw the half-decayed fruit at Jack. It just grazed theyoung major's shoulder.

  Pepper was on the watch, for he had expected just such a dirty trick. Heleaped up, and reaching over, caught the Pornell student by the ear.

  "Ouch!" yelled Bock. "Let go!"

  "You get out of the grandstand!" cried Pepper. "If you don't I'll get acrowd to mob you."

  "See here, Ditmore----"

  "Don't talk--get!" interrupted Pepper.

  "Let Roy alone!" sang out Bat Sedley. "If you don't, I'll crack youone!"

  "Hello, you rascals!" came unexpectedly from nearby, and a farmer namedBaker showed himself. "You here? Jest wait till I git my paws on you!"And he started in the direction of Roy Bock, Bat Sedley and two of theircronies.

  "Great Scott! It's that farmer!" ejaculated Roy Bock, and he started toscramble out of the grandstand in a hurry, and after him went theothers.

  But they were not quite quick enough for Darius Baker, and at the footof the stand the farmer caught Bock in one hand and Bat Sedley in theother. Then he swung the two together until their heads cracked.

  "Will steal my apples and pears?" he shrilled. "Will talk sassy to mydarter, eh? I'll teach you!" And then, letting go suddenly, he cuffedRoy Bock on the ear and thumped Bat Sedley in the jaw so hard that thatstudent howled outright.

  "Let up!"

  "Please don't hit me again!"

  "It was all a mistake!"

  "No mistake!" bawled Darius Baker. "Git out o' here before I call theconstable an' have ye locked up!" And then Roy Bock and his cronies lostno time in hurrying away, without so much as looking behind them.

  "Guess you know 'em?" remarked Pepper, when the farmer came back intothe stand and resumed his seat.

  "Guess I do!" was the snorted-out reply. "They came around to my placeyesterday, and stole my apples and pears, and talked sassy to my darteran' the hired man. I saw 'em, but they ran, away before I could git myhands on 'em. I vowed I take 'em down a peg when I met 'em, an' I guessI done it," added the old farmer, with evident satisfaction.

  "You did, Mr. Baker," answered Pepper. "And you've done us a service inthe bargain."

  "How's thet?"

  "Those fellows came here to make trouble for our eleven, the Putnam Hallteam."

  "That so? Well, then, I'm mighty glad I cleared 'em out. I like to see agame now an' then, but I want it clean--no rowdy work."

  There was no time to say more, for everybody was interested in the game.The Dauntless eleven had worked the pigskin up to within a few yards ofthe Putnam Hall goal line, and now over it came.

  "A touchdown for Dauntless!"

  "Great work! Now make it a goal!"

  The ball was brought out, and the Dauntless quarterback kicked abeautiful goal, amid a great cheering and tooting of horns.

  "Eight minutes more to play," said Dale. "Boys, let us tie the score ifnothing else."

  Again the battle was on, and now Dale made a beautiful run, being aidedby some fine interference by Jack and Andy. Then Hogan got the pigskinand worked it up to within five yards of the Dauntless goal line--andthen the whistle blew and the first half of the great game had to cometo a close.

  The Putnam Hall eleven were a sober lot when they filed into theirdressing-room to be rubbed down and to talk it over.

  "Well, they've only got a touchdown and goal to their credit," saidJack, cheerfully. "That's not such a terrible lead to overcome."

  "We must have more snap and ginger!" cried Dale. "Now, I want everybodyon the job from the word go."

  "Try that left-end play," suggested George Strong. "It may surprisethem--and, anyway, it can do no harm."

  The play he mentioned was something of a trick they had been practicingfor a week. It was rather intricate, but Dale promised to take hisadvice and use it at the first opportunity.

  The Dauntless eleven scented a victory, and went into the second half ofthe game with renewed vigor. But Putnam Hall stood up manfully, and Andygot the pigskin in a manner that elicited much applause. He carried itdown the gridiron for eight yards and passed it over to Jack. Then, onthe next down, Dale signaled for the trick play. Across the field camethe ball and then back to center. Here a quick turn was made thatbewildered the Dauntless eleven. On came the pigskin, and almost beforeanybody knew it, Jack kicked a goal from the field.

  "Hurrah! a field goal for Putnam Hall!"

  "Talk about clever work, wasn't that great?"

  "It sure was!"

  "Never mind," came from a Dauntless supporter. "That doesn't count asmuch as the goal from a touchdown."

  "Well, it's blood for Putnam Hall, anyway."

  Again the leather went into play, and once more each eleven did itslevel best to force the pigskin over the opponents' line. The Dauntlessaggregation were now wary of more tricks, and they tried a trick oftheir own, massing at the left and then running the ball up center. Butthis did not work. The ball was lost to Andy, who passed it over toDale.

  "Go it, Blackmore!" was the cry.

  "Down him, Cressy!"

  On and on sped Dale with the rival left end at his heels. Hogan and Jackwere pounding on behind, and they stopped Cressy from blocking thePutnam Hall captain. Over the line came Dale, to drop flat an instantlater, out of breath.

  "Hurrah! a touchdown for Putnam Hall."

  "Now for a goal!"

  The wind was blowing strongly, yet Andy measured the distance well andkicked the goal, amid a cheering that could be heard half a mile.

  "Oh, wasn't that grand!" murmured Flossie Ford.

  "Perfectly lovely!" added Laura.

  "It's what we wanted," answered Pepper. "Keep it up!" he yelled, andblew his horn with all his might.

  With nine minutes more to play, both elevens went at the game with greatvigor. The Dauntless team wanted at least to make a field goal--to tiethe score. But Putnam Hall held them back, and two minutes before thewhistle blew made another touchdown and kicked the goal. When the gamewas ended the pigskin was on the Dauntless forty-five-yard line.

  Putnam Hall had won!

  What a cheering followed, and what a tooting of horns and sounding ofrattles! The cadets cheered for their opponents and were cheered inreturn, and then all filed off the field.

  "A dandy game!" cried Pepper to his chums. "Simply great!" And he fairlyhugged Jack and Andy.

  "A splendid game," was Mr. Strong's comment.

  "I am proud of our cadets," added Captain Putnam.

  "They are an honor to the school, sir."

  "Yes, Mr. Strong, they are."

  Some of the boys remained in Cedarville for the rest of the afternoon.As soon as Jack and Andy had put aside their football outfits, theyjoined Pepper and the Ford girls, and all went to meet Mr. RossmoreF
ord, who had just arrived in his carriage.

  "I am sorry I missed the game," said the rich gentleman. "It must havebeen fine."

  "Oh, papa, it was lovely!" cried Laura.

  "I was so pleased to see Putnam Hall win!" added Flossie.

  "Were you?" said Mr. Ford, and laughed good-naturedly. "Now, I imaginedyou came to encourage the Dauntless boys."

  "Papa, you know better!" cried both girls.

  "How would you young gentlemen like to drive home with us and dine atthe Lodge?" asked the gentleman.

  "Oh, yes, come!" cried Flossie.

  "Do!" urged Laura.

  "Well, I don't know," answered Jack, slowly. "The eleven is going tocelebrate to-night, and they want us. Otherwise, I'd like it very much."

  "Then come some other time," answered Rossmore Ford.

  "Thank you, we will," answered Andy; and after a few words more theFords drove off and the cadets walked away to join their fellows.

  It was a jolly crowd that returned to Putnam Hall late that afternoon,and Captain Putnam was willing that they should have all the sport therules of the institution permitted.

  "Bonfires to-night!" cried Andy.

  "Biggest ever!" returned Pepper. "I've got a surprise."

  "What is it, Pep?" asked several in a chorus.

  "If I tell you, will you keep it to yourselves?"

  "Sure!" was the ready answer.

  "Well, you saw those tar-roofers at work on the new top of the dock atCedarville?"

  "Yes."

  "I bought three empty tar-barrels from the foreman. He is going to leavethem in the woods yonder for me at seven o'clock. They'll make thefinest bonfires you ever saw."

  "That's the cheese!" cried Dale, slangily. "Do you know what we can do?Place one barrel on top of another and touch them off. They'll make thegreatest blaze you ever heard of."

  "But mum's the word until the right time comes," warned Pepper. And thenthe crowd dispersed for the evening drill.

  Two boys had been listening to the talk from behind a nearby clump ofbushes. They were Reff Ritter and Gus Coulter.

  Neither of the cronies had gone to the football game, having preferredto walk to a cabin in the woods, where they could smoke and play cards.The victory of Jack and his friends had put them in a particularly badhumor.

  "I suppose they expect a great celebration with those tar-barrels,"muttered Coulter. "Say, I tell you what let's do!" he cried. "Let ussneak to the woods before they arrive and roll the barrels down to thelake!"

  "I'll do it," answered Reff Ritter. "Anything to put a damper on thatcelebration."

  "Well, water will dampen the tar-barrels," added Coulter, grimly.