CHAPTER VIII.
SAHWAH MAKES A BASKET.
The game between the Washington High School and the Carnegie MechanicsInstitute, which was to decide the girls' basketball championship of thecity, was scheduled for the 15th of February. Up until this yearWashington High had never come within sight of the championship. Thenthis season something had happened to the Varsity team which had made ita power to be reckoned with among the schools of the city. Thatsomething was Sahwah. Thanks to her playing, Washington High had notlost a single game so far. Her being put on the team was purely due tochance. Sahwah was a Junior and the Varsity team were all Seniors. Shewas a member of the "scrub" or practice team and an ardent devotee ofthe sport. During one of the early games of the season Sahwah wassitting on the side lines attentively watching every bit of play.
The game was going against the Washington, due to the fact that theirforwards were too slow to break through the guarding of the rival team.Sahwah saw the weakness and tingled with a desire to get into the gameand do some speed work. As by a miracle the chance was given her. One ofthe forwards strained her finger slightly and was taken from the game.Her substitute, who had been sitting next to Sahwah, had left her seatand gone to the other end of the gymnasium. The instructor, who wasacting as referee, in her excitement mistook Sahwah for the substituteand called her out on the floor. Sahwah wondered but obeyed instantlyand went into the game as forward. Then the spectators began to sit upand take notice. Sahwah had not been two minutes on the floor when shemade a basket right between the arms of the tall guard. The ripple ofsurprise had hardly died away before she had made another. Then thebaskets followed thick and fast. In five minutes of play she had tiedthe score. The guards could hardly believe their eyes when they saw thislithe girl slipping like an eel through their defense and caging theball with a sure hand every time. The game ended with an overwhelmingvictory for the Washingtons and there was a new star forward on thehorizon. Sahwah was changed from the practice team to the Varsity.
From that time forward Washington High forged steadily ahead in the racefor the championship and as yet had no defeat on its record. However,Washington had a formidable rival in the Carnegie Mechanics Institute,which was also undefeated so far. The Mechanicals were slightly oldergirls and were known as a whirlwind team. Sahwah, who foresaw long agothat the supreme struggle would be between the Washingtons and theMechanicals, attended the games played by the Mechanicals whenever shecould and studied their style of playing. "Star players, every one," washer deduction, "but weak on team work." Sahwah was not so dazzled by herown excellence as a player that she could not recognize greatness in arival, and she readily admitted that one of the girls who guarded forthe Mechanicals was the best guard she had ever seen. This was MarieLanning, whose cousin Joe was in Sahwah's class at Washington High.Sahwah knew instinctively that when the struggle came she would go upagainst this girl. The game would really be between these two.Washington's hope lay in Sahwah's ability to make baskets, and the hopeof the Mechanicals was Marie's ability to keep her from making them. Soshe studied Marie's guarding until she knew the places where she couldbreak through.
Marie Lanning also knew that it was Sahwah she would have to deal with.But there was a difference in the attitude of the girls toward eachother. Sahwah regarded Marie as her opponent, but she respected herprowess. She had no personal resentment against Marie for being a goodguard; she looked upon her as an enemy merely because she belonged to arival school. Marie on the other hand actually hated Sahwah. BeforeSahwah appeared on the scene she had been the greatest player in theAthletic Association, the heroine of every game. She was pointed outeverywhere she went as "Marie Lanning, the basketball player." Now someof her glory was dimmed, for another star had risen, Sarah Ann Brewster,the whirlwind forward of the Washington High team, was threatening toovershadow her. It was a distinctly personal matter with her. Sahwahwanted to win that game so her school would have the championship; Mariewanted to win it for her own glory. She did not really believe thatSahwah was as great as she was made out. It was only because she hadnever run against a great guard that she had been able to roll up thescore for Washington so many times. Well, she would find out a thing ortwo when she played the Mechanicals, Marie reflected complacently. Shehad never seen Sahwah play, and if any one had suggested that it wouldbe a good thing to watch her tactics she would have been very scornful.She was confident in her own powers.
Then there came a rather important game of Washington High's on a nightwhen Marie was visiting her cousin Joe. He had tickets for the game andtook her along. Now for the first time she beheld her foe. Afterwatching Sahwah's marvelous shots at the basket and the confusion of thegirl who was guarding her, Marie began to feel uneasy. It now seemed toher that Sahwah's powers had been underestimated in the reports insteadof over-estimated. The game ended just as all the others had done, witha great score for Washington High and Sahwah the idol of the hour. Marielooked on with a slight sneer when Sahwah, after the game was over,frankly congratulated the losing team on their playing, which had beenpretty good throughout. "Do you know," said Sahwah straightforwardly,"that if you had had a little better team work, I don't believe we couldhave beaten you."
"Any day we could have won with you in the game," said one of thelosers, "the way you can shoot that ball into the basket."
Without being at all puffed up by this compliment, Sahwah proceeded tomake her point. "My throwing the ball into the basket wasn't what wonthe game," she said simply, "it was the fact that I had it to throw.It's all due to the girls who see that I get it. It's team work thatwins every time and not individual starring." Thus was Sahwah in thehabit of disclaiming the credit of victory.
Joe brought up Marie Lanning and introduced her. "So this is my deadlyenemy," said Sahwah pleasantly. Marie acknowledged the introductionpolitely, but while her lips smiled her eyes had a steely glitter.Sahwah was surrounded by a crowd of admiring friends at this time andthere was no chance for further conversation, and she did not becomeaware of Marie's animosity. "We'll meet again," Sahwah said meaningly,with a pleasant laugh, as Marie and Joe turned to go. "That is," sheadded with a humorous twinkle, "if I don't go down in my studies and getmyself debarred from playing."
"Fine chance of your going down," said Joe.
"Oh, I don't know," laughed Sahwah; "it all depends on whether I get myPhysics notebook in by the First." A shout of laughter greeted thisremark. The idea of Sahwah's getting herself debarred on account of herstudies was too funny for words.
"Well," said Joe to Marie when they were outside the building, "that'sthe girl you're going to have to play against. What do you think ofher?" In his heart Joe thought that his cousin Marie would have notrouble holding Sahwah down.
"She's a great deal faster than I thought," said Marie with a thoughtfulfrown.
"But you can beat her, can't you?" asked Joe anxiously. "You've got to.I've staked my whole winter's allowance that you would win thechampionship."
"I didn't know that you were in the habit of betting," said Marie alittle disdainfully.
"I never did before," said Joe, "but some of the fellows were sayingthat nobody could hold out against that Brewster girl and I said I betmy cousin could, and so we talked back and forth until I offered to betreal money on you."
Marie was flattered at this, as her kind would be. "I can beat her," shesaid, but there was fear in her heart. "Oh, if she would only bedebarred from the game!" she exclaimed eagerly.
But Sahwah had no intentions of being put out on that score. She appliedherself assiduously to the making of the notebook that was required asthe resume of the half year's work. She finished it a whole day ahead oftime, and then, Sahwah-like, was so pleased with herself that shedecided to celebrate the event. "Come over to the house to-night," shesaid to various of her girl and boy friends in school that day. "I'mentertaining in honor of my Physics notebook!"
When the guests arrived the notebook was enthroned on a gilded easel onthe parlor table and decorated
with a wreath of flowers and a cardbearing the inscription "Endlich!" The very ridiculousness of the wholeaffair was enough to make every one have a good time. The Winnebagoswere there, and some of their brothers and cousins, and Dick Albrightand Joe Lanning and several more boys from the class. Naturally much ofthe conversation turned on the coming game, and Sahwah was solemnlyassured that she would forfeit their friendship forever if she did notwin the championship for the school. School spirit ran high and songsand yells were practiced until the neighbors groaned. Joe Lanning joinedin the yells with as much vigor as any. No one knew that he was secretlyon the side of the Mechanicals.
Sahwah's notebook came in for inspection and much admiration, for shewas good at Physics and her drawings were to be envied. "I see you havea list of all the problems the class has done this year," said DickAlbright, looking through the notebook. "Do you mind if I copy them fromyour list? I lost the one Fizzy gave us in class and it'll take me allnight to pick them out from the ones in the book."
"Certainly, you may," said Sahwah cordially. "Take it along with you andbring it to school in the morning. It'll be all right as long as I getit in by that time. But don't forget it, whatever you do, unless youwant to see me put out of the game." Joe Lanning wished fervently thatDick would forget to bring it. The party broke up and the boys and girlsprepared to depart.
"What car do you take, Dick?" asked one of the boys.
"I don't think I'll take any," said Dick. "I'll just run around thecorner with this lady," he said, indicating Migwan, "and then I'll walkthe rest of the way."
"Isn't it pretty far?" asked some one else.
"Not the way I go," answered Dick. "I take the short cut through therailway tunnel." Joe Lanning's eyes gleamed suddenly.
The good-nights were all said and Sahwah shut the door and set thefurniture straight before she went to bed. "Didn't your friends stayrather late?" asked her mother from upstairs.
"No," said Sahwah, "I don't think so, it's only--why, the clock hasstopped," she finished after a look at the mantel, "I don't know whattime it is."
"Get the time from the telephone operator," said her mother, "and setthe clock."
Sahwah picked up the receiver. There was a strange buzzing noise on thewire. "Zig-a-zig, ziz-zig-zig-a-zig, zig-g-g, zig-g-g, zig-g-g-g."Puzzled at first, she soon recognized what it was. It was the sound ofJoe Lanning's wireless. Joe lived directly back of Sahwah on the nextstreet, and the aerial of his wireless apparatus was fastened to thetelephone pole in the Brewsters' yard. Joe was "sending," and thevibrations were being picked up by the telephone wires and carried toher ear when she had the receiver down. Sahwah understood the wirelesscode the boys used, and, in fact, had both sent and received messages.She knew it was Joe's custom to listen for the time every night as itwas flashed out from the station at Arlington, and then send it to hisfriend Abraham Goldstein, a young Jewish lad in the class, who also hada wireless. Then the two would send each other messages and verify themthe next day. "Oh, what fun," thought Sahwah; "I can get Arlington timeto-night." She asked the operator to look up a new number for her tokeep her off the line and then got out paper and pencil to take down themessage as it went out. As she deciphered it she gasped in astonishment.She had expected a message something on this order: "Hello, Abraham--howare you?--Arlington says ten bells--How's the weather in your neck ofthe woods?" Instead the words were entirely different. She could notbelieve her eyes as she made them out. "Albright going through railwaytunnel--hold him up--get notebook away--keep Brewster out of game." Hersenses reeled as she understood the meaning of the message. That Joe wasplotting against her when he pretended to be a friend cut her to thequick. For a moment her lip quivered; then her nature asserted itself.There was a thing to do and she must do it. Dick must be kept from goingthrough the tunnel. Turning out the lights downstairs, she creptnoiselessly out of the house, found her brother's bicycle on the porchand pedaled off after Dick. She knew exactly the way he would take. FromMigwan's house he would go up Adams to Locust Street and from there to----th Avenue, and keep on going until he came to the dark tunnel.Sahwah nearly burst with indignation when she thought of Joe's cowardlyconduct. He was calmly getting Abraham to do the dirty work for him, sohe would never be suspected of having anything to do with it in caseDick recognized Abraham. She could see how the thing would work out.Abraham lived just the other side of the tunnel. All he would have to dowould be to stand in the shadow of the tunnel, jump out on Dick as hecame through, seize the notebook from his hand, and run away before Dickknew what had happened. There would be no need of fighting or hurtinghim. But Joe's end would be accomplished and Washington would lose thegame. The fact that he was a traitor to the school hurt Sahwah ten timesworse than the injury he was trying to do her. "Even if his cousin _is_on the other side, he belongs to Washington," she repeated over and overto herself.
Down Locust Street she flew and along deserted ----th Avenue. It wasbitterly cold riding, but she took no notice. Far ahead of her she couldsee Dick walking briskly toward the fatal tunnel. Pedaling for dear lifeshe caught up with him when he was still some distance from it."Whatever is the matter?" he asked, startled, as she flung herselfbreathless from the wheel beside him.
"The notebook," she said. "Joe's trying to get it away from you. He'sgot Abraham Goldstein waiting in the tunnel to snatch it as you go by."
Dick gave vent to a long whistle of astonishment. "Of all the underhandtricks!" he exclaimed when the full significance of Joe's act was bornein on him. He was stupefied to think that Joe was a traitor to theschool. "That'll fix his chances of getting into the _Thessalonians_,"he said vehemently. "His name is coming up next week to be voted on.Just wait until I tell what I know about him!"
Dick retraced his steps and took Sahwah home, where he left the preciousnotebook in her keeping to prevent any possibility of its getting lostbefore she could hand it in, and then took the streetcar and rode homethe roundabout way, arriving there in safety. Abraham waited out in thecold tunnel for several hours and then gave it up and went home, feelingdecidedly out of temper with Joe Lanning and his intrigues.
The game was held in the Washington High gymnasium. The gallery and allavailable floor space were packed long before the commencement of thegame. The Carnegie Mechanics came out in a body to witness their teamwin the championship. Joe Lanning was there, entirely composed, thoughinwardly raging at the failure of his trick, which he attributed toDick's changing his mind about walking home, never dreaming that Sahwahhad intercepted his message and his treachery was known. Although hissympathies were with the Mechanicals he stood with the Washingtons andyelled their yells as loudly as any. The Mechanicals, as the visiting,team, came out on the floor first and had the first practice. They werefine looking girls, every one of them, with their dazzling white middiesand blue ties. They were greeted with a ringing cheer from theirrooters:
"_Me_-chan-i, _Me_-chan-i, _Me_-chan-i-can-can, _Me_-chan-i-can-can, Me-chan-i-cals!"
Marie Lanning held up her head and looked self-conscious when she heardthe familiar yell thundered at the team. It was meant mostly forherself, she was sure. She smiled proudly and graciously in thedirection whence the yell had proceeded. Quiet had hardly fallen on thecrowd when there was heard the sound of singing from the upper end ofthe gymnasium where the door to the dressing rooms was. The tune was"Old Black Joe":
"We're coming, we're coming, Star players, every one, We're going to win the championship For Washington!"
Washington's rooters caught up the yell and made the roof ring. Sahwah'sheart swelled when she heard it, not with the feeling that they weresinging to her, but with pride because she belonged to a team whichcalled out this expression of loyalty. Then came individual cheers, withher name at the head of the list.
"One, two, _three_, four, Who are _we_ for? BREWSTER!"
Not even then was Sahwah puffed up.
The Washington High team wore black bloomers and red ties; they were abrilliant sight as they marched in w
ith their hands on each other'sshoulders. The teams took their places; a hush fell on the crowd; thereferee's whistle sounded; the ball went up. Washington's center knockedit toward her basket; Sahwah, darting out from under the basket, caughtit, sent it flying back to center; center threw it to the otherWashington forward; Sahwah jumped directly behind Marie Lanning,received the ball from the other forward and shot the basket. Time, oneminute from the sending up of the ball. The Washington team machine wasworking splendidly. A deafening roar greeted the first score. Marie bither lip angrily. She had vowed to keep Washington from scoring. ButSahwah had not watched Marie play for nothing. She saw that she put up awonderful guard when confronting her girl, but she was not always quickin turning around. Sahwah's plan of action was to keep away from her asmuch as possible and to get hold of the ball when she was behind Marie'sback and throw for the basket before Marie could turn around. Guardingis only effective when you have some one to guard and Marie discoveredshe was really playing a game of tag with Sahwah, who was continuallyrunning away from her. With the wonderful team work which the Washingtonteam had developed and their perfect understanding of each other'smovements, Sahwah could get widely separated from Marie and be sure toreceive the ball at just the right moment to throw a basket. Twice shemade it; three times; four times. Pandemonium reigned. "Guard her,Marie!" shrieked the Mechanicals.
The score stood 8 to in favor of Washington at the end of the first fiveminutes. Marie was white with rage. Was this a girl she was trying toguard, or was it an eel? She would get her cornered with the ball,Sahwah would measure Marie's height with her eye, locate the basket witha brief glance, stiffen her muscles for a jump, and then as Marie stoodready to beat down the ball, as it rose in the air, Sahwah wouldsuddenly relax, twist into some inconceivable position, shoot the balllow to center and be a dozen feet away before Marie could get her handsdown from the air.
"B-R-E, DOUBLE-U, S, T-E-R, BREWSTER!"
sang the Washington rooters in ecstasy. It was maddening. There was nohope of keeping her from scoring. The time came when Sahwah and Marieboth had their hands on the ball at the same time and it called for atoss-up. As the ball rose in the air Marie struck out as if to send itflying to center, but instead of that, her hand, clenched, with a heavyring on one finger, struck Sahwah full on the nose. It was purelyaccidental, as every one could see. Sahwah staggered back dizzily,seeing stars. Her nose began to bleed furiously. She was taken from thegame and her substitute put in. A groan went up from the Washingtonstudents as she was led out, followed by a suppressed cheer from theCarnegie Mechanics. Marie met Joe's eye with a triumphant gleam in herown.
Sahwah was beside herself at the thing which had happened to her. Thegame and the championship were lost to Washington. The hope of the teamwas gone. The girl who took her place was far inferior, both in skill inthrowing the ball and in tactics. She could not make a single basket.The score rolled up on the Mechanicals' side; now it was tied. Sahwah,trying to stanch the blood that flowed in a steady stream, heard theroar that followed the tying of the score and ground her teeth inmisery. The Mechanicals were scoring steadily now. The first half ended12 to 8 in their favor. But if Marie had expected to be the heroine ofthe game now that Sahwah was out of it she was disappointed. The girlwho had taken Sahwah's place required no skilful guarding; she would nothave made any baskets anyhow, and there was no chance for a brilliantdisplay of Marie's powers. Marie stood still on the floor after thefirst half ended, listening to the cheers and expecting her name to beshouted above the rest, but nothing like that happened. The yells werefor the team in general, while the Washingtons, loyal to Sahwah to thelast, cheered her to the echo.
The noise penetrated to the dressing room where she lay on a mat:
"Ach du lieber lieber, Ach du lieber lieber, BREWSTER! No, ja, bum bum! Ach du lieber lieber, Ach du lieber lieber, BREWSTER! No, ja!"
Sahwah raised her head. Another cheer rent the air:
"B-R-E, DOUBLE-U, S, T-E-R, BREWSTER!"
Sahwah sat up.
"BREWSTER! BREWSTER! WE WANT BREWSTER!" thundered the gallery. Sahwahsprang to her feet. Like a knight of old, who, expiring on thebattlefield, heard the voice of his lady love and recoveredmiraculously, Sahwah regained her strength with a rush when she heardthe voice of her beloved school calling her.
When the teams came out for the second half Sahwah came out with them.The gallery rocked with the joy of the Washingtonians. The whistlesounded; the ball went up; the machine was in working order again.Washington was jubilant; Carnegie Mechanics was equally confident nowthat it was in the lead. Sahwah played like a whirlwind. She shot theball into the basket right through Marie's hands. Once! Twice! The scorewas again tied. "12 to 12," shouted the scorekeeper through hermegaphone. Like the roar of the waves of the sea rose the yell of theWashingtonians:
"Who tied the score when the score was rolling? Who tied the score when the score was rolling? Brewster, yes? Well, I guess! _She_ tied the score when the score was rolling!"
Then Sahwah's luck turned and she could make no more baskets. She beganto feel weak again and fumbled the ball more than once. Marie laughedsneeringly when Sahwah failed to score on a foul. The game was drawingto a close. "Two more minutes to play!" called the referee. The ball wasunder the Mechanicals' basket. The Washington guards got possession ofit and passed it forward to Sahwah, who threw for the basket and missed.The ball came down right in the hands of Marie. The Mechanicals wereexcellently placed to pass it by several stages down to their basket.Instead of throwing it to center, however, she tried to make agrandstand play and threw it the entire length of the gymnasium to thewaiting forward. It fell short and there was a wild scramble to secureit. Washington got it. "One minute to play!" called the referee. A scoremust be made now by one side or the other or the game would end in atie. The Washington guard located Sahwah. The Mechanicals closed inaround her so that she could not get away by herself. Marie towered overher triumphantly. At last had come the chance to use her famous methodof guarding. The crowd in the gallery leaned forward, tense and silent.The Mechanicals' forwards ran back under their basket to be in positionto throw the ball in when Marie should send it down to them. TheWashington guard threw the ball toward the massed group in the center ofthe floor. As a tiger leaps to its prey, Sahwah, with a mighty spring,jumped high in the air and caught the ball over the heads of theblocking guards. Before the Mechanicals had recovered from theirsurprise she sent it whirling toward the distant basket. It rolledaround the rim, hesitated for one breathless instant and then droppedneatly through the netting. It was a record throw from the field.
"Time's up," called the referee.
"Score, 14 to 12 in favor of Washington High," shouted the scorekeeper.
The pent-up emotions of the Washington rooters found vent in a prolongedcheer; then the crowd surged across the floor and surrounded Sahwah, andshe was borne in triumph from the gymnasium.
Joe Lanning and his cousin Marie, avoiding the merry throng, left thebuilding with long faces and never a word to say.