CHAPTER XIX--HESTER FOULS THE GAME
Basketball is not an easy game to learn, but it is both a splendidexercise as played under the rules of the Girls' Branch and a game ofskill.
Because of the many rules, and sub-divisions of rules, the players mustbring to the basket-ball court the quickest intelligence and a seriousdesire to excel. No laughing or talking is allowed during play. Thesuccess of the game is based upon the players giving to it theirundivided attention.
It can be played by from five to nine players on a side, and the time ofplay is usually two halves of fifteen minutes each. Mrs. Case refused toallow her pupils--the girls of Central High--to play more than thirtyminutes, and the younger girls could only play the game in three"thirds" of ten minutes each, with five or ten minutes' rest betweeneach two sessions of play.
It was a rule, too, that no girl could play without a physicalexamination as to her fitness, and the Central High team--the championteam of the school--was selected from among the strongest and bestdeveloped girls. This team was now billed to play a similar teamselected from among the older girls of the East High of Centerport, andas made up by the physical instructor, was as follows:
Jess Morse, goal keeper Celia Prime, right forward Mary O'Rourke, left forward Hester Grimes, forward center Laura Belding, jumping center Lily Pendleton, back center Bertha Sleigel, right guard Nellie Agnew, left guard Roberta Fish, goal guard.
Besides the nine members of each team, the game called for nine otherassistants--a referee, two umpires, a scorer, a time keeper, and fourlinesmen. Because of the possibility of so many foul plays, all theseassistants and watchers were necessary. The ordinary "basket-ball five"was hardly known at Central High, as so many girls wanted to play.
On the Friday afternoon the hall in which the basket-ball court, orground, of the East High girls was situated, was well filled, in thevisitors' part, with the parents and friends of both teams. This wasreally the first occasion of any athletic trial between the girls of thetwo schools, although the boys, in their sports, had long since becomerivals.
Naturally the girls of Central High were excited over the prospect. MaryO'Rourke, the captain, as well as Mrs. Case, warned the players for thelast time in the dressing room to keep cool, play fairly, and to giveand take in the game with perfect good-nature.
"Good-nature wins more games than anything else," said Mary. "Just assoon as a girl gets flustered or 'mad' at her opponent, she begins tolose ground--makes mistakes, and fouls the other player, and all that.Remember that the referee and the umpires will be sharp on decisionsto-day. 'Didn't know' will be no excuse. And by no means speak to theofficials. If you have anything to report, report to me."
"My!" sneered Hester to Lily, "doesn't she think she knows it all? Whotold her so much, I'd like to know? I guess there are others here whoknow the game quite as well as she does."
"But she's captain," said Roberta Fish, one of the juniors.
"And how did she get to be captain? Favoritism, Miss!" snapped Hester.
"Come on, now!" advised Nellie Agnew, good-naturedly. "We don't want togo into the game in this way. We've got to pull together to win.Loyalty, you know!"
"Bah!" said Hester.
"That's what the black sheep said," laughed Nellie. "Don't _you_ be theblack sheep of Cen-High, Hessie."
The teams were called into the field and the referee put the ball intoplay in the center. Laura and her opponent jumped for the ball and Laurawas fortunate in getting it. During the next few moments, upon signalsfrom their captain, the girls of Central High passed the ball back andforth and suddenly tried for a goal. It was from the field and wouldhave counted two points; but Celia made a fumble, and the ball did notreach the basket, but was stopped by the left forward of the East Highteam.
The ball was in play immediately, but was in the hands of the home team.When Hester Grimes's opponent got the ball, Hester leaped before her andraised her arms. But she over-guarded and instantly the warning whistlesounded from the side lines.
"Foul!" proclaimed the referee.
In a moment the play went on, but again Hester had a chance at the girlwith the ball and once more the whistle blew sharply. Hester wasguarding round, with her arms spread and crooked, instead of straight.And to be called down for a foul twice in succession stung Hester Grimessharply. Her face grew red and her eyes flashed angrily.
"You wait, Miss!" she whispered to the girl who held the ball.
"Silence on the field!" commanded the referee. "Play!"
Hester's fouling put her team-mates out not a little, and the ball wascarried to their end of the field and their opponents scored.
"Get together, girls!" commanded Mary, in a low voice. "Don't lose yourheads."
But Hester had become thoroughly angry now, for she saw that she wouldbe blamed for the score against her team. She played savagelythereafter, and suddenly one of the home team cried out in pain. Hesterhad collided roughly with her.
Again the whistle. "I shall ask Captain O'Rourke to take that girl outof the game if there is any further rough play," declared the referee,who was the physical instructor at West High.
The other girls of the Central High team were ashamed. The first halfended with no further score on the part of the home team; but, on theother hand, the visiting team had been held down to a "goose egg." Whenthe girls went to their dressing room there were some murmurs againstHester's style of playing.
But Mrs. Case stopped this instantly. "If one of our team has shownexcitement, we must not blame her too harshly," she said, seriously."This is our first time playing away from our own field. Be careful.Take time to think, Hester----"
"That referee is unfair. They've given the game to East High, anyway. Itwas all fixed beforehand," snarled the culprit.
"Listen, Hester," said the teacher, gravely. "That is neithersportsmanlike nor truthful. You must restrain yourself. You are one ofthe best players we have; but you are fouling the game, and if you donot have a care we shall lose through your fault. Keep your temper.Don't make it necessary for me to remind you again."
This did not soothe Hester's feelings. Mrs. Case had spoken sharply atlast, and Hester went back to the field "just boiling inside," as shetold her chum.
The second half began. Again Central High was quicker in getting awaywith the ball. This time they kept it in play among themselves, too,until a goal was made; but if was from a foul and counted only onepoint.
Their friends cheered them, however, and as soon as the ball was putinto play again the girls of Central High went at it with their oldtactics and made splendid runs, finally getting another goal, this timefrom the field. The visiting team was then ahead in the score.
But the very next minute, when Hester had a chance to get into the gameagain, she snatched the ball from her opponent's hands. It was so plaina foul that the girls did not need the whistle to cease play. And whenthe ball came back Hester's team-mates were "rattled" again and EastHigh secured another clean goal.
Indeed, all through the two halves the playing of the East High girlswas perfectly clean, while that of Central High was spoiled by Hester.Her rough work was noticeable. Mary O'Rourke tried to keep her out ofplay as much as possible, and in doing this weakened her side. Beforethe end of the second half East High scored again, and the score finallystood, when the whistle was blown to cease playing, at seven to three infavor of the home team.
The girls of Central High were both disappointed and chagrined. But theycheered lustily for the winners (all but Hester) and were cheered fairlyin return. Yet Laura and her friends knew that their team had made a badimpression upon the spectators and instructors because of Hester's foulplaying.
"That girl spoils everything she gets into," declared Jess Morse, toLaura and Nellie. "I don't see why Mrs. Case lets her play on the team.We certainly have got a black eye here."
"I'm sorry for Hester--she has such a temper," sighed the doctor's gentledaughter.
"I do not know whether I am sorry fo
r her or not," said Laura, sternly."It will be a long time before these girls over here at the East End oftown will forget this game. It is bad enough to be beaten; but to bebeaten by a member of our own team is what hurts."
"Is that so, Miss?" exclaimed Hester's harsh voice behind her. "Didn'tthink I'd over-hear you, did you? You look out, Laura Belding, that youdon't get beaten in another way. I should think you'd had lessonenough----"
A sudden flush sprang into Laura's face.
"What do you mean by that, Hessie?" she cried. "What lesson do you referto?"
But Hester merely tossed her head and went on. Laura was thoughtful forthe remainder of the way home. She was thinking of the veil she hadbrought away with her from the haunted house.