CHAPTER XVII.
THE GREAT FOOTBALL GAME.
From the powerful toe of Mitchell, the right guard on the Warwickeleven, the ball, which he had carefully set at the center ofthe field, went flying directly between the goal posts. It was awonderful kick, and a great yell rose from the Warwick sympathizers,who believed that Warwick had scored so soon.
"What are they shouting about?" said the Codfish, contemptuously."They'd better read the rule book. It isn't a score."
"It went between the posts, fair and square," said David.
"Oh, but you can't score a goal from a kick-off," said Frank. "Theball will have to come back,--there, you see the referee is bringingit back to the center of the field. Mr. Mitchell will have to do itover again."
"You're wrong again," said the Codfish. "It's a touchback, andQueen's brings it out to the 25-yard line."
It was now Queen's time to cheer, and the Warwick crowd, which hadjumped excitedly to its feet, sat down, the points they supposed theyhad made having suddenly been taken away from them, as they thought.
"It simply makes me sick the way some of the people who attendfootball games show their ignorance of the first principles of thegame. They couldn't tell an off-side play from a woolly dog. Wow!there she goes," as the ball rose from Queen's kick-out and carriedon a long, slicing drive away down towards the side of the field. ButWarwick punted on first down and sent it once more into Queen's goal.
"That's going to be a hard one to get back," said the Wee One. "Itdoesn't give our fellows much chance to dodge, it dropped so close tothe side lines. Hillard's got it, Hillard's got it!"
"Good boy, Hillard!" shouted every one, for that individual, bytwisting and squirming, had carried it from Queen's 10-yard linediagonally across the field to the 25-yard line, where he was stoppedfrom behind when a clear field was almost in sight. It was a prettyrun, and brought the ball out of danger for a little while.
There was great excitement in both stands as the two teams linedup for the scrimmage. Frank found himself holding onto the seatdesperately as the lines crouched, and his jaw was chattering. Hecould see out of the corner of his eye the tense look on the faces ofthe other fellows.
"Crash!" went the lines. There was a quick pass from Chip to Dutton,and the latter went into the line head first in what ought to havebeen a hole but wasn't, for the tackle didn't make it for him, andthe result was that he got no further than his tackle's heels, andwas there piled under a heap.
"Second down, ten yards to gain," shouted the referee.
"Nothing doing," cried Gleason. "They're as solid as a rock. I wonderif Chip will try it again before kicking."
They had not long to wait, for in another instant Hillard was offfor a run at left, and with the ball securely tucked under his arm.Hillard ran behind a good interference which kept him from turningin, but when 20 yards had been covered in a straight run across thefield, he left his interference, and took his chance on an openspace which had just offered. The quick change of direction botheredhim, he slipped and fell, rolled head over heels for a yard or two,and was pinned down to the earth by the big Warwick halfback.
"Didn't make it, did he?"
"Guess not; they're going to measure." The linesmen ran out withtheir chain while the two teams gathered to watch the proceedings.Then the men with the chain straightened up, and ran back to thesidelines again while Queen's prepared for a scrimmage, and theWarwick defence backfield scampered backwards as hard as they couldgo.
"Queen's ball and they are going to kick. Only a little to gain, butthey don't dare take the chance. Good judgment, Mr. Dixon," saidFrank.
"We'd put him in a mad-house if he did anything else, particularlywith those big farmers. Twenty-five-yard line's too near your ownroost to monkey with fate," growled Gleason.
Wheeler got off a rattling good kick which carried to the middle ofthe field, travelled high and dropped straight. The Warwick backwas deceived. He expected it to go farther than it did and was notunder it when it came down. There was a great mix-up, and when thedust cleared away Captain Harding was found on the ball. Queen's ballon the enemy's territory! How Queen's did yell! Warwick's red andblack flags were as quiet as death now that the blue and gold wavedjubilantly.
"Well, if they do that every now and then we may get one over onthem. Come on now and get into this, Queen's," shouted the Wee One.He was all excitement, now that there seemed to be a chance, andone listening to him would think he was running the eleven from hisposition on the stand. Frank was scarcely less excited, but he keptcontrol of his tongue.
Dutton slammed into centre for three yards, and then in the sameplace made more than enough for a first down. Again Chip drove him atcenter, but this time the Warwick backs came a little closer up andsmothered Dutton when his head went through the line.
"No gain that time, was there?" queried Frank.
"No, the chump might have seen those backs coming in a bit if he'dused his eyes. Wonder if he thought they were going to keep onleaving the door for him there at centre? What's up, I wonder?" headded, for the Queen's team had gathered around their captain, withtheir heads together. "Some trick play they're going to pull off.They'd better stick to the good old bucking since it's going well."
But the critics upon the bleachers were deceived,--it was not a trickplay then, at any rate, for the next play Chip sent against the enemywas a delayed pass with Hillard taking the ball. He had a big hole,and went for it fast, but somehow, without any one being near him,he managed to drop the ball. It struck the ground in plain view ofevery one, but, providentially for him, bounced up into his hands,and on he went without the slightest check. The delay in making thepass had unsettled the Warwickians, who expected something entirelydifferent, and before they could recover Hillard had gone fifteenyards. The Warwick quarter, who was the only player between Hillardand a touchdown, threw him hard. Queen's yells broke out afresh, andnow the Warwick cheering section began to get busy, calling out inunison:
"Hold them, hold them, hold them!"
"Gee whiz! if Hillard doesn't stop those circus stunts," said theWee One, "you might as well send for the ambulance right away. I'lldie of heart failure. Did you ever see such luck that he recoveredit?"
"They ought to put tacks to his fingers, and see if they couldn't gethim to hold the ball that way," grumbled Gleason.
"A basket would be better for him."
"No, it wouldn't, he'd lose the basket."
The ball now lay about Warwick's 35-yard line, and so far Queen's hadall the best of the battle, but it must be admitted that Queen's alsohad had all the luck. But by good luck and some skill the eleven hadmade good progress, and it really began to appear as if they couldhold the big fellows from up the river. The hope in the Queen's standwas doomed to quick disappointment, for on the next play Dutton madea scant yard just outside of tackle, and Boston Wheeler could do nobetter than another yard through the weak centre. It was third downand yards still to go, so Dixon signalled a drop kick.
"It's all off now," groaned the Codfish, "we haven't a drop kicker onthe whole squad. More's the pity."
"Well, let's all pray that he gets it over even if he kicks it withhis knee. They're getting ready. Steady now. Oh, Lord,--hurray,hurray, it's over!"
The ball came straight and fast, and although the Warwick playersseemed to be surging all around and over him, Boston Wheeler somehowgot it away, a most slovenly kick, but the ball rose out of the ringof grasping arms, and went in a wobbling fashion in the direction ofthe goal, struck on the cross-bar and jumped over.
The Queen's cheering section was making the place echo with its yell:
"Rah, rah, rah, Queen's! Rah, rah, rah, Queen's!"
"Well, that helps some," said Frank. "Three points are not to besneered at, and they came pretty easy, too."
"Oh, my, but what luck!" laughed the Codfish, who had been poundingevery one on the back.
"It will probably make those farmers come back harder than ever, andit's early in the gam
e, so don't get too gay yet awhile. They haven'tbeen at it five minutes yet."
The Wee One was right. The score, so unexpected for both sides,drove the big red and black team to desperation, and after the nextkick-off, when the ball came into their possession near midfield,they went at Queen's like wild men, and tore their line to pieces.Wherever their backs hit they made gaping holes, and carried the ballfive yards at a jump. Queen's fought with great determination, and asthe enemy ploughed along they found it harder going as they nearedthe Queen's goal line. Most of the advance was made on Hillard's sideof the line, where the Warwick quarter found gains could be made theeasiest. He was not slow to take advantage of the opportunity.
Finally the ball lay on the Queen's ten-yard line. Warwick wasconfident, and crouched for the trial, but something went wrong withthe signals, and there was a loss of a yard. Big Henderson, the righthalf of the Warwick team, who had a reputation for being able tobore through anything short of a stone wall, was called upon, andsmashed through the Queen's left side and made four of the necessaryyards before he was pulled down by main force. It was third down andseveral yards to the goal line.
"Will they try to carry it, do you think?" David asked.
"Guess they don't know themselves," answered the Codfish, "they'retalking it over. If I were running the team I'd slam into the lineagain, although it ought to be an easy drop kick for Channing."
"They'll try to carry it, of course," cut in the Wee One; "see,they're getting ready; Henderson's going to take the ball, bet you ahorse and cart."
He was right. Henderson did take the ball. He dove head first intothe hole that was offered for him, and tried to sidestep Dutton,who was coming at him like a bull. He could not avoid the tackle,however. Dutton knocked the pins clean from under him, and he camedown on his elbow with so great a shock that the ball flew from hisarms, and bounded away toward the goal line. Half a dozen forms divedfor it, but Harding, being fortunately near at the moment, reached itfirst and hugged it to his breast.
It was a narrow escape, for when the two teams lined up a momentlater the ball was placed on the ground only two feet away from theQueen's goal, but it was Queen's ball. The Queen's sympathizersbreathed easier for a while.
Boston Wheeler had to go far behind his own line to kick, andChanning, who was playing back now for Warwick, received the ballfrom Wheeler's punt on the Queen's 25-yard line. He made no gain,as the two ends were on him almost as soon as the ball touched hisfingers.
Now Warwick began all over again, harder than ever. It was two yardshere, five in another place, and in almost as short a time as ittakes to tell it, the ball was back in dangerous territory. In spiteof every effort that Queen's could put forth, the big fullback,Channing, tore through the last yards, with Henderson at his back,and fell across the goal line just outside of the post. And now itwas the turn of the red and black flags to wave, and the cheers whichrent the air had something of jubilance in them, because Warwick hadbeen able to cross the line, while Queen's could only score by dropkicks, and, moreover, Warwick was two points in the lead, but onlythat, for the goal from touchdown failed. Her sympathizers had goodreason to cheer.
"There's no doubt about it, Warwick is stronger than we are, and onlymore luck like we had at the beginning and then some more luck, willsave us," said the Wee One gloomily.
For the remainder of the period the battle raged up and down thefield, Warwick always the aggressor. Lack of concerted action was thechief fault of Queen's, and the captain did not seem to be able topull his men together.
When the whistle blew to end the period, the team walked off to thegymnasium to be freshened up by their handlers. The score stood 3 to5 against Queen's.
"Like Files on Parade, in Kipling's 'Danny Deever,' 'I'm dreadin' wotI got to watch' this next period," said the Wee One. "Danny Deever"was his favorite verse and he was fond of quoting it.
"Will Jimmy go in this second period, do you think?" David inquired.
"I don't know, but I hope so. I hope he gets a chance, and certainlyHillard hasn't distinguished himself to-day."
But when the teams came out for the second period, Hillard and Duttonwere still the backs. Ends of the field having been changed again,Warwick had the wind, which was now breezing up considerably.
From the minute the whistle blew Warwick became the aggressor andQueen's was constantly on the defensive. Once or twice Queen's hadthe ball and attempted to carry it, but there was no unity in theplay, and they were obliged to give it up with a punt. But somehowthey managed to stave off the bigger team, helped along considerablyby the latter's blunders and fumbles. The third period went in muchthe same way and play had been going on for five minutes of thelast quarter when Warwick began to get things running to suit them.Then they began an irresistible advance. Twice Channing got aroundHarding's end for a pretty run. The Queen's captain seemed to bedazed. When he began to go to pieces, his team followed him.
Warwick had advanced to the Queen's 15-yard line and on the thirddown, having two yards to go, prepared for a drop kick. But thepreparation was only a fake, for on a quick pass, Channing, seeinghis opportunity, made a long, sweeping end run, cleared an outlyingend, threw off Chip, raced behind the goal, and touched the ball down.
Of course, there was a great jubilation, for the score was now 10 to3, and when the goal was kicked a few minutes later, still anotherpoint was added.
As the team trudged back up the field to take their positions for thenext kick-off, Hillard was seen walking wearily towards the sidelines.
"There's your friend the Turner, my old wifie, going in," observedthe Codfish. "Now things will be different. Eh, what?"
"Too late, I'm afraid. Jimmy's good, but he can't play the wholegame." But Jimmy came pretty near to playing the whole game, asWarwick found out. Wherever they shot their backs toward the linethe Freshman was there to meet the charge. He tackled everywhere,and when he got his arms around a Warwick leg there was no furtheradvance just then. It was wonderful to see that red shock of hairflying from point to point, defending the weak places. Warwick hadpenetrated Queen's territory half a dozen times, only to be heldup when they thought they were about to score, and principally byJimmy's wonderful defensive work.
Finally, after one of these charges down the field, it was Queen'sball on downs on her own 20-yard line. Time was passing rapidly, andthere seemed very little hope of any more scoring. Warwick was prettytired, and Queen's was so badly disorganized that they couldn't makeanything go. In desperation Chip sent Dutton against the line, but hewas slammed back, and Jimmy, without any one to help him, sufferedthe same fate. Now he tried Jimmy at the Warwick right end.
A new player had just gone in there, and Chip figured that it mightbe good policy to shoot a play at him before he got his bearings. Andit was good judgment. Jimmy got away like a flash, Dutton acted asinterference for a few steps, but he was too logy, and Jimmy cut awayfrom his interference, bearing well out across the field. The fasterplayers of Warwick eleven followed him out, and the slower ones,believing he would be run out of bounds, did not follow very hard.Consequently, a considerable gap was left in the line of defensive.
Quick as a flash Jimmy dashed into the gap, dodging and twisting asarms reached for him, but he was through. Between him and the goalwas only the Warwick quarter away down the field. Seeing Jimmy headedfor him, the quarter came up to meet him, confident that he wouldstop him. Jimmy changed his direction a little, and bore off for thesideline, so as to draw the quarter in that direction. His trickwas successful, for the quarter edged over to that side, expectingto run him out of bounds. Then when the wide, unprotected field wasupon Jimmy, he swung to the left again, sidestepping the waiting armsneatly.
Behind him thundered the whole of the Warwick eleven, and he imaginedhe could feel their hot breaths on his neck, and their hands on hisbody. But he threw his last ounce of energy into the business inhand, and ran on, holding onto that ball like grim death. Now he wasonly two chalk lines away, now one; a heavy body
struck him, knockinghim off his legs, but he struck the ground like a rubber ball, androlled over and over across the goal line with that precious ballhugged tightly to his breast. It was a touchdown.
Pandemonium reigned. Never had such a run been seen on Queen's field,and it had been accomplished by a Freshman.
"Turner, Turner!" yelled the crowd, and they kept it up while thegoal was being kicked. A few minutes after the next kick-off, thewhistle blew ending the contest, and although Queen's had lost, thecrowd swept down from the stand and carried the embarrassed Jimmy,the cause of all the racket, around and around the gridiron on theirshoulders. It was a great afternoon for Freshman Turner, and thesting of defeat was forgotten by the whole school in the performanceof one of its younger members.