CHAPTER XXI
THE "ANTIDOTE" IS ADMINISTERED
High up against a fair blue sky studded with fleecy clouds streamed abanner of royal purple bearing in its center a great white E--a flare ofintense color visible from afar over the topmost branches of the emptyelms, and a beacon toward which the stream of spectators set theirsteps. In the tower of College Hall the old bell struck two o'clock, andthe throngs at the gates of Erskine Field moved faster, swaying andpushing past the ticket-takers and streaming out onto the field towardthe big stands already piled high with laughing, chattering humanity.Under the great flag stretched a long bank of somber grays and blacksplashed thickly with purple, looking from a little distance as thoughthe big banner had dripped its dye on to the multitude beneath.Opposite, the rival tiers of crowded seats were pricked out lavishlywith the rich but less brilliant brown, while at the end of theenclosure, where the throngs entered, a smaller stand flaunted the twocolors in almost equal proportions.
And between stretched a smooth expanse of russet-hued turf ribbed withwhite lines that glared in the afternoon sunlight.
The college band, augmented for the occasion from the ranks of thevillage musicians, played blithely; some twelve thousand persons talked,laughed, or shouted ceaselessly; and the cheering sections were loudlycontending for vocal supremacy. And suddenly on to this scene trotted alittle band of men in black sweaters with purple 'E's, nice new canvastrousers, and purple and black stockings; and just as suddenly the northstand arose and the Robinson cheers were blotted out by a mighty chorusthat swept from end to end of the structure and thundered impressivelyacross the field:
"_Erskine! Erskine! Erskine! Rah-rah-rah, rah-rah-rah, rah-rah-rah!Erskine! Erskine! Erskine!_"
It was repeated over and over, and might, perhaps, have been soundingyet had not the Robinson players, sturdy, brown-clad youths, ambled ontothe field. Then it was Robinson's turn to make a noise, and she made it;there's no doubt about that.
"_Rah-rah-rah! Robinson! Rah-rah-rah! Robinson! Rah-rah-rah! Robinson!Robinson! Robinson!_"
The substitutes of both teams retired to the benches and the players whowere to start the game warmed up. Over near the east goal three Erskinewarriors were trying--alas, not very successfully!--to kick the ballover the cross-bar; they were Devoe and Paul and Mason. Nearer at handTed Foster was personally conducting a little squad around the field byshort stages, and his voice, shrilly cheerful, thrilled doubtingsupporters of the Purple hopefully. Robinson's players were goingthrough much the same antics at the other end of the gridiron, and therewas a business-like air about them that caused many an Erskine watcherto scent defeat for his college.
The cheers had given place to songs, and the leader of the band facedthe occupants of the north stand and swung his baton vigorously.Presumably the band was playing, but unless you had been in itsimmediate vicinity you would never have known it. Many of the popularairs of the day had been refitted with new words for the occasion. Aspoetic compositions they were not remarkable, but sung with enthusiasmby several hundred sturdy voices they answered the purpose. Robinsonreplied in kind, but in lesser volume, and the preliminary battle, thewar of voices, went on until three persons, a youth in purple, a youthin brown, and a man in everyday attire, met in the middle of the fieldand watched a coin spin upward in the sunlight and fall to the ground.Then speedily the contesting forces took their position, the lines-menand timekeeper hurried forward, and the great stands werealmost stilled.
Erskine had the ball and the west goal. Stowell poised the pigskin tohis liking and drew back. Devoe shouted a last word of caution. Thereferee, a well-known football player and coach, raised his whistle.
"Are you ready, Erskine? All ready, Robinson?"
Then the whistle shrilled, the timekeeper's watch clicked, the ball spedaway, and the game had begun.
The brown-clad skirmishers leaped forward to oppose the invaders, whilethe pigskin, slowly revolving, arched in long flight toward the westgoal. It struck near the ten-yard line and the wily Robinson left halflet it go; but instead of rolling over the goal-line it bumpederratically against the left post and bobbed back to near the firstwhite line. The left half was on it then like a flash, but the Erskineforwards were almost upon him and his run was only six yards long, andit was Robinson's ball on her ten-yard line. The north stand wasapplauding vociferously this stroke of fortune. If Erskine could getpossession of the ball now she might be able to score; but her coaches,watching intently from the side-line, knew that only the veriest flukecould give the pigskin to the Purple. And meanwhile, with hearts beatinga little faster than usual, they awaited the first practical test of the"antidote."
Robinson lined up quickly. Left tackle dropped from the line, and takinga position between full-back and right half, formed the center of thetandem that faced the tackle-guard hole on the right. Left half stoodwell back, behind quarter, ready to oppose any Erskine players whomanaged to get around the left of their line. The full-back who headedthe tandem was a notable line-bucker, although his weight was but 172pounds. The left tackle, Balcom, tipped the scales at 187, while thethird member of the trio was twenty pounds lighter. Together theyrepresented 525 pounds.
Opposed to them were Gillam and Mason, whose combined weight was 312pounds. Gillam stood between left-guard and tackle, with Mason, hishands on the other's shoulders, close behind.
The Robinson quarter stared for an instant with interest at the opposingformation, and the full-back, crouched forward ready to plunge acrossthe little space that divided him from the opponents' territory, lookeduneasy. Then the quarter stooped behind the big center.
"_Signal!_" he called. "_12--21--212!_"
The ball came back to him. At the same instant the tandem moved forward,the Erskine guard and tackle engaged the opposing guard and tackle, andGillam and Mason shot through the hole, the former with head down and apadded shoulder presented to the enemy, and the latter steadying him andhurling him forward. Then two things happened at the same moment; theball passed from quarter to tackle, and Gillam and the leader of thetandem came together.
The shock of that collision was plainly heard on the side-lines. For aninstant the tandem stopped short. Then superior weight told, and itmoved forward again, reenforced by quarter and right end; butsimultaneously the Erskine quarter and left half made themselves feltback of Mason and Gillam, and then chaos reigned. The entire forces ofeach side were in the play, and for nearly half a minute the swayingmass moved inch by inch, first forward, then backward, the Robinson lefttackle refusing to believe that their famous play was for once a failureand so clinging desperately to the ball, the center of a veritablemaelstrom of panting, struggling players. Then the whistle sounded andthe dust of battle cleared away. Robinson had gained half a yard.
The north stand cheered delightedly. It had only seen the Robinsontandem stopped in its tracks, and did not know that in the struggle justpassed Erskine had used a new and novel defense for the first time onany football field, had vindicated her coaches' faith in it, and broughtsurprise and dismay to the brown-clad warriors and their adherents. Ifit had known as much as Mills and Jones and Sydney about the "antidote"it would have shouted itself hoarse.
Gillam trotted back to his place. His extra-padded head-harness andheavy shoulder-pads had brought him forth unscathed. On the side-linethe Erskine coaches talked softly to each other, trying hard to lookunconcerned, but nevertheless showing their pleasure. Sydney Burr,rather pale, was among them, and was, perhaps, the happiest of all. Thebench whereon the substitutes sat was one long grin from end to end. ButRobinson was far from being beaten, and the game went on.
Again the tandem was hurled at the same point, and again Gillam met theshock of it. This time the defense worked better, and Robinson lost thehalf-yard of gain and another half-yard on top of that.
"Six yards to gain," said the score-board. And the purple-decked standvoiced its triumph.
Robinson wisely decided to yield possession of the ball and get awayfro
m such a dangerous locality. On the next play she punted and Paul wasbrought to earth on Robinson's fifty yards. Now was the time for Erskineto test her offensive powers. On the first play, using theclose-formation, Gillam slashed a hole between the opposing center andright-guard and Mason went through for two yards. The next play nettedthem another yard in the same place. Then Paul was given the pigskin fora try outside of right tackle and reeled off four yards more before hewas downed. It was quick starting and fast running, and for the momentRobinson was taken off her feet; but the next try ended dismally, for inan attempt to get through the left of the line between guard and tackleMason was caught and thrown back for a two-yard loss. Another tryoutside of tackle on that side of the line netted but a bare three feet,and Foster dropped back for a kick. His effort was not very successful,and the ball was Robinson's on her twenty-seven yards.
Now she tried the tackle-tandem on the other side of center, hurlingright tackle, followed by left half with the ball, and full-back at theguard-tackle hole. Paul led the defense this time, and again Robinsonwas brought up all standing. Another try at the same point with likeresults, and Robinson changed her tactics. With the tandem formation,the ball went to full-back, and with left end and tackle interfering heskirted Erskine's right for seven yards and brought the wearers of thebrown to their feet shouting wildly. Perhaps no one was more surprisedthan Bob Devoe, for it was his end that had been circled. Certainly noone was more thoroughly disgusted than he. The Robinson left end had puthim out of the play as neatly as though he had been the veriest tyro.Devoe sized up that youth, set his lips together, and kept hiseyes open.
Robinson now had the ball near her thirty-five yards and returned to thetackle-tandem. In two plays she gained two yards, the result of fasterplaying. Then another try outside of right tackle brought her fiveyards. Tackle-tandem again, one yard; again, two yards; a try outside oftackle, one yard; Erskine's ball on Robinson's forty-three yards. Thepigskin went to Gillam, who got safely away outside Robinson's right endand reeled off ten yards before he was caught. Again he was given theball for a plunge through right tackle and barely gained a yard. Masonfound another yard between left-guard and tackle and Foster kicked. Itwas poorly done, and the leather went into touch at the twenty-fiveyards, and once more Robinson set her feet toward the Erskine goal.
So far the playing had all been done in her territory and her coacheswere looking anxious. Erskine's defense was totally unlooked for, bothas regarded style and effectiveness, and the problem that confrontedthem was serious. Their team had been perfected in the tackle-tandemplay to the neglecting of almost all else. Their backs were heavy andconsequently slow when compared with their opponents. To be sure, thusfar runs outside of tackle and end had been successful, but the coacheswell knew that as soon as Erskine found that such plays were to beexpected she would promptly spoil them. Kicking was not a strong pointwith Robinson this year; at that game her enemy could undoubtedly beather. Therefore, if the tackle-back play didn't work what was to be done?There was only one answer: Make it! There was no time or opportunity nowto teach new tricks; Robinson must stand or fall by tackle-tandem. Andwhile the coaches were arriving at this conclusion, White, their captainand quarter-back, had already reached it.
He placed the head of the tandem nearer the line, put the tackle at thehead of it, and hammered away again. Mills, seeing the move, silentlyapplauded. It was the one way to strengthen the tandem play, for bystarting nearer the line the tandem could possibly reach it before thecharging opponents got into the play. Momentum was sacrificed and aninstant of time gained, and, as it proved, that instant of time meant adifference of fully a yard on each play. Had the two Erskine warriorswhose duty it was to hurl themselves against the tandem been of heavierweight it is doubtful if the change made would have greatly benefitedtheir opponents; but, as it was, the two forces met about on Robinson'sline, and after the first recoil the Brown was able to gain, sometimes abare eighteen inches, sometimes a yard, once or twice three or four.
And now Robinson took up her march steadily toward the Purple's goal.The backs plowed through for short distances; Gillam and Paul bore thebrunt of the terrific assaults heroically; the Erskine line fell backfoot by foot, yard by yard; and presently Robinson crossed thefifty-five-yard line and emerged into Erskine territory. Here there wasa momentary pause in her conquering invasion. A fumble by the full-backallowed Devoe to get through and fall on the ball.
Erskine now knifed the Brown's line here and there and shot Gillam andPaul through for short gains and made her distance. Then, with thepigskin back in Robinson territory, Erskine was caught holding andRobinson once more took up her advance. Carey at right tackle weakenedand the Brown piled her backs through him. On Erskine's thirty-two yardshe gave place to Jewell and the tandem moved its attack to the otherside of the line. Paul and Gillam, both pretty well punished, still heldout stubbornly. Yard by yard the remaining distance was covered. On herfifteen yards, almost under the shadow of her goal-posts, Erskine wasgiven ten yards for off-side play, and the waning hopes of thebreathless watchers on the north stand revived.
But from the twenty-five-yard line the steady rushes went on again, backover the lost ground, and soon, with the half almost gone, Robinsonplaced the ball on Erskine's five yards. Twice the tandem was metdesperately and hurled back, but on the third down, with her wholeback-field behind the ball, Robinson literally mowed her way through,sweeping Paul and Mason, and Gillam and Foster before her, and threwBond over between the posts with the ball close snuggled beneath him.
The south stand leaped to its feet, blue flags and streamers flutteredand waved, and cheers for Robinson rent the air until long after theBrown's left half had kicked a goal. Then the two teams faced each otheragain and the Robinson left end got the kick-off and ran it back fifteenyards. Again the battering of the tackle-tandem began, and Paul andGillam, nearly spent, were unable to withstand it after the first halfdozen plays. Mason went into the van of the defense in place of Gillam,but the Brown's advance continued; one yard, two yards, three yards wereleft behind.
Mills, watching, glanced almost impatiently at the timekeeper, who, withhis watch in hand, followed the battle along the side-line. The time wasalmost up, but Robinson was back on Erskine's thirty-five yards. But nowthe timekeeper walked on to the gridiron, his eyes fixed intently on thedial, and ere the ball went again into play he had called time. Thelines broke up and the two teams trotted away.
The score-board proclaimed:
Erskine 0, Opponents 6.