CHAPTER XV
"We'll Play the Gentleman's Game."
At the next down Dan Dalzell held up his hand, making a dash forthe referee.
"I claim a foul!" he called.
"Captain, this is for you," announced the referee, turning toDick. "Be quick, if you've any complaint to make."
"Come here, Dalzell," called Prescott. "What was the foul?"
The Fordham players crowded about, muttering in an ugly way---allexcept one man, who skulked at the rear.
"There's the hoodlum," continued Dan excitedly, one hand overhis left breast. He pointed to the Fordham player skulking atthe rear. "That fellow deliberately gave me the elbow over theheart when we came together."
"What have you to say, Captain Barnes?" demanded the referee,turning to the Fordham leader.
"It's not true," retorted Barnes hotly. "Daniels, come here."
The matter was argued quickly and hotly, Gridley accusing, Fordhamhotly denying.
"Can't you Gridley fellows play with anything but your mouths?"snarled Captain Barnes.
"We play a straight game," retorted Dick coldly. "We play likegentlemen."
"Do you mean that we're not?" demanded Barnes swaggeringly.
"So far you've played like a lot of sluggers."
"See here! I've a good mind to thrash you, Prescott!" quiveredBarnes.
"It's always the truth that stings," retorted Dick, with a coolsmile.
"My fist would hurt, too."
"That's what we're asking you to do---to save all your sluggingand bruising tactics until after a straight and gentlemanly gamehas been played," retorted Dick, with spirit.
Barnes clenched his fists, but the referee stepped squarely inbetween the rival captains.
"Cut it!" directed that official tersely. "I'll do all the talkingmyself. Captain Barnes, return to your men and tell them thatslugging and tricky work will be watched for more carefully, andpenalized as heavily as the rules allow. If it goes too far I'lldeclare the game forfeited to the visiting team."
"This is a shame!" fumed Barnes. "And the whole charge is a massof lies."
"I'll watch out and see," promised---or threatened---the referee."Back to your positions. Captain Barnes, I'll give you thirtyseconds to pass the word around among your men."
"That black-haired prize-fighter with the mole on his chin triesto give me his knee every time we meet in a scrimmage," growledHudson to Dick. "If he carries it any further, I think I knowa kick that will put his ankle out of business!"
"Then don't you dare use it," warned Dick sternly. "No matterwhat the other fellows do, our team is playing a square, honestgame every minute of both halves!"
The referee had signaled them to positions. The Gridley boysleaped into place.
Play was resumed. In the next three plays Fordham, under thenow more keenly watchful eyes of the officials, failed to makethe required distance, and lost the ball.
Gridley took the ball, now. In the next two plays, the smallerfellows advanced the ball some twelve yards. But in the nextthree plays following, they lost on downs, and Fordham again carriedthe pigskin.
"The Fordham fellows are passing a lot of whispers every chancethey get," reported alert Dave.
"I don't care how much they whisper," was Dick's rejoinder. "Butwatch out for crooked tricks."
Minute after minute went by. Gridley got the ball down to theenemy's fifteen-yard line, then saw it slowly forced back intotheir own territory.
Now Fordham began to "slug" again; yet so cleverly was it donethat the officials could not put their fingers on a definite instancethat could be penalized.
Bravely fighting, Gridley was none the less driven back. Fromthe ten-yard line Fordham suddenly made a right end play on whichthe whole weight and force of the team was concentrated. In themad crush, three or four Gridley boys were "slugged" in the slyestmanner conceivable. Fordham broke through the line, carryingthe pigskin over the goal line with a rush.
Fordham boosters set up a roar that seemed to make the groundshake, but the two hundred boys from the military school tooklittle or no part in the demonstration. Tom Reade's reply toPhin Drayne had silenced them.
Swaggering like swashbucklers Fordham followed the ball back forthe kick for goal. It was made, securing six points, which wereadded to the two received from Gridley being forced to make thatsafety earlier in the game.
"Of all the miserable gangs of rowdies!" uttered Dave Darrin,as the teams rested in quarters between the halves.
"I have two black-and-blue spots to show, I know I have," mutteredHudson.
"We'll have some of our men on stretchers, if this thing keepsup," growled Greg Holmes.
"What are you going to do about this business, Captain?" demandedtwo or three of the fellows, in one breath.
"As long as we play," replied Dick Prescott, "we'll play the samegentleman's game, no matter what the other fellows do. We mayquit, but we won't slug. We won't sully Gridley's good name forhonest play. And we won't quit, either, until Mr. Morton ordersus from the field."
"You have it right, Prescott," nodded the coach. "And I shan'tinterfere, either, unless things get a good deal worse than theyhave been. But the Fordham work has been shameful, and I don'tblame any of you for feeling that you'd rather forfeit the gameand walk off the field."
Besides being coach, Mr. Morton was also manager. At his callthe team would have left the field instantly, despite any otherorders from the referee. It always makes a bad showing, however,for a team to leave the field on a claim of foul playing.
"All out for the second half!" sounded a voice in the doorway.
The Gridley boys went, fire in their hearts, flame in their eyes.