CHAPTER XVI
Gridley's Last Charge
"Remember, Captain Barnes!" called the referee significantly.
"Why don't you talk to Prescott, too?" demanded the Fordham captainsulkily.
"I don't need to."
"You----don't---need to?" demanded Barnes, opening his eyes inpretended wonder.
"No; Prescott and his fellows have a magnificent reputation forfair play, and they've won it on merit."
"You're down on us," growled Captain Barnes.
"I'm only waiting till I can put my finger on some slugging tostop the game and hand it to Gridley," retorted the referee, witha snap.
"Be mighty careful, fellows; be clever," whispered the Fordhamcaptain to his most "dependable" men.
"Are we going to throw the game?" demanded the slugger who hadso angered Hudson.
"No; but don't get caught at anything. Better not do anything.We've got those milk-diet infants eight to nothing now. Playtheir own kind of kindergarten game as long as we can hold thescore without rough work."
Barnes's own instructions would have sufficiently stamped histeam, had these orders been heard by anyone else.
At the beginning of the second half Fordham played a much morehonest game, and Gridley began to pick up hope that fairness mightprevail hereafter.
Gridley's own game, in the second half, was as swift and scientificas it had ever been. By sheer good playing and brilliant dashesDick and his men carried the ball down the field, losing it onceon downs; but after the first ten minutes of the half they keptthe pigskin wholly in Fordham territory.
Back and forth surged the battle. Fordham, despite its greatlysuperior weight and bulk, was not by any means superior when underthe utmost watchfulness of a referee avowedly anxious to penalize.
Yet, until the game was nearly over, Fordham managed to keep theball away from its own goal line.
Then, while the lines reformed and Dick bent over to snap back,Dave Darrin called out a signal that electrified the whole Gridleyline. It called for one of their most daring plays, that Prescotthimself made famous the year before.
While the start, after the ball was in play, seemed directed towardthe right wing of Gridley, the ball was actually jumped to littleFenton, at the left end, and Fenton, backed solidly by a superbinterference, got off and away with the ball. In a twinklinghe had it down behind Fordham's goal line.
Then the ball went back for the kick. The band played a few spiritedmeasures while the wearied Gridley boosters suddenly rose andwhooped themselves black in the face.
The kick, too, was won.
"Oh, well." growled Barnes, "we have two points to the good yet,and only four minutes and a half left for the game. Don't getrough, fellows, unless you have to."
As the Gridley boys sprang to a fresh line-up their eyes wereglowing.
"Remember, fellows, the time is short, but battles have been wonin two minutes!"
This was the inspiring message flashed out by Captain Dick Prescott.
With all the zeal of race horses the Gridley High School boysflung themselves into their work.
After a minute and a half of play, Gridley had done so much that,just before the next snapback Barnes let his sulky eyes flashabout him in a way that was understood.
Fordham must rush in, now, and hold the enemy back, no matterat what cost of roughness---if the roughness could be done slylyenough.
Then it came, a fierce, frenzied charge. The ball was down againin an instant, and Hazelton, a Gridley man, lay on the field,unable to rise.
Physicians hurried out from the side lines.
"Broken leg," said one of them, and a stretcher was brought.
"Have we got to stand this sort of thing?" demanded Hudson, ina hoarse whisper. "Say the word, and I'll send two of their menafter Hazelton."
"Don't you do it!" snapped Dick sharply. "It would disgrace ourschool colors and our school honor. Don't let knaves make a knaveof you."
Tom Reade came out on a swift run from the side lines to takeHazelton's place.
"We ought to be allowed to carry guns, when we play a team likethis one," blurted Tom indignantly.
"We'll pay them back in the score," retorted Dick soberly, thoughhis eyes were flashing.
Dave, in the meantime, was swiftly passing some orders Dick hadwhispered to him. These orders, however, related to plays tocome, and did not call for retaliation on Hazelton's account.
Play was called sharply. "Pay in the score," became the battlecry raging in every Gridley boy's heart.
Four successive plays carried the ball so close to the Fordhamgoal line that Barnes and his followers were in despair.
They still used whatever rough tricks they thought they couldsneak in under the eyes of the game's officials, and some ofthese made the Gridley boys ache.
Then came a signal beginning with "three" which stood for reversesignal. The numerals that came after the three called for thesame trick that Fenton had put through so splendidly.
Again the ball started toward the right wing. This time the Fordhamplayers were sure they understood---and like a flash massed theirdefense against Gridley's left.
But on that reverse signal the ball continued to move at the right.Before Barnes and his followers could comprehend, another touchdownhad been scored by the visitors.
And then came the kick for goal, and it was a splendid success.The kick came just at the end of the second half. That kickwon the game for Dick's sorely pressed team.
Gridley's score, won by a cleanly played game against bruisers,stood at twelve to eight!
Now, indeed, did the Gridley boosters turn themselves loose, theband leading.
Barnes and his ruffians skulked back to dressing quarters, thereto abuse the referee, the "Gridley kickers" and everyone andeverything else but themselves.
It wasn't long before some of the Fordham subs slipped out tofind their cronies and sympathizers in the crowd that was slowlydissolving.
Then the word was passed around:
"Wait and be with us. Barnes is going to stop the Gridleys onthe way to the station. Barnes is going to make Prescott fightfor some things he said on the field! Of course, if you fellowsget generally peevish, and the whole Gridley team gets cleanedout, there won't be many tears shed."
So scores of the sort of rabble in whom such an appeal findsready response hung about, eager to see what would turn up.