CHAPTER XIX
AT LUMBERPORT
The girls of Central High were not neglecting other athletic workthrough their interest in basketball; but just as the boys were givingmost of their spare time to football, so their sisters, during thefall weather, were mainly interested in their own game.
As a whole, the girls' classes of Central High were given practice atthe game at least twice a week; and of course the representative team,to which our particular friends belonged, was on the court almostdaily. There were games between the less advanced teams, too, whichbrought the parents of the girls to the athletic field; and as theseason advanced the courts were marked out in the large upper room ofthe gymnasium building, so that the game could be played under coveron stormy days.
With the handicap against it at the beginning, of having been roughlyplayed in the city clubs, and the record of several girls having beenhurt who played without the oversight of a proper instructor, the gamegradually grew in favor at Central High until even such old-fashionedfolk as Mrs. Belding spoke approvingly of the exercise.
The girls themselves, even the "squabs" and "broilers," as BobbyHargrew called the freshmen and sophomores, were more and moreenthusiastic over basketball as the days passed. Although theirchampion team was being beaten or tied in the trophy inter-schoolseries, they went to see each game, from week to week, and cheered theCentral High team with unflagging loyalty.
The very next week Laura's team went to Lumberport, a small steamboatbeing chartered. It was filled with Central High girls and theirfriends, and they went over to the game, intending to have a collationaboard after the game and return down the lake by moonlight.
"Whether you girls beat the Lumberport girls, or not," chuckled Chet,"we're bound to have a fine time. But I _do_ hope you'll lead yourteam to victory at least _once_ this season, Laura. It looks as if yougirls couldn't beat an addled egg!"
"Nor anybody else, Mr. Smartie!" snapped Jess Morse. "You don't knowmuch about eggs, I guess."
"Nor you girls don't seem to know much about basketball," chuckledChet.
"What's the fight about?" demanded Bobby, coming up to the group onthe upper deck of the steamer.
"We ought to all pitch into him," said Jess, pointing to Chet. "He ismaligning the team."
"All right I'll help--if it's to be 'battle, murder, and suddendeath,'" chuckled Bobby. "We ought to get our hands in, anyway, forto-morrow."
"What's to-morrow?" cried the girls.
"Didn't you hear what Gee Gee said to the English class to-day whenthe gong rang?"
"Go on, Bobby. What's the joke?" urged Dora Lockwood.
"Why, Gee Gee said, 'Now, young ladies, that we have finished thispresent subject, to-morrow we shall take the life of Carlyle. Comeprepared.' If Jess really wants us to help her draw and quarter Chet,it might be good practice for what we're going to do to Mr. Carlyle."
"Poor Gee Gee," said Nellie, shaking her head. "She has her hands fulljust now. Some of the squabs are as bad as ever you were, Bobby, whenyou were a freshie."
"I like that!" exclaimed the irrepressible. "Me bad!"
"But what's happened to Miss Carrington?" asked Laura.
"She's got some mighty smart scholars in the freshman class," saidNellie. "The other day she asked them what two very famous men wereboys together, and what do you suppose was the answer she got?"
"Give it up!" exclaimed Jess. "What was it?"
"One of those fresh squabs put up her hand and when Gee Gee nodded toher, she squeals: 'Oh, I know, Miss Carrington! The Siamese Twins!'"
There were enough old folk aboard the steamboat to keep the exuberanceof the boys and girls within bounds. Short and Long had brought withhim his famous piratical wig and whiskers, and with these in place andan old red sash-curtain draped about him, he looked more like a gnomethan ever, he was so little. The girls dressed up a stateroom for him,into which he retired and told fortunes. And as Billy Long did notlack in wit he told some funny ones.
This was one of the few occasions when Alice Long, Billy's busysister, had escaped from her manifold home duties to join in the "highjinks" of her schoolmates. When they were all laughing at Billy'santics and prophecies, Laura said to Alice:
"How do you ever manage to get along with those children, Alice? Tommyis as full of mischief as Billy, isn't he?"
"He's worse," sighed the big sister; yet she smiled, too. "Tommy'spretty cute, just the same. He had a birthday last week, and Dr. Agnewcame through our street going to see Johnny Doyle.
"'Hullo, Doctor!' Tommy called to him. 'I gotter birfday.'
"'You have!' exclaimed the doctor, apparently very muchastonished.'How many birthdays does that make?'
"'I'm five, I am,' says Tommy.
"'Five years old! Well,' ruminated the doctor, stopping at the gate asthough he contemplated coming in, 'what had I better do to a boythat's got a birthday?'
"And Tommy speaks right up promptly: 'You can't! I'm sitting on it!'"
They had a lot of fun on the boat; but when the basketball team ofCentral High got into their gymnasium suits in the Lumberport HighSchool dressing-room, they came down to serious thoughts again.
"We really _must_ beat these girls," said Laura, Mrs. Case being outof the room. "It's all right to talk about being 'good losers' and allthat. But we don't want to be either good, or bad, losers all thetime. We've lost enough in the past. It's up to us to put Lumberporton the shelf!"
"Hear! hear!" cried Bobby. "That's the talk."
"We have usually been able to handle Lumberport at basketball,"continued Laura. "Let's not make this an exception to a good rule."
Even Roberta felt the inspiration of coming success before the game.The team had been practicing faithfully and there was no real reasonwhy every member of it should not make a good showing. Mrs. Caseencouraged them as they went on to the court, and the Central Highcrowd lined out the "yell" to greet them. There was a big audience,for the Lumberport school had a good field and the parents of thegirls engaged were enthusiastic over basketball.
The ball was tossed up and Laura shot it over to Lily. Lily was apretty sure player when she was not excited. It was safe to trust herduring the first of any game. She now passed it quickly according toher captain's signal, and to the right girl. The girls of Central Highkept the ball in play for a couple of minutes, and entirely away fromtheir opponents. Then Nellie got it for a good throw and--pop! the ballwent into the basket.
"First goal--hurrah!" yelled the boys from Central High.
For despite the insistence of the League rules, and the advice andpreachments of physical instructors, there was bound to be a spirit ofrivalry in the games. How else would the interest be kept up? Playingfor the sake of the game is all right; but the personal desire to winis, after all, what inspires any player to do his, or her, best.
There was no ugly playing, however; tense as was the interest, theopposing teams played fair and there was not an unpleasant word orlook indulged in by a member of either. With Hester Grimes off theteam from Central High there could be no complaint that they playedtoo hard, or unfairly. The whistle in this first half sounded veryseldom for fouls. And the game was played with a snap and vigor thatwas delightful.
Central High had somewhat the best of it from that very first goal.They won point after point. Half way through the first half CentralHigh was three points in the lead. When there were five minutes stillto go they made another clean goal, putting them up two more points.
But the Lumberport girls played well, too; they did not "go to pieces"because the visitors' efforts were crowned with success. They foughtsteadily and made a goal during that last five minutes.
Then the girls of Central High got the ball and made a run with itdown the field. Nellie seized it again and turned swiftly to throw. Asshe did so her ankle turned under her and she came down upon one kneewith a little cry. The umpire was about to sound the whistle for time;but the doctor's daughter sprang up instantly and threw the ballstraight into the basket
. As she did so the timekeeper sounded herwhistle. The half was over.
Two of the girls ran to help Nellie, who stood, as Bobby said, "on oneleg like a stork!" She hobbled to the dressing-room between them.
"Oh, dear me! who'll we put in, Laura?" wailed Jess.
"You sha'n't put in anybody," cried Nellie, gritting her teeth to keepback a cry of pain as she set the injured foot to the floor again."This will be all right in a moment."
"Looks like it!" cried Dorothy.
"You're knocked out, Miss," said Dora. "You know you are."
"I'm not!" replied Nellie.
Mrs. Case came hurriedly in. "You'll have to rest that ankle, child"she said. "Captain Belding will have to put in a substitute."
"No, Mrs. Case. I'm going to play out the game," declared Nellie. "Youmust not forbid it. I've only twisted my ankle. It will be all rightto-morrow. I'll show you!" she cried, and began stripping off her shoeand stocking.