CHAPTER VIII--FARDALE'S WAY
In some respects the first half of the game that day was like the firsthalf in Hudsonville. Franklin had the heavier team, and it kept the ballin Fardale's territory fully three-fourths of the time. The firsttouchdown was made by Franklin with such ridiculous ease that thewatching cadets groaned in despair. But Dick managed to put enough fightinto his team to enable it to withstand the further assaults of theenemy, and the half ended with the ball on Fardale's ten-yard line.
Chester Arlington was not on hand to witness the game, but the rest ofthe Wolf Gang, composed of cadets who hated Dick Merriwell--MarkCrauthers, Fred Stark, Sam Hogan, and Bunol, the Spanish boy--were thereand rejoiced. These fellows did not dare show their satisfaction openly,but they expressed it to one another.
Sammy of Hudsonville was disappointed, but he kept up his cheering forFardale and for Dick Merriwell right through to the end of the half.
"What are you yelling for?" asked a man roughly. "Fardale is gettingbeaten."
"That's all right," said Sammy. "I've seen them fellows play before. Isaw them play last Saturday, and they crawled out of a worse hole thanthis. You can't keep Dick Merriwell from winning."
"You seem to be stuck on Dick Merriwell?"
"I am. He's all right, you bet! I'll bet a hundred dollars he wins thisgame!"
"I'll take you," said the man. "Put up your hundred dollars."
Sammy gasped.
"I--I ain't got a hundred dollars," he said; "but I've got a brand-newbike that cost pretty near that, and I'll bet that."
The man laughed.
"I don't want to rob you of your wheel," he said, "so we won't bet."
"Don't you be afraid of robbing me!" exclaimed the boy. "But I think youneed your money, so you hadn't better bet."
Dick had looked in vain for June Arlington. She had said she would seehim that afternoon, but he was sure she was not in the stand where mostof the ladies were assembled.
"Her mother would not let her come," he decided. "I'm sorry. I believewe could do better if she were here. But we must win this game, anyhow."
After his usual manner he talked to his men during the intermission,suggesting little things, telling them where the enemy was weak, workingup their confidence and courage, and doing everything in his power toget them into proper condition of mind to go in for the game and takeit.
"Plover hasn't made no great stir so far, has he, pard?" said Buckhart."It was Andrews made that touch-down."
"Plover?" said Singleton. "Who is Plover?"
"The fellow playing left half-back for them."
"Why, that's Gray."
"That's the name they have given him," confessed Brad; "but his rightname is Plover, and he's the chap who got into that bad scrape at Exeterlast year."
"Why, Plover--he's a professional!" exclaimed big Bob.
"That's what we're up against to-day?" nodded Brad. "Rush and Carney,their end-men, are 'ringers.' Neither of them is taking a regular courseat Franklin. And Wettinger, the left guard, is another. Oh, they've gota scabby team!"
The boys were aroused.
"Let's beat them, hany'ow!" cried Billy Bradley.
"It would be a shame, a measly shame!" said Ted Smart.
"By Jim!" squeaked Obediah Tubbs; "if them fellers is goin' to play thatsort of a team they want to look out! Dern my picter if I don't sail inhot an' heavy next half!"
"Everybody sus-sus-sus-sail in!" chattered Chip Jolliby. "We can eat 'emup!"
"Eat 'em! eat 'em!" growled Harry Dare.
So the boys went back on to the field in something of a fierce mood.Franklin had fancied the cadets would be spiritless and easy toward theend of the game, but when they found the home team snappier than ever,they were amazed.
"On your taps every moment, fellows," said Dick. "Keep them guessing."
Fardale did keep them guessing, but Franklin seemed to recover from herfirst surprise and settled down for a stubborn battle. It was hot work.With the ball down for the first time on Franklin's forty-yard line, thecadets could not make a gain, and were forced to kick. Hickman ran backin anticipation of the kick, which he took prettily, and the Fardalerushers were blocked long enough to give him a start, which he improved.
Down the field came the captain of the visiting team. Two of his menturned in with him as interferers and blocked first one and then anotherof the Fardale tacklers. Hickman was covering ground handsomely and hadreached the middle of the field before Darrell closed with him anddragged him down,
"Great! Great work, Hal!" panted Dick, in admiration. "I was afraidyou'd miss him."
Hal said not a word.
Franklin had done a clever bit of work, and she was determined toimprove it now. The ball was snapped and passed to Gray, who went acrossand plunged into the right wing of Fardale's line, hitting Jolliby hardand going through for four yards.
Again Darrell was in the play and stopped the runner.
Andrews, the right half-back, took the ball next time and went at theright side of Fardale's line.
The forwards ripped open a hole for him and he slipped through, but DickMerriwell hooked on to his legs and pulled him down. This time, however,full five yards had been made.
"Got to stop it, fellows!" breathed Dick.
Franklin was full of confidence.
"Get 'em going, boys!" said Hickman. "They'll never be able to stop us."
But an attempted end run resulted in a loss of three yards, as therunner tried to dodge back to avoid a tackler. Dick was certain a plungeinto the line would follow.
"20--23--2," called Quaile, the quarter-back.
Dick was not mistaken. Hickman came plunging right into the line, and hewas met and held in handsome manner. Now something must be done.
The cadet band was playing "Fardale's Way," and a great mass of cadetstook up the song. The words seemed sufficient to encourage thedesperately fighting lads.
"It's no use groaning, it's no use moaning, It's no use feeling sore; Keep on staying, keep on playing, As you've done before; Fight, you sinner, you're a winner If you stick and stay; Never give in while you're living-- That is Fardale's way."
It was a song to stiffen the backs of those lads. It seemed to do itswork, for again Franklin was held fast without a gain.
Singleton ran back in anticipation of a kick, which the visitorsapparently prepared for. But the preparation was made to deceive, andGray was sent with a rush into the line, which it was hoped to takeunprepared.
What a roar of delight went up from the bleachers when the line held andGray was actually flung back for a loss! The ball was Fardale's ondowns.
The cadets struck into another stanza of the song:
"It's no use trying, it's no use crying, It's no use raising Cain; We don't fear you, we'll be near you When you come again. When you bump us, what a rumpus! We are here to stay; Then we'll ram you, buck and slam you-- Good old Fardale's way."
"100--13--88." It was Fardale's signal, and the tackles' back formationwas made. The ball went to Jolliby, who tried center. Knowing what wascoming, Obediah Tubbs actually butted the Franklin center over, andJolliby went through for seven yards. This was the kind of stuff!
"20--102--21--44." It was the signal for the same formation, but Kentwas to take the ball this time. Kent went into center and made threeyards, but Selden, Franklin's snap-back, stood up against Tubbs in farbetter style.
There was a slight pause, as one of the visitors was hurt a bit. In thatpause Dick glanced hopelessly toward the grand stand. He could seenothing of June.
"She will not come," he thought. "Her mother has refused to let her."Then he went into the game again with all the energy he could command.He was wearing her locket. If she was not there, he had her picture, andthat was the next best thing.
Fardale played fiercely for a time, actually pushing the ball down thefield to within twenty-five yards of Franklin's goal, but there it waslost on a for
ward pass.
Franklin went into Fardale savagely, but at the very outset was set backfor holding, a thing which delighted the watching cadets. But they madeit up quickly by a clever crisscross and a run round Fardale's left end,securing twelve yards.
Franklin realized that it had no snap, and the visitors strained everynerve. After that run round the end the gains were small, but Fardalewas steadily pushed back to the center of the field. There somethinghappened.
Franklin lost the ball on a fumble, and Darrell got through and caughtit up like a flash. He managed to squirm out of the tangle and startedfor the enemy's goal.
How it was that Dick Merriwell got through also and joined Hal no onecould say, but he bobbed up just as Captain Hickman came down on Darrellwith a rush.
Dick hurled himself before Hickman, who pulled him down, and Hal ran onwith a clear field before him. The crowd rose up and roared like mad.
Darrell ran as if his life depended on it. Behind him the players strungout in pursuit, but they could not catch him.
Dick Merriwell had made the run and touchdown possible by blockingHickman.
Over the line went Darrell for a touch-down. This was the stuff tothrill every watcher! Somehow Dick seemed to close behind Darrell, forall that he had been hurled to the ground, and he was laughing.
"Great!" he said again. "Now we're in the game good and hard!"
"You blocked Hickman handsomely," said Hal, relaxing a little. "Ithought he had me. Where did you come from?"
"Oh, it was a lucky stab for me, that's all," said Dick, modestlydeclining to take credit for special cleverness.
The ball was brought out. Darrell was willing to let Dick or Singletontry the kick, but Dick declined to take the privilege away from him. SoDick held the ball, and Darrell lifted it over the bar, which tied thegame.
"They can't beat us now!" declared Dick.
Hickman was growling like a dog with a sore ear.
"Talk about rotten luck!" he said. "That was it. Why, we had themskinned to death!"
He kicked off and Singleton returned the ball with a handsome drive.There was some volleying of this sort, and then Fardale attempted a run,but the runner was pulled down promptly, and the teams lined up for theconcluding struggles of the game.
Fardale fought earnestly, but the visitors were desperate, and but fouryards could be made on three downs. Singleton kicked, and the ball wentout of bounds, where Gray fell upon it. It was brought in for ascrimmage, and Franklin came back at the cadets. Fardale's line seemedmade of stone, and Franklin was compelled to kick.
Singleton rushed the ball back eighteen yards before being dragged tothe turf. They piled upon him like a lot of tigers, and when the massuntangled big Bob lay still and stiff.
Dick advanced anxiously when he caught a sly wink from Singleton andunderstood that Bob was playing for time in order to give the boys achance to freshen up for the attack. That gave Dick another opportunityto turn his eyes toward the grand stand. She was not there.
But now, at one side of the field, he saw a carriage, and standing inthat carriage, waving the Fardale colors, was--June! How his heartleaped as he saw her there!
"She has kept her word! We'll win!"
But little time was left, and he knew it. In order to win, some fastwork must be done.
Dick spoke to Smart as big Bob slowly rose to his feet. Ted called forthe center-back play, which was a surprise to the enemy, as Smart looked"easy fruit" when he stepped in to fill the place of the fat boy.
Singleton was behind Ted, however, and he held Selden until Tubbs camelike a rushing mountain and crashed into the line. Behind Obediah wereMerriwell and Darrell, pushing him on. Ahead of him were others, pullinghim ahead. They seized him and sought to drag him down, but he kept ongoing, making full ten yards.
Three times Tubbs did this, gaining twenty-one yards in all. But thefourth attempt resulted in no gain.
Franklin had discovered how to meet the attack and check it. Dick knewit was time for something else, and so did Smart. The funnel-play wastried, and Dick was sent into the left wing of the visitors, making again of three yards. It was repeated, and Dick dodged out through theside of the funnel, striking right-guard and making four yards more. Athird attempt was stopped with no gain.
Fardale was resorting to every stratagem. A wedge was hurled intocenter, Singleton carrying the ball. As the wedge went to pieces Dickcaught the ball when Bob tossed it out to him. He darted to the right,to the left, bowled one man over, and on he went clean to Franklin'sthirty-yard line.
"It's Darrell's turn," thought Dick. "He ought to get through for again. If we can only keep it up!"
But Darrell was stopped and tackled by Wettinger, who carried him backfor a loss of three yards. He tried again, but lost two yards more. Thensomebody gave Dick the tip that the half was almost up. It seemed thatthe game would end in a tie.
A word from Dick. What was going to happen? The cadets were breathless.They stood up and stared in silence. Even the band was still.
"A field-kick!" cried some one.
That was it! Franklin was preparing for it. They saw Dick Merriwell wasgoing to try to kick a goal from the thirty-five-yard line.
"Right through there!" grated Hickman, as the Franklin players crouchedand prepared to leap forward like tigers. "Spoil it! spoil it!"
The ball was snapped and passed to Dick, and the enemy slammed intoFardale's line with the fury of so many famished wolves.
It took nerve to kick that goal, but Dick was cool as an ice-cake in themidst of the excitement. He caught the ball, turned it in his hands soit could be dropped just right, and with those ravenous wolves breakingthrough and coming down on him he kicked.
Hundreds of necks were craned, hundreds of hearts seemed to stopbeating, twice as many eyes watched the flight of the yellow ball. Onand on it went, sailing gracefully over the bar, and a noise likebreakers on a lee shore rose to heaven as Fardale realized the game waswon.