CHAPTER XXIX
HAMMER AND SMASH
With a graceful curve the pigskin sailed down the field, high over theheads of the eager, waiting Blue Hill lads, beyond even their full-backwho had not stationed himself far enough in the rear. He had to do animble sprinting act before he was ready to receive the spheroid on histen yard line. Then, tucking the leather close to his chest, and withhead well down he ran low back toward the Kentfield goal.
"Get to him, boy, get to him!" cried Dick. "We mustn't let 'em gain aninch if we can help it."
Like hounds from the leash, the young millionaire and his companionsraced toward their quarry, and an instant later the two eager advancinglines met, eleven straining lads trying to bore in through ten othersand get at the man with the ball.
Frank Rutley got him--it was Tod Kester, the big centre and Tod wentdown, a young mountain of flesh piling on top of him and the plucky lefttackle. Now the real battle was about to begin, and the engagement wasnot long in opening.
"All ready. Kansas City--four hundred--six--eleven--twenty-six!"
Thus the sharp tones of Joe Bell the Blue Hill quarter, as he signalledhis men. Then came a rush and there was a terrific impact on that partof the Kentfield line guarded by Paul Drew and Frank Rutley. It was astrain, but they stood it, and the wave of struggling humanity, in thecentre of which was the Blue Hill left-half with the ball, was dashedback.
"No gain! That's good!" muttered Dick. "We're holding 'em!"
Again came the signal, and once more that terrific impact, but this timeon the other side tackle and guard. Evidently Blue Hill was trying tofind the weak spots.
Still again did Kentfield withstand it, and tossed back into their ownterritory their aggressive enemies.
"Watch out for a fake kick," Dick warned his chums, and they closedin--all but Hal Foster the full-back, who would not be drawn in to hisdisadvantage.
There was a quick signal, and a forward pass was tried. It came at atime when Dick and his chums were expecting either a kick or a fakekick, and showed what chances Blue Hill was willing to take. But theymade good, for they gained several yards, and had the ball this muchnearer Kentfield's goal. Dick felt a little sinking feeling at hisheart, but he smiled bravely.
"We'll stop 'em next time," he said grimly.
Hammering and smashing again became the order of play, and atKentfield's line came the Blue Hill lads with bulldog tenacity. But theyhad no weaklings to meet, and after a try through Drew and Rutley again,they endeavored to circle Weston's end. But the former crony of Porterwas on the alert and like a snake he wiggled through the protectinginterference and got his man when only one yard had been gained. Then togive his men a breathing spell Captain Haskell called for a kick, theball being punted to Kentfield's fifteen yard line. Tom Coleton ran itback five yards before he was downed by a fierce tackle from NedBuchanan, and then Dick and his mates had a chance to show what theycould do.
"Smash 'em! Smash 'em!" murmured Paul in memory of his former game.
"Everybody keep cool," counseled Dick. "We don't want any penalties.Play a clean game. Get ready now."
In snapping tones he called the signal. It indicated that some sequenceplays were to be tried--plays for which no further intimation would begiven.
Between left tackle and guard plunged Ray Dutton, and before he could bestopped he had planted the ball five yards in advance toward Blue Hill'sgoal.
Another line up, and Hal Foster came plunging through a big hole thathad been torn for him between centre and right guard. On and on hecame, wiggling and squirming to gain every inch. In vain did CaptainHaskell call on his men to stop the play. Kentfield seemed irresistible,and eight yards were reeled off, the grandstand contingent of ourfriends going wild with delight.
But Dick and his mates paid little attention to this. They had othermatters to occupy them. There was another play to be made.
In silence, broken only by their panting breaths, the cadets again linedup, and as Jim Watkins passed the ball back to Dick, the latter shovedit into the waiting arms of John Stiver. John was on the run and withthe aid of Rutley he sprang eagerly into the hole between the opposingleft tackle and end, being preceded by Dutton who saw that the way wasclear. It was a smashing attack, delivered at the right moment, TomColeton following in to see that no fumble was made. But none was, andten clean yards were ripped off, a bigger gain than Blue Hill had yetmade.
"Now, again, boys!" yelled Dick in delight, and now he gave the signalfor an end run, that his panting lads might have some relief. It wasDutton's cue to take the ball around to the Blue Hill right end. Butthis was not so successful, as several of the opposing players were onthe alert and were ready to nail him. He ran to one side and wasactually forced back a yard before he went down.
"It might be worse," said Dick cheerfully. "We'll try it differentlythis time."
An on-side kick netted a good gain, and then came a forward pass, whichwas not so successful. There was a fumble--just whose fault it was couldnot be said--and one of the Blue Hill players fell on the ball whilewild yells from their supporters told of the joy in their camp.
"Watch out now!" warned Dick again. But there was no kicking or trickplay. Blue Hill was evidently going to depend on her slightly superiorweight, and retain her line-smashing tactics. At Kentfield she came witha rush that carried her opponents off their feet for the time.
"Hold! Hold!" yelled Dick desperately, and his men tried to do so.
"Go on! Go on!" screamed Haskell. "Smash 'em to bits, but get through!"
Dick was watching for any slugging, but his opponents seemed to beplaying a clean game. On came the man with the ball, and twelve yardshad been ripped out through the very centre of the line of our heroesbefore they managed to nail Tom Hughes, who was worming his way forwardwith the pigskin.
So terrific was the next impact that Paul Drew went down and out and apail of water was hastily called for. He was well soaked and massaged,until his breath came back with a gasp.
"Can you stay in?" asked Dick anxiously.
"Sure!" panted Paul, but his voice was not as strong as his captainwould liked to have heard it.
"Stand by him," whispered the young millionaire to Frank Rutley. "Theymay try to put him out again."
Full two minutes were taken out to enable Paul to feel more likehimself, and Dick was not mistaken when the next play was made. It was aterrific attack at Paul's place in the line. But sturdy Frank Rutley wasready for them, and John Stiver was also on the alert, so that when theBlue Hill's right half came plunging forward this time, he was met withsuch opposition that he reeled back gasping.
"Don't try here again!" called Frank to him significantly, and Paulbreathed a bit easier. He was rapidly regaining his strength.
But though the attack had thus been hurled back once, the next time wasnot so successful and through a wide gap came the man with the ball withsuch fierceness and speed, that he reeled off fourteen yards, and nowthe pigskin was on Kentfield's thirty yard line.
"Look out for a try for goal," warned the captain, for he heard reportsthat Blue Hill had been practicing that for the past week, putting in anew man who had great abilities in the kicking line.
But the kick did not come, though the visitors made a fake attempt. Itwas only partially successful, however, and there was a fumble whichenabled Dick to slip in and get the ball on a bounce. He was in twominds about what to do, but having sized up the mode of his opponents'playing, and reckoning the time left in the half, he decided to punt theball back instead of keeping it and trying to advance it by rushingtactics.
"That will tire them if they want to begin smashing at our line again,"he reasoned, "and will let Paul have a little more time. We're holdingthem all right, and maybe we can tire them more than they will us."
Thus in a flash he outlined his policy and sent the leather hurling backover the heads of the half-maddened Blue Hill lads who were chagrined attheir fumbling.
"Come on!" cried the captain of the
Kentfield lads. "We want to downtheir man in his tracks if we can."
It was almost done, and in fact the runner only managed to gain a fewyards before he was fiercely thrown by Innis Beeby.
Again came that seemingly wearying, and never-ceasing attack on theline. But Dick's men were on the alert, and though another attempt wasmade through Paul he held firmly.
The pace was beginning to tell though, and panting breaths andpalpitating hearts murmured their story. Dick resolved on more kickingif he got a chance at the ball. But it seemed that he was not to getit--at least right away. Once more up the field it was being advanced byshort sharp rushes. Blue Hill seemed content to keep on with her bulldogplaying, perhaps trusting that her men would last longer than wouldDick's.
There was no denying the strength of the opponents of Kentfield. Theywere trained to the second, and the two coaches whom Dick's money hadsecured began to be a little direful of the result.
"Can they stand it?" asked Mr. Spencer of his colleague.
"Well, if they don't they're not what I think them to be," was theconvincing answer.
The cheers and songs of the Blue Hill contingent seemed to give themadded strength. They still had the ball, in spite of all the efforts ofDick and his men to hold them, to force a kick, or to get through andblock the plays. Steadily and surely the leather was nearing the fatalline.
"Look out boys! Look out!" warned Dick. "Play hard."
He himself was working like a Trojan, getting into every opening, takingall kinds of hard knocks, really doing more than his share. Nor werethere any shirkers in all the eleven. Hal Foster, at full, instead ofstaying back to be on the watch for kicks, or to block men who gotthrough his mates, played well in. There was need of it, for Kentfieldwas being shoved back, and every ounce of weight to back her up told.
"Hold boys, hold!" begged and pleaded Dick desperately. He saw his goalline being menaced and it seemed as if Blue Hill, as she came nearerstriking distance, grew wild with desire to cross it.
The fatal play came with such suddenness that it almost took the heartfrom Dick's cadets. After a smash at centre, which was hurled back, anda try between left tackle and guard, which netted only a yard, there wasa quick shift to one side on the part of the Blue Hill players.
An instant later Dick saw Rud Newton, the stocky left half-back burstthrough with the ball under his arm. Like a flash the young millionairesprang to tackle him, but he was not quite heavy enough, and Rud brokeaway. Full-back Foster was now Dick's only hope, but to his dismay hesaw that Hal had been drawn in, and was now hopelessly entangled in themass of his own and the opposing players.
There was not a soul between Newton and the Kentfield goal, and towardit the left half was now sprinting with all his speed. Dick gave a gasp,sprang to his feet and was off after him like a flash. But Newton hadtoo much of a start, and the best the captain could do was to vainlytouch him with outstretched hand a yard from the goal line. In anothersecond Newton was over and had touched down the ball.
The first score had been made against Kentfield and the heart of Dickwas sore as he slackened his pace and watched his own men and those ofBlue Hill running up to witness the first act of the drama that meant somuch to all of them.