CHAPTER VIII
Dick Puts "A Better Man" in His Place
Of course Dick heard no more from the Draynes. He didn't expectthat he would.
Phin, however, was noticed no more on the streets of the littlecity. Then, in some way, it leaked out that his father had senthim to a military boarding school where the discipline was creditedwith being very rigid.
"I guess papa has found that his little boy was none too muchof an angel," laughed Dave Darrin when discussing the news withhis chums.
The first four games of the season went off successfully for Gridley,though all were hard battles in which only fine leadership andsplendid team work by all saved the day.
Two of these games had been played on the home grounds, two awayfrom home. The fifth game of the season was scheduled to be playedon the home grounds. The opponent for this game was to be HallamHeights High School. The Hallam boys were a somewhat aristocraticlot, but not snobbish, and the Gridley young men looked forwardto an exciting and pleasant game. It was the first game everplayed between Gridley and Hallam Heights. Coach Morton talkedabout the strangers one rainy afternoon in the gymnasium.
"I believe you're going to find yourselves up against a hardproposition," declared coach slowly "These young men attend a HighSchool where no expense is spared. Some of the wealthy men of thetown engage the physical director, who is one of the best men inhis class. Speight, who was at college with me, is engaged inaddition as the football coach. I remember Speight as one of thecleverest and most dangerous men we had at college. He could thinkup a whole lot of new field tricks overnight. Then again, most ofthe Hallam Heights boys are young fellows who go away for athleticsummers. That is, they are young fellows who do a lot of boating,yachting, riding, tennis, track work, and all the rest of it.They are young fellows who glory in being in training all theyear around. Speight writes me that he thinks he has the finest,strongest and most alert boys in the United States."
"We'll whip them, just the same," announced Dick coolly.
"Gridley will, if anyone can---I know that," agreed Mr. Morton."You've won all four games that you've played this season. HallamHeights has played five games and won them all. The Hallam youngstersare out to capture the record that Gridley has held for some timethat of capturing all the games of the season."
"Bring 'em on!" begged Darrin. "I wish we had 'em here to playjust as soon as the rain lets up."
"Don't make the mistake of thinking that, because the Hallam boyshave rich fathers, they're dudes, who can't play on wet ground,"laughed Mr. Morton.
"If Hallam sends forth such terrors," grinned Dick, rising fromthe bench on which he had been sitting, "then we must get in trimfor 'em. Come on, fellows; some of the light speedy exercises.I'll work you up to all the speed you can take care of, thisafternoon."
For the next ten minutes Dick was as good as his word. Then,after a brief breathing spell, Prescott ordered his men to therunning track in the gallery.
"Three laps at full speed, with a two-minute jog between eachspeed burst, and a minute of breathing between each kind of running,"called out Dick.
Then, after he had seen the fellows started, he turned to thecoach.
"If I never learned anything else from you, Mr. Morton, I thinkI've wholly absorbed the idea that no man is in condition unlesshe can run well; and that nothing will make for condition likejudicious running."
"As to what you've learned from me, Captain Prescott," repliedthe coach, "I fully believe that you've learned all that I haveto teach. I wouldn't be afraid to go away on a vacation and leavethe team in your hands."
"Him!" smiled Dick. "Without you to back me up, Mr. Morton, I'mafraid some of the fellows might kick over the traces."
"They wouldn't kick over but once," laughed the coach. "The firsttime any fellow did that you'd drop him from the team. And thefellows know it. I haven't noticed the young men attempting tofrisk you any."
"One did."
"I know whom you mean," replied the submaster, his brow clouding."But he got out of the team, didn't he?"
"Yes; but I didn't put him out."
"You would have put him off the team if it had been left for youto do it."
As soon as he thought the squad had had enough exercise to keepthem in tone, Dick dismissed them.
"But every one of you do his level best to keep in condition allthe time until we get through with Hallam Heights," urged theyoung captain. "That applies, too, not only to team members,but to every man in the squad. If the Hallam fellows are swiftand terrific, we can't tell on whom we may have to pounce forsubstitutes."
This was to be a mid-week game, taking place Wednesday afternoon.Wednesday morning word reached school that Hudson, who was downto play right guard, and Dan Dalzell, right end, were both athome in bed, threatened with pneumonia. In each case the doctorwas hopeful that the attack would be averted, but that didn'thelp out the afternoon's game any.
"Two of our prize men out," muttered Dick anxiously to Dave atrecess.
"And it's claimed that misfortunes always travel by threes," returnedDarrin, half mournfully.
"Don't!" shivered Prescott. "Let us off with two misfortunes."
Afternoon came along, somewhat raw and lowering. Rain might preventthe game. Less than three quarters of the people who bought seatsin advance appeared at the grounds. The sale of spot seats wasnot as brisk by half as it would have been on a pleasanter day.
But the Hallam Heights boys came along early, bounding and fullof fun and dash.
They were a fine-looking lot of boys. The Gridley youngsterstook to their opponents instantly.
"I wonder what's keeping Dick?" muttered Dave Darrin, half anxiously,in dressing quarters.
"Anyway, we won't worry about him until we have to," nodded Mr.Morton. "Our young captain is about the promptest man, as a rule,in the whole squad."
"That's just why I am uneasy," grunted Dave.
Hardly had he spoken when Dick Prescott came in---but limpingslightly!
And what a rueful countenance the young captain of the teamdisplayed!
"Suffering Ebenezer, man, but what has happened?" gasped Dave.
All the other Gridley youngsters stopped half way in their toggingto listen for the reply.
"Nothing much," grunted Dick. "Yet it came near to being toomuch. A man bumped me, as I was getting on the car, and droveme against the iron dasher. It was all an accident, due to theman's clumsiness. But it barked my knee a good bit."
"Let me see you walk about the room," ordered Coach Morton. Hewatched closely, as Dick obeyed.
"Sit down, Prescott, and draw the trousers leg off on that side.I want to examine the knee."
While Mr. Morton went to work the other members of the team crowdedabout, anxiety written on all their faces.
"Does it hurt more when I press?" asked the submaster keenly."Ah, I thought so! Prescott, you're not badly hurt for anythingelse; but your knee is in no shape to play this afternoon!"
A wail of dismay went up from the team members. The rueful lookin Dick's face deepened.
"I was afraid you'd bar me out," he confessed. "I never feltso ashamed in my life."
"It wouldn't be of any use for you to play, for that knee wouldn'tstand it in any rough smash," declared the coach, shaking hishead solemnly.
"It's all off with us, then," groaned one of the fellows. "We mayas well ask Hallam if they'll allow us to hand 'em a score of sixto nothing on a platter, and then stay off the field."
"Hush your croaking, will you?" demanded Dave Darrin angrily,glaring about him. "Is that the Gridley way? Do we ever admitdefeat? Whoever croaks had better quit the team altogether."
Under that rebuke the boy who had ventured the opinion shrankback abashed.
"You're sure I'll be in no shape to go on, Coach?" asked Dickanxiously.
"Why, of course you could go on," replied Mr. Morton. "And youcould run about some, too, unless your knee got a good deal stiffer.But you
wouldn't be up to Gridley form."
"Have I any right to go on, with a knee in this shape?" queriedDick.
"You certainly haven't," replied Mr. Morton, with great emphasis.
"Dave," called the young football chief, "you're second captainof the team. Get in and get busy. Put up the best fight youcan for old Gridley!"
"Aye, that I will," retorted Dave Darrin, his eyes sparkling,cheeks glowing. "I'll go in like a pirate chief, and I'll breakthe neck of any Gridley man who doesn't do all there is in himthis afternoon."
"Listen to the fire eater," laughed Fenton. Dave grinnedgood-humoredly, but went insistently:
"All right. If any of you fellows think I take less than thebest you can possibly do, try it out with me."
Then Darrin came over to rest a hand on Prescott's shoulder.
"Dick, you'll give me any orders you have before we go on, andbetween the halves, won't you?"
"Not a word," replied Dick promptly. "Dave, you can lead as wellas ever I have done. If you're going to be captain to-day you'llbe captain in earnest. I'll hamper you neither with advice nororders."
With so important a player as Dick Prescott out of the team Davehad a hard task in rearranging the eleven. In this he soughtdirection from Mr. Morton. Rapidly they sketched the new line-up.
Darrin himself would have to drop quarterback and go to center.For this latter post Dave was rather light, but he carried theknack of sturdy assault better than any other man in the teamafter Prescott.
Tom Reade was called to quarter. Shortly afterwards all the detailshad been completed.
"As to style, you'll gather that from the signals," muttered Darrin."The only rule is the one we always have---that we can't be beatand we know we can't."
There came a rap at the door. Then a bushy mop of football hairwas thrust into the doorway.
"Talking strategy, signals or anything we shouldn't hear?" askedthe pleasant voice of Forsythe, captain of the Hallam Heightsboys.
"Not a blessed thing," returned Dave. "Come in, gentlemen."
Captain Forsythe, in full field toggery, came in, followed bythe members of the visiting team, all as completely attired forwork.
"We're really not intruding?" asked Forsythe, after he had steppedinto the room.
"Not the least in the world," responded Dave heartily. "Mr. Forsythe.let me introduce you to Mr. Morton, our coach, and to Mr. Prescott,the real captain of this tin-pan crowd of pigskin chasers."
"Oh, I mistook you for Prescott," replied Forsythe, as he acknowledgedthe introductions.
"No; I'm Darrin, the pewter-plate second captain---the worst you'vegot to fear to-day," laughed Dave, as he held out his hand.
"Why---what----anything happened?" asked Captain Forsythe, lookingtruly concerned.
"Captain Prescott has had his knee injured, and two of our othercrack men are in bed, sick," replied Mr. Morton cheerfully. "Otherwisewe're all quite well."
"Your captain and two other good men out?" asked Forsythe in realsympathy. "That doesn't sound fair, for we came over here preparedto put up the very best we had against you old invincibles. I'mawfully sorry."
"Captain Forsythe, we all thank you for your sympathy," Dickanswered, "but Captain Darrin can lead at least as well as Ican. I believe he can do it better. As for the team that we'reputting in the field to-day, if you can beat it, you could aseasily beat anything we could offer at any other time. So, asfar as one may, with such courteous opponents as you are, Gridleyhurls back its defiance and throws down the battle gage! Butplay your very best team, Captain Forsythe, and we'll do ourbest in return."