CHAPTER XXIII
SORE HEARTS
"Dick, I'm so sorry."
It was Paul Drew who spoke, and he limped around the room where his chumsat staring gloomily out of the window into a mist of rain. The weatherwas in keeping with the hearts of the cadets of Kentfield academy.
"It was tough, wasn't it, Dick?"
"It was--very. I suppose I counted too much on winning that game. Othersdidn't seem so much to matter. But Blue Hill----"
"I know, Dick," and Paul spoke softly. "But they didn't play fair."
"That's what lots of the fellows say, and I saw you hit once. I've nodoubt but what there was more slugging--but that doesn't excuse us fornot winning."
"No, of course not, but----"
Paul was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Come in," called Dick, butthere was no welcome in his tones.
"Say, old man, you act as though your best girl had sent back yourletters unopened!" exclaimed Ray Dutton as he came in, wearing abandage on his head, where he had been kicked in that lastheart-breaking attack on the Blue Hill goal line. "Don't be so down andout about it. Kentfield has lost before, and lived through it."
"Yes, I suppose so," and Dick turned aside from the contemplation of thegloomy weather outside. "But it--hurts."
"Of course it does, but all is not lost yet. We have a chance for thechampionship."
"A mighty poor one."
"Well, it's a chance, isn't it? If we hadn't had so many men knocked outwe could have won, even at that. Blue Hill made one touchdown against usby straight playing. We were about to do the same to her. Then they gotone on a fumble. It was my fault for being so silly as to be knockedout, but----"
"It wasn't your fault at all!" cried Dick. "No one could have playedbetter than you did. That whack on the head was enough to bowl anyoneover."
"Yes, I guess it was," admitted Ray, as he gently felt of a lump thebandage covered.
"And the way they handled Paul was rotten," went on the captain.
"Oh, I'm not kicking," declared the plucky guard. "I'll be ready for 'emnext time."
"I'm glad there is a next time," spoke Dick. "How do we stand, anyhow?"
"There are several games yet," said Dutton, "and we can win most ofthem easily. The only hard ones are with Mooretown and the next one withBlue Hill. That's the last, and we need to win that and the Mooretowncontest to get the championship."
"It's a big contract," said the young millionaire with a sigh.
"Oh, brace up!" cried Dutton as cheerfully as he could. "Here come someof the fellows. Don't let 'em see you in the dumps, Dick."
Our hero tried to look cheerful, but it was hard work. Several of hisplayers filed in. It was the day after the defeat by Blue Hill and therewere sore bodies as well as sore hearts, for there had been more menknocked out in that desperate conflict than in any previous one. And, sosaid the senior cadets, there was no game ever played by Kentfield inall the years of her history that was more fiercely fought.
"Blue Hill has the best team in years," said Innis Beeby.
"So have we!" cried Jim Watkins.
"Granted, and we're going to be the champions," went on the big guard."But it sure does make me sore to be licked after we practically madeall our preparations to do Blue Hill."
Dick brightened up when he saw that he was not the only one who took thedefeat to heart, and the talk drifted to the various incidents of thegame. It was agreed that Blue Hill had not played exactly fair in anumber of instances, but it was decided to keep quiet about this.
"They'll say we're soreheads if we kick," said Paul.
"I know one 'sorehead,'" remarked Ray with a grimace as he felt of hiswound. "But wait until next time!"
The two coaches were disappointed but not discouraged. They had hoped,not only for their own prestige, but for the sake of the team, that BlueHill would be defeated.
"But I'm glad there's another chance at them," remarked Mr. Martingrimly to his colleague.
"Yes, I fancy Blue Hill will have to bring along plenty of substituteswhen we meet them again," and Mr. Spencer smiled.
"Oh, the next game is at their grounds, you know."
"Well, that isn't so good for our chances, but even at that I have nofear of the result. If we can get our boys into shape, and theirinjuries heal, I would be willing to stake a good sum on our side, if Iwere a betting man."
Porter was one of the disappointed ones, because he had lost a large sumof money on the result. He talked much about it, and even seemedinclined to blame Dick for the defeat.
"If he had let me go in earlier they wouldn't have gained so much onus," he said boastfully.
"Oh, get out!" cried Dutton in disgust. "Why, one of the biggest gainsthey made was around your end, and it resulted in a touchdown.
"Well, my foot slipped."
"And I guess the fellow's did who kicked me," said Ray grimly. "Butdon't make any cracks like that Porter. You're no better than the restof us."
"I'm not saying I am, but I want to play from the start of the game nexttime."
He importuned Dick to this end, as soon as active practice was resumed,but Tom Coleton was again available and the captain did not feel likedisplacing him.
"He'd better look out, or I'll fix him!" threatened Porter to his cronyWeston.
"What do you mean?"
"Dick Hamilton. He ought to let me play. I'll get square somehow."
"Oh, I wouldn't talk that way," said Weston weakly. He wanted to beloyal to his team, yet he was under obligations to Porter for he owedhim a large sum of money. "You wouldn't do anything mean, would you?" heasked.
"Why doesn't Hamilton let me play then?" inquired Porter, not answeringthe question.
"I don't know. You may have a chance for one half of the Mooretowngame."
"I want to play the whole game--not half, and if I get knocked out it'smy fault. But I'd like to see the fellow try to do any funny businesswith me," and Porter shot out his jaw aggressively. He was quite a boxerin an amateur way.
"Well, don't do anything rash," cautioned his crony, but Porter walkedoff, muttering to himself.
Gradually the soreness and stiffness of the players wore off toward theend of the week and they were practicing with their usual vim. Thoughmany had been on the hospital list, almost the entire Varsity wasavailable for a game the next Saturday, when one of the league contestswas played with Ralston Academy. Kentfield won easily, and furtherclinched her chances for being the champion. But the hardestgames--those of Blue Hill and Mooretown were yet to come.
Of Mooretown, Dick had no fear as to the result, but Blue Hill wasanother matter. Still he strengthened his heart when he saw his men invigorous practice.
"They certainly are a great team!" he exulted, "and they are as hard asnails."
Even in the gloom of defeat and in the preparation for gridiron battlesyet to come, Dick had not forgotten his father's troubles. He kept incommunication with Mr. Hamilton, and learned that matters weretemporarily at a standstill.
"They can't get the controlling lot of stock from Mr. Duncaster, andneither can I," wrote Dick's father. "So matters stand. But I have a newplan. I am coming to Kentfield soon, and I'll see that obstinategentleman myself."
"Dad coming here!" cried Dick in delight as he read the letter to Paul."I hope he's in time for the Mooretown game."