CHAPTER XIII
Dick Begins To Feel Old
Despite the strain of what they had gone through Dick and Daveled the Gridley boys through a fierce gridiron battle that sameafternoon, and won again by a score of 13 to 5.
But the people of Gridley paid little heed to the score that day,or the next. The sensation that Dick and Dave had supplied wasthe talk of the town, to the exclusion of other topics relating tohigh School boys.
Mr. Pollock bought a copy of the photograph showing Dick closeto the weather vane on his climb. A half-tone cut made from thisphotograph was printed in "The Blade."
"This young man is now a member of 'The Blade' staff, reportingschool and other matters," ran the comment under the spiritedpicture. "We believe that Mr. Prescott will continue to be amember of the staff, and to grow with 'The Blade.'"
"What about that, Dick?" laughed Darrin.
"I've told Mr. Pollock and Mr. Bradley that I believe my planswill carry me a good distance away from 'The Blade' office afterthis year," replied Dick, with a meaning smile. "If they won'tbelieve me now, perhaps they'll wake up later."
The town had not been wanting in croakers at the outset of thefootball season, who had predicted that Dick Prescott and hischums would "drag down" the football team and its fine traditionsfrom past years.
But the eleven, mainly under Dick and under Dave's captaincy intwo fierce gridiron battles, had gone right along winning games.
The last three battles had been fought out to a successful finishin November. There now remained only the Thanksgiving Day gameto complete the season.
By all traditions each football team in the country strives tohave its biggest fight take place on Thanksgiving Day. By anothertradition, every team seeks to have this game take place on thehome grounds.
In the latter respect Gridley lost this year. The game, whichwas against Fordham High School, was scheduled to take place atFordham.
Enthusiasm, however, was at top notch. Citizens hired the GridleyBand to go along with the young men and help out on noise. Aspecial train in two sections was chartered, for some sevenhundred Gridleyites had voted in favor of an evening dinner onThanksgiving Day; they were going along to see the game.
Fordham had lost two games, against exceptionally strong teams,earlier in the season, but had of late a fine record. Fordhamhad dropped several of its original players, putting in heavieror better men, and a new coach had been employed. The Fordhamboys were now believed to be able to put up a strenuous game.
"I hope you're going to win, Prescott," said Mr. Macey,meeting Dick on the street one afternoon not long before Thanksgiving.
"Have you any doubts, sir?" smiled the captain of the Gridleyteam.
"Well, you see, Fordham was my native town. I run down thereoften, and I know a good deal of what's going on there. Fordham'ssecond coach has attended the last two games you played, and hehas been stealing all your points that he could get."
"He has, eh?" muttered Prescott. "That's news to me. Oh, well,it's legitimate to learn all you can about another team's play."
"From the reports Fordham has of your play the young men overin that town are certain that they're enough better to be ableto bring your scalps into camp."
"Perhaps they'll do it," laughed Dick pleasantly. "We'll admitthat we're about due for a walloping whenever the crowd comesalong that can do it."
"I am only telling you what I hear from Fordham," continued Mr.Macey.
"And I'm glad you did, sir. We'll try to turn the laugh on Fordham."
"Then you think you can beat 'em?"
"No, sir. We never think we can. We always know that we can!That's the Gridley way---the Gridley spirit. We always win ourbattles before we go into them, Mr. Macey. We make up our mindsthat we can't and won't be beaten. It isn't just brag, though.We base all our positiveness on the way that we stick to ourtraining and coaching, and on our discipline. Mr. Macey, thisis the third year that I've been playing on different GridleyHigh School teams. I remember a tie game, but no defeats."
"I guess Fordham will find it a hard enough proposition to downyou young men," remarked Mr. Macey.
"They're going to discover, sir, that they simply can't do it.Gridley never goes onto any field to get beaten."
"Und dot isn't brag, neider," broke in a man who had halted tolisten. "Ven dese young men pack deir togs to go away, dey packder winning score in der bag, too. Ach! Don't I know dot? Don'tI make mineself young vonce more by following dese young athletesabout?"
Herr Schimmelpodt looked utterly shocked that anyone should thinkit possible for another High School eleven to take a game fromGridley.
Dick soon encountered Dave and told him the news he had gleanedfrom Mr. Macey.
"Been sending their second coach over to watch our play, havethey?" laughed Darrin softly. "That seems to show how much theyfear us in Fordham."
"I believe we are going to have a stiff game," muttered Prescott."Hallam Heights and Fordham are the only two teams that thinkenough of the game to hire two coaches."
"Well, we have Hallam's scalp dangling down at the gym.," laughedDave Darrin.
"And we'll have Fordham's in the same way," predicted Dick confidently.
It barely occurred to the young captain of the team to wonderwhat it would mean for him if the game to Fordham should be lost.Dick would be the first captain in years who had lost a footballgame for Gridley. It would be a mean record to take out of HighSchool life. But Dick gave no thought to such a possibility.
"Of course we're going to wallop Fordham," he thought. "I wishonly one thing. I'd like to see the Fordhams play through a stiffgame just once."
It was too late, however, to give any real thought to this, forFordham's next and last game of the season was to be the one withGridley.
"Are you girls going to the game?" asked Dick, when he and hischum met Laura Bentley and Belle Meade before the post office.
"Haven't you heard what the girls are doing, Dick?" questionedLaura, looking at him in some surprise.
"I have heard that a lot of the girls are going to the game."
"Just forty-two of us, to be exact," Laura continued. "We girlsand our chaperons are to have one car in the first section. Yousee, we've arranged to go right along with the team. We haveour seats all together at Fordham, too."
"My, what a lot of noise forty-two girls can make in a momentof enthusiasm!" murmured Dave.
"We can, if you give us any excuse," advanced Belle.
"Oh, we'll give you excuse enough. See to it that you keep thenoise up to the grade of our playing."
"Mr. Confident!" teased Belle.
"Why, you know, as well as we do, that we'll come home with Fordham'sscalp!" retorted, Darrin.
"You've heard some of the talk about Fordham's confidence in winning,haven't you?" asked Laura, a bit anxiously.
"Yes," nodded Dick. "But that doesn't mean anything. You knowthe Gridley record, the Gridley spirit and confidence."
"Still," objected Belle, "one side has to lose, and the Fordhamboys have all the stuff ready to light bonfires on Thanksgivingnight."
"Have you any particular friends over in Fordham?" asked DaveDarrin, with a sudden swift, significant look.
"No, I haven't," retorted Belle hastily. "And I hope, with allmy heart, that Gridley gains the only points that are allowed.Yet, sometimes, so much confidence all the while seems just abit alarming."
"I won't say another word, then, until after the game," promisedDarrin meekly.
"And then-----?"
"Oh, I'll turn half girl, and say 'I told you so,'" mimickedDave good-humoredly.
It would have been hard to find anyone in Gridley who would havesaid openly that he expected the home boys to be beaten; but therewere many who knew that they were more than a bit anxious. Beforethe game, anyway, Fordham's brag was just as good as Gridley brag.
"Won't you be glad, anyway, when the Thanksgiving game is over?"asked Laura.
&
nbsp; "Yes, and no," smiled Prescott seriously. "When I come back fromFordham I shall know that I have captained my last game on a HighSchool team. That tells me that I am getting along in life---thatI am growing old, and shall soon have to think of much more seriousthings. But, honestly, I hate awfully to think of all these grandold High School days coming to an end. I mustn't think too muchabout it until after the game. It makes me just a bit blue."
"Won't you be captain of the basket ball team this winter?" askedLaura quickly.
"No; I can't take everything. Hudson will probably head the basketball team."
"Why, I heard that you were going in hard for basket ball."
"So I am. Mr. Morton is so busy, with the new evening trainingclasses, that he has asked me to be second coach to the basketball crowd. I'll undoubtedly do that."
"Oh, then you'll still be leading the athletic vanguard at theHigh School," murmured Laura, and, somehow, there was a note ofcontentment in her voice.
"I shall be, until I'm through with the High School," Prescottanswered. "But think---just think---how soon that will comearound for all of us!"