CHAPTER XIV
JIMMY’S DAY
True to his word, Steve Gaston used Russell more gingerly on Tuesday,and Russell, who was still aching in many places, was grateful. Justthe same, he was not entirely satisfied when, after a twenty-minutepractice line-up between the two scrub squads, the second crossed thefield to the first team gridiron and he made the discovery that it wasTierney who was to play right end. It takes more than a few pains toreconcile your enthusiastic football player to the bench--or, in thiscase, the sod. And yesterday’s short taste of the game had reawakenedall of Russell’s old ardor. But he wasn’t to be quite neglected, forin the middle of the second twelve-minute period of battle Tierney waslaid low, with every bit of breath eliminated from his body, and Gastonsent a quick call across the field for Russell. Back in the game,facing the redoubtable Captain Proctor or warily watching Crocker,at left end on the enemy team, Russell forgot his aches and enteredlustily into the fray. Crocker proved a troublesome opponent thatafternoon, for the first was trying out a “bunch forward” in which,when the play was made to the left, Crocker and Harmon and Browneparticipated, or sought to. Russell, aided by Reilly, had an anxiousand breathless time of it. It is to their credit, though, that the“bunch” succeeded but twice and then on the other side of the field.First scored but once to-day, and only after a blocked kick on thescrub’s thirty-six yards, when Putney, the first team right tackle,grabbed up the bouncing pigskin and marvelously dashed through halfthe enemy forces and planted it behind the line. The second had twotries at goal from the field, and Kendall missed both. On the whole,however, the second was fairly well satisfied with the afternoon, andeven Gaston looked as though he spied a glint of hope in the clouds ofadversity.
That evening Russell’s thoughts turned wistfully toward a nice cleancot in the school infirmary, and every time he moved he groaned eitherin spirit or very audibly, depending on whether or not he was alone.Yet life held its cheering aspects, for Stick had jubilantly reportedthree sales during the afternoon, which, combined with Jimmy’s saleof the tennis racket, brought the day’s business up to the colossalsum of thirteen dollars and eighty-three cents, a sum hitherto nevereven approached. Jimmy came in after supper and the three talked thematter over in detail and with much enthusiasm. Stick forgot to bepessimistic and swung to the other extreme. His sales had been to highschool fellows, and he had discovered that there were two hundred andtwenty-two of them in this year’s enrollment and proceeded to prove, tohis own satisfaction at least, that the high school students were dueto enrich the firm of Emerson and Patterson to the tune of one dollarand eighty-seven cents, net, every day until the middle of next June.
“I guess,” said Russell when that fact had been thoroughly demonstratedby the very earnest Stick, “that that advertisement we put in the highschool paper fetched those fellows. It might be a good plan to keep itrunning.”
But Stick didn’t see that. Advertising cost a heap of money, and nowthat the ball had been started rolling there wasn’t any sense in goingon with it. “Those fellows will tell other fellows,” he asserted, “andthat’s the best sort of advertising there is.”
“We are advertised by our loving friends,” quoted Jimmy.
Russell agreed to discontinue the high school advertisement, but he wasfirm for going on with the one in _The Doubleay_, and Stick dubiouslyagreed to that wasteful course. Jimmy described once more with greatgusto the details concerning the sale of the tennis racket--theylaughingly referred to it as “the” racket, since it had been the onlyone in stock--and predicted that much trade would accrue from MountMillard School as a result of his brilliant acumen.
“We might,” began Russell, “put an ad. in their paper--” But Stick’sunhappy frown cut him short, and he dropped the subject and turnedback to Jimmy. “You keep talking about six and a quarter,” he saidperplexedly. “You mean six and a half, don’t you?”
“Eh? Oh, the price of it! Yes, yes, six and a half. I was thinkingabout the discount, I guess.”
“But the discount brought it to five-eighty-five.”
“Yes, well--you see, I’m an awful ass at figures,” answered Jimmydesperately. Not for worlds would he have had Russell know that he hadmulcted himself of that twenty-three cents!
“Well, I don’t know what you think about it, Stick,” said Russell, “butI believe Jimmy has brought us luck!”
And Stick, rather unwillingly, agreed.
And as time went on that conviction strengthened with Russell. Bythe end of that week business had picked up enormously at the Signof the Football. There had come a letter from Mount Millard ordering“one of those rakets like George Titus bought from you resently,” andas the money was enclosed Russell didn’t find it incumbent on him tocriticize the spelling. High school boys were frequent visitors in theafternoons. They didn’t always buy, but those who didn’t spread thenews and others came in their places. Another football had found itsway to the Academy, and more and more Altonians were learning to enterunder the alluring sign rather than to proceed a few doors further tothe more pretentious House of Crocker. All this was vastly cheeringto Russell and to Stick, and hardly less so to Jimmy, who, if not oneof the firm, was nevertheless fully as interested in the success ofthe business as either of the others. Sid Greenwood had dropped in onemorning when Russell was there and had looked and talked and pored overcatalogues, and it was already an assured fact that the Sign of theFootball was to have the patronage of the Basket Ball Team. And BobCoolidge had broadly hinted but a few days later that it would be agood plan for Russell to put in a few sample hockey sticks and skatesand so on; and Russell had duly ordered. Ordering was a regular dailyperformance now. Fellows were very good-natured about waiting a day orso, which was certainly fortunate, for only occasionally as yet did thestore have just what was wanted! Russell or Stick or Jimmy would openan empty box, out of sight of the customer, frown, put it back, open asecond and then shake his head. “Sorry, but we haven’t your size,” hewould announce apologetically, or, “We’ve sold the last one.” Always,though, such a remark was invariably followed promptly by a reassuring:“They’re on order and will be along to-morrow. If you don’t minddropping in about half-past four it’ll be here.” The New York trainthat carried the noon mail and express reached Alton at four. It tookonly fifteen or twenty minutes to get the goods from the post office orexpress company, and at four-thirty the customer went away contentedly.There was a slim black-covered book behind the counter and into thisthe orders went, and some time before six o’clock Russell would takehimself to the telephone office and call up the New York dealer. Seldomdid the dealer disappoint him.
Money was coming in now, but money was also going out, and the balancein the firm’s name at the bank was growing very slowly. Stick frownedoften and darkly at the size of the orders that were despatched to thecity and still more darkly at the checks drawn in settlement for them.But even Stick’s economical brain couldn’t find any way of sellinggoods without ordering them or of ordering them without ultimatelypaying for them. Meanwhile Jimmy was becoming a salesman of ability, tosay nothing of poise. Jimmy had a way of selling a nose-guard as thoughit were a diamond set in platinum, and no purchaser of so small an itemas a tennis ball went away without feeling that he had been treatedlike a person of importance and had somehow unintentionally managed toget the best of the transaction.
Russell’s aches left him gradually and by the end of that week hehad fairly beaten out Tierney for the position at the right end ofthe second team line. The first team found their daily opponent aharder and harder proposition, and on Friday, for the first time, thescrimmage ended without a score for either side. To be sure, only onetwelve-minute period was played, but even so--
The big team made its first trip away from home the next day and playedLorimer Academy. Lorimer had last year held Alton to a 3 to 3 tie,and an easy contest was neither expected nor found. At the end of thefirst half the opponents were even, with a touchdown and goal each. Inspite of the story to
ld by the score, Alton had showed rather betterwork, and the ball had, save for one brief and regrettable period,remained in Lorimer territory. The regrettable period had occurred atthe beginning of the game, when, receiving the ball on the kick-off,Lorimer had brought it back to Alton’s forty-one yards. That unexpectedfeat had quite nonplused the visitors and during the next series ofplays they showed that it had, for two gains had been made throughthe left of their line for a first down on the thirty-yard line. Fromthere, following an attempt at Putney that yielded a scant stride,Lorimer threw forward to the fifteen-yard line where an unwatchedhalf-back caught and, although chased down by Harley McLeod, managed tofall across the last line mark just inside the boundary. There was somediscussion as to whether the runner had not gone out before he got theball over, but the officials gave him the benefit of the doubt. Lorimerkicked the goal easily.
After that Alton had pulled herself together, quickly wrested thepigskin from the enemy and taken the offensive. There was, though, noscore for her until the second period was well along. Then a long,hard march from the center of the field to Lorimer’s eighteen yardsculminated in a series of smashing attacks on the enemy’s left byHarmon and Moncks, and on the seventh play the ball went over. CaptainProctor kicked the goal.
When the third quarter started Lorimer showed the benefit of therest and, possibly, of the coach’s tuition. She kicked off to theGray-and-Gold and her ends spilled Ned Richards on his ten-yard line.After two running plays that failed to advance, Alton punted toLorimer’s forty. Lorimer pulled a trick play that went for twelve yardsaround the opponent’s left end. A jab at the center was wasted and herquarter punted diagonally to Alton’s eight yards where Harmon gatheredin the ball but was forced outside after a few strides. The pigskinwas too near home for comfort, and Ned Richards stepped aside in favorof Browne on second down and Browne punted to midfield. Again Lorimertried a quarter-back kick and again gained. Ned Richards, waiting forthe ball to bound over the goal line for a touchback, saw it changeits mind erratically and start back up the field. He fell on it finallynear the five-yard line, with, by that time, most of the Lorimerforwards hovering about him.
Alton decided to kick on first down, and Browne stepped back behind thegoal posts. Nichols passed low and the full-back punt was necessarilyhurried. The ball sailed high in the air and descended near thetwenty-yard line, and the Lorimer back who caught it very carefullystepped outside, since there was no chance for an advance. The pigskinwas stepped in and Lorimer found herself in the fortunate position ofbeing in possession of the ball on first down on the enemy’s nineteenyards. A fake attack to the left, with left half running to the righttook the ball to the center of the field, although for no gain. Lorimerprepared for a placement kick from close to the thirty yards, but thepigskin was taken by quarter through Stimson for two. Again, on thirddown, the same preparations were carefully gone through with, and thistime the ball went back to the kicker, instead of the holder, and thenwas hurled through the air to where, one foot over the goal line, anend had stationed himself. It was a pretty pass, well concealed, wellthrown and well caught, and although Harmon brought down the catcherpromptly the touchdown was accomplished. Again Lorimer kicked the goal.
Alton was chagrined and rather angry. It was very evident that, sinceher defense against the opponent’s forward passing game was not goodenough, the opponent must not be allowed again within scoring distanceof the goal. It was extremely trying, extremely exasperating to betwice scored on by a team who was plainly unable to gain consistentlyby rushing! Coach Cade seized the interim following the goal to removeCrocker from left end and to substitute Rhame and to put Johnson atright tackle in place of Putney who was showing the battle. The thirdperiod ended in a punting duel between Browne, for Alton, and Snow, forLorimer, and when the teams changed sides it was Alton’s ball on herthirty-four yards.
There was then a slight advantage in the possession of the southgoal, for a breeze had arisen since the beginning of the half and wasblowing, at moments quite strongly, toward the other end of the field.Austen had replaced Harmon, and to Jimmy was handed the task of usingthat breeze to work the team’s way inside the enemy’s first defenses.As a prelude, Moncks took the ball and managed to batter through leftguard for four yards. Then Jimmy punted and, getting height, saw thebreeze take a hand in his effort and add a good ten yards to the kick.Rhame was on the catcher almost before the ball had landed in his arms.Lorimer tried two attempts outside tackle and then punted in turn.But Alton had gained nearly ten yards on the exchange, and, after afirst down that netted barely a yard gain, Jimmy again stepped backand, the Gray-and-Gold line holding well, punted with his customarydeliberateness and again got more than fifty yards. This time Lorimerran the pigskin back across one white line before she was stopped.Lorimer recognized the futility of pitting her punter against Alton’sin the circumstances, but, with her back to her goal, there was no helpfor it after two desperate rushes had been stopped for five yards, andagain the ball sailed off. This time the kick was weak and Appel, whohad just relieved Richards, caught it on Lorimer’s forty-seven yardsand, feinting and twirling, cut across the field with it, found openterritory for a moment and sped along to the thirty-five before hismeteoric career was stopped.
That proved the result that Alton had sought. From the thirty-fiveyards to the twenty she went in four rushes. There she was slowed upand a short forward pass, Browne to McLeod, was used as a last resortand did the business. After that, with a small coterie of devotedAltonians begging for a touchdown, the result was not long in doubt.Still smarting over her indignities, Alton hammered and thrust, and,reaching the six yards in two downs, hurled Moncks past left tackle forhalf the remaining distance and then literally piled through the centerof the Lorimer line and deposited Appel and the ball well over the lastmark.
Unfortunately, Mart Proctor missed the goal miserably, and the handfulof Alton supporters groaned. Lorimer was still one point ahead andthe time was getting short. Captain Proctor gave way to Butler andLinthicum went in for Browne. During the remaining minutes several morechanges were made in the Alton line-up, so that when the last whistleblew the Gray-and-Gold presented a thoroughly second-string appearance.
Lorimer fought for time now, fought to keep the opponent away fromscoring territory, punting even on first down and against that breeze.But she didn’t have many chances to put boot leather to pigskin, forAlton was through with the kicking game. Lorimer was beatable by surermethods, and Alton returned to rushing. Twice her backs got almostfree around the Lorimer ends and once Linthicum found a barn-dooropening in the center and staggered through for twelve yards. With thetime-keeper’s watch showing something less than two minutes left, theball was Alton’s on the home team’s thirty-six. Appel held a whisperedconference with Rowlandson, who had succeeded to the captaincy, andthen sprung a surprise. Linthicum was sent back to kicking positionand, since a field-goal would win the game for Alton, Lorimer neverdoubted that, with the time nearly up, a drop-kick would follow. ButJimmy Austen got the ball when it left center and Jimmy found as manyholes in front of him as there are in a sieve and proceeded to oozethrough one of them. And, being through, he kept right on oozing, justhow no one, least of all Jimmy, could have afterwards told. But heoozed faster and faster. In fact, the ooze became a trickle and then aspurt, and, escaping a tackle here and dodging an enemy there, turning,twisting, as elusive as a drop of quicksilver, Jimmy somehow kept goingstraight for the goal and somehow got there, got there without havingbeen once tackled, got there through the whole enemy team and withnever a bit of aid from his own side! And, having got there, Jimmyput the ball down, hunched his shoulders and philosophically and evensmilingly bore the useless onslaught of the infuriated enemy.
It didn’t matter that Rowlandson missed the goal. No one expected himto make it, certainly not Rowlandson, for he was no goal expert and, ashe put it, became the goat only for lack of some one better qualified.He managed to send the ball between the posts, but only because thel
ine of discouraged opponents hadn’t enough interest left to put up ahand and stop it!
There was one more kick-off and four more plays, and then the game wasover. Every fellow loves a hero, and so, for quite a week, Jimmy Austenwore the laurels. And doubtless he deserved them, although, as Jimmyexplained often enough during the next forty-eight hours, no one but acripple could have failed to make that touchdown! “Their old line wasfull of holes,” said Jimmy. “They were all set for a try-at-goal andcame pouring through as soon as the ball was off. All I had to do washug the old turnip and let ’em by. Then I side-stepped a couple andtook it across. There’s no sense in making a fuss about it!”
But they did--for a while. In football there’s a new hero, of larger orsmaller caliber, every week or so, and Jimmy’s fame only lived untilthe Hillsport game the following Saturday, when Ned Richards sprintedsixty-odd yards for the score that evened up matters in the thirdperiod and turned what looked horribly like defeat into a 6 to 6 tie.