Page 20 of Full-Back Foster


  CHAPTER XX

  ANDY TAKES A JOURNEY

  At a few minutes past eight that evening Joe clattered hurriedly up thestairs of the house in Mill Street and thumped imperatively at Andrew'sdoor. Just why he thumped didn't appear, since he threw the door openwithout waiting for permission. Andrew looked up inquiringly from hisbook in the yellow radius of light around the table.

  "Hello," he greeted. "Slide under the bed and maybe they won't find you."

  "It's that idiot, Myron," announced Joe breathlessly, and sank into achair.

  "What's he done now?" asked Andrew interestedly.

  "Bolted!"

  "Bolted?"

  "Beat it--vamoosed--lit out--gone!"

  "Where? What for?"

  "I don't know where, but he's gone. I suppose he's headed home. He'sin wrong at the Office over Latin, and this morning Doc Lane told himto quit football. He was to have gone along with us to play Day andRobins, you know, and was all keyed up about it. I didn't get many ofthe details: only saw him for about three minutes just before we left:but he was talking then about firing himself and hiring out to Kenwoodfor the rest of the year."

  Andrew frowned. "A sweet thought," he murmured sarcastically.

  "Oh, he wouldn't do it," said Joe. "He likes to talk like that, but he'sall right behind his mouth."

  "I hope so. Where--when did he go?"

  "Search me. I know he was gone when I got back at six, or a littlebefore. I thought, of course, that he was around somewhere; probably atAlumni. But he wasn't at dinner and he didn't show up afterwards, and Iremembered his line of talk this morning and got to snooping around andfound his suit-case gone and some of his things; brushes and sponge andthe like of those."

  "Maybe he got leave to go home over Sunday."

  "I thought of that and found out from Mr. Hoyt. Had to be careful sohe wouldn't get suspicious, but I got away with it, I guess. He hasn'tasked for leave; and wouldn't have got it anyway, I guess. No, he's justplain beat it."

  Andrew whistled softly and expressively.

  "That fixes him," he said regretfully. "On top of probation----"

  "That's the point," urged Joe. "He's dished for fair if faculty getswind of it. That's why I came. _I_ can't go. I asked Driscoll and hesaid nothing doing. So it's up to you, Andy."

  "Up to me? Go? Where?"

  "Go after him and bring him back," answered Joe. "I looked up trains. Heprobably waited until after dark, because he wouldn't have risked beingseen with a suit-case, and if he did he must have taken the six-eighteenfor New York. There's no train for Port Foster out of Philadelphia untilseven-twelve tomorrow morning. He might stay in New York overnight orgo on to Philadelphia, so the best way'll be to go right through toPhiladelphia and watch the Port Foster trains."

  Andrew stared amazedly. "Look here, Joe," he said, "are you suggestingthat I go to Philadelphia after Myron?"

  "Sure," answered Joe impatiently. "What did you suppose? And you'llhave to get a hustle on, too: it's about eight-fifteen now and yourtrain goes at nine-five. I'd go in a minute, but I'm in training and therule's strict, and if I got caught--fare thee well!"

  To Joe's surprise, Andrew began to laugh. "Well, you're a wonder, Joe,"he gasped. "Why, man alive, I can't go traipsing all over the UnitedStates like that! I'm beastly sorry for Myron, but----"

  "Why can't you?" demanded Joe, scowling. "Some one's got to, and that'sflat. If he's caught away from school without permission they'll chuckhim as sure as shooting. Why do you say you can't go, Andy?"

  "Why--why, for one reason, I can't afford it, you idiot! How much do youthink it'll cost to go to Philadelphia and back? I'm no millionaire!Why----"

  "I thought of that." Joe pulled a roll of bills from his trousers pocketand flung it on the table. "There's twenty-five, all I have right now.It's enough, I guess."

  Andrew stared at the money in surprise. "Well--but--look here, I've gotan engagement in the morning. And how do you know I can get leave?"

  "Take it! No one'll know you're away," said Joe. "Gosh, we've got torisk something!"

  "_We_ have? You mean _I_ have, don't you?"

  "Oh, what's the difference? Myron's a friend, ain't he, and we can't lethim go and kill himself off like this without making a try, can we?Besides, the team needs him bad. If he'd hung on a bit longer he'd havebeen full-back and--and everything! I--I'd like to wring his silly neck!"

  Andrew smiled. Then he stared thoughtfully at the table. At last heseized the roll of money, thrust it in his pocket and pushed back hischair. "Guess you're right, Joe," he said. "What time did you say thetrain goes?"

  "Nine-five." Joe jerked out his watch. "You've got forty minutes. Betterpack a toothbrush and a night-shirt, kiddo."

  "Pack nothing," replied Andrew. "A toothbrush and a comb will see methrough, and those go in my pocket. I want that brown book, though, andsome sheets of paper. Better have my fountain pen, too. You'll haveto take a message to Wynant, 29 Williams, for me, Joe. Better do ittonight. Tell him I'm called away and can't be around in the morning.I'll see him when I get back. Now, what about the dogs? Mind comingaround in the morning and letting them out and feeding them? Good! We'reoff, then."

  Andrew turned out the light and they fumbled their way to the door.Outside, Andrew gave the key to Joe. "Don't forget the dogs, Joe,"he reminded. "Now, then, tell me again about these trains. It'sPhiladelphia I'm going to, is it?"

  Joe explained carefully as they hurried through the illy-lighted streetstoward the station. "Better get to Philadelphia by the first train youcan make, Andy. You can sleep on the way, some. The first Sunday trainfor Port Foster leaves Philadelphia at twelve minutes past seven. Thereisn't another until ten-something. He may wait for that. You'll have towatch for him on the platform. For the love of mud, Andy, don't misshim!"

  "I won't!" answered the other grimly as they entered the station. "Waithere a minute. I'm going to call up the Office."

  "The Office!" exclaimed Joe aghast. "What for?"

  "To get permission."

  "But----"

  "I know. I won't. Here, you buy the ticket. Get it to Philadelphia andreturn if you can. I'll be right with you."

  Andrew was as good as his word. Joe viewed him anxiously. "Did you getit?" he asked.

  Andrew nodded. "Yes. I told Mr. Hoyt I had to be away overnight onimportant matters. He hemmed a bit at first, but finally came around.So that's all right. I feel rather better for having faculty's blessing,Joe." Ten minutes later the long train rolled in and Andrew climbedaboard. He was going into a day coach, but Joe pulled him back andhurried him down the platform, past a hundred lighted windows andhustled him into a parlour-car. "Might as well be as comfortable asyou can," he explained. "You can get a pretty fair nap in one of thosechairs if you don't mind waking up with a broken neck! Good-bye and goodluck, Andy!"

  "Good-bye. See you tomorrow afternoon or evening. Don't forget Tess andthe puppies!"

  Then the train pulled out and Joe heaved a sigh of relief and made hisway back to the campus and Williams Hall and the indignant Mr. Wynant.

  About the same time Coach Driscoll and Captain Mellen were talkingthings over in the former's lodgings. Parkinson had played smooth, hardfootball that afternoon, bringing encouragement to both, and theircountenances still reflected satisfaction. "Looks as though we hadstruck our gait at last, Cap," said Mr. Driscoll, puffing comfortably athis pipe.

  "It does look so," agreed Jud. "It's time, too, with only two more gamesbefore Kenwood."

  "Well, I'd rather see a team come slowly and not reach the peak tooearly in the season. I'm more afraid of slumps than the smallpox,Mellen. Remember year before last's experience?"

  Jud nodded. "If we can hold it where it is, Coach, we'll be all right,I guess. Some of the fellows certainly played themselves proud today:Keith and Meldrum and Norris----"

  "And Mellen," suggested Mr. Driscoll, smiling through the smoke.

  "I guess I didn't do so badly," Jud allowed. "But that Dobbins was thecorker, when
you come right down to brass tacks, don't you think so?"

  "Dobbins played as remarkable a game as I've seen in a long, longtime," was the reply. "The way he opened holes in the D. and R. linewas pretty. They weren't holes, either, they were--were nice, broadboulevards! A stick of dynamite wouldn't have made more of a mess oftheir centre!"

  "And he's all there on defence, too," said Jud. "Steady as a concretewall. He and Keith work like twins."

  "Pretty," agreed Mr. Driscoll. "I guess there's no question as to who'llplay right guard against Kenwood. I wish, though, I knew who was goingto play full-back." Mr. Driscoll frowned. "You're sure Foster's out ofit?"

  "Fairly. I only know what you know. I haven't seen him. I'm notsurprised, though. He was beginning to show a good deal of side andyou know yourself that when a fellow gets his head swelled he comes acropper one way or another."

  "I know. Still, we mustn't be too hard on the boy, for we've paid him agood deal of attention and that's likely to turn a chap's head unlessit's screwed on pretty tightly. And we've worked him hard, too. Maybe hehasn't had time to do enough studying."

  "Well, he's out of it, anyway. It's hard luck, for I thought he wascoming along finely. I guess it will have to be Kearns, after all."

  The coach nodded. "I haven't lost hope of Kearns yet, Cap. He's got itin him to play good football. I was wondering, though, if we could spareBrounker for the position. He's a good half, but we may not need himthere, and perhaps with some coaching between now and three weeks fromnow he'd be better than Kearns."

  "I suppose there's a chance of Foster getting clear before the Kenwoodgame," said Jud doubtfully, "but he wouldn't be much use to us."

  "Mighty little," replied the coach. "Of course, if he was off only aweek it would be different. In that case we could take him back and havehim handy in case Kearns went bad. But I don't know----"

  "I guess I'd better see him in the morning and find out what theprospects are. If he will saw wood and get rid of his conditions, orwhatever his trouble is, by a week from Monday----"

  "Yes, tell him that. Brow-beat him a bit. Get him on his mettle. I'llsee him, if you think it would be better."

  "I'll take a fall out of him first," said Jud. "By the way, he andDobbins room together. It might be a good scheme to get Dobbins afterhim. I guess they're pretty close from what I hear, and maybe he'dlisten to Dobbins when he wouldn't to me. Well, anyway, I think we canlick Kenwood this year even without a full-back," he ended.

  Mr. Driscoll smiled and shook his head. "Let's not be too sure, Mellen,"he said. "Wait until the Sunday papers come. Six to six sounds prettygood for Phillipsburg, but we don't know yet how many of her subsKenwood used. That coach of hers is a foxy chap, and it may be that hewas satisfied to get away with a tie and leave us guessing. Perhaps hethought we had scouts over there today, looking them over."

  "I sort of wish we had had," said Jud. "Oh, I know your idea on thesubject, Coach, and I'm not saying you aren't right, but, just the same,it's a handicap. Kenwood sends fellows to watch our playing and getslots of useful information, I'll bet, and we have to depend on what thepapers tell us. And most of that guff is written by fellows friendly toKenwood. If the Kenwood coach wants the news to go out that the teamis rotten, it goes out, and we have to swallow it. I'd give a hundreddollars to see her play Montrose next Saturday!"

  "That's high pay for acting the spy," replied the coach gravely. "Seehere, Jud Mellen, you're a fair and square, decent sort, from all I'veseen of you, and I've known you for three years. You wouldn't pick apocket or lie, and I've never yet seen you doing any dirty work in agame. Then just how would you explain it to your conscience if youwent over to Kenwood next Saturday with the idea of seeing how muchinformation you could get hold of regarding Kenwood's plays and signalsand so on?"

  "But, gosh ding it, Mr. Driscoll, I wouldn't wear a false moustache andall that! I wouldn't sneak in, I'd go openly. There's no reason why Ishouldn't see Kenwood play a game of football just because I happen toplay with Parkinson!"

  "Not if just being entertained was what you were there for, Cap,"answered the other. "But it wouldn't be. You'd be a spy, and you knowit, old son. That's what I object to. When the time comes that it is anunderstood and mutually agreed on thing that members of one footballteam are welcome to see another team play, why, then I won't make a yip.But you know how we love to get word here from the gate that a Kenwoodscout has gone in! We cut out new plays and try to look worse than weare."

  "You mean we would if you'd let us," laughed Jud.

  "You do it, anyhow," said the coach, smiling. "I've watched you toooften. The last time we had visitors I asked Cater why he didn't use acertain play in front of the other fellow's goal and get a score and helooked innocent and said he'd forgot it. No, we'll get along withoutthat sort of stuff, Mellen, while I'm here. I don't like it a bit."

  "Well, I said you were right," Jud laughed. "I just had to have mylittle kick. Hello, nearly ten! I must leg it. I'll see Foster in themorning; Dobbins, too; and let you know what I learn. Good night,Coach."