CHAPTER V
"Brass" for an Armor Plate
Thursday night and Friday morning more copies of the betrayedsignals poured in upon Captain Dick.
Wherever these signals had been received by captains of otherschool teams, it soon appeared, these captains of rival elevenshad punctually mailed them back. It spoke volumes for the honorof the American schoolboy, for Gridley High School was fearedfar and wide on the gridiron, and there was not an eleven in thestate but would have welcomed an honorable way of beating Prescott'smen.
Moreover, working on Dick's suggestion, Mr. Morton busied himselfwith securing several letters that had been received from Drayne'sfather.
These letters were compared, Friday evening, with the copies ofthe signals that had been sent to other elevens. Under a magnifyingglass these collected papers all exhibited one fact that the lettersand the copies of the signal code had been struck off on a machinehaving the same peculiarities as to worn faces of certain types.It was thus rather clearly established that Phin Drayne musthave used the typewriting machine that stood in his father's office.
Drayne was not at school on Friday. Instead, an excuse of illnesswas received from him.
Nor did Mr. Morton say anything to Dr. Thornton, the principal,until the end of the school week.
Just after school had been dismissed, at one o'clock Friday afternoon,Mr. Morton called Dr. Thornton to the private office, and therelaid before him the charges and the proofs.
That fine old gentleman was overwhelmed with grief that "one ofhis boys" should have done such an utterly mean, wanton and dishonorablething.
"This can't be passed by, Mr. Morton," exclaimed Dr. Thorntonbrokenly. "If you will kindly leave the proofs in my hands, Iwill see that the whole matter is taken up officially."
Friday afternoon the football squad met for more practice withthe new signals. Friday evening each young man who was scheduledas being even likely to play the next day studied over the signalsat home, then, under orders, burned his copy of the code. Saturdaymorning the squad met for some more practice, though not much.
"I believe all of us are in trim now, sir," Captain Prescott reportedto the coach. "I am rather sure all of our men know the new signalsby heart, and there'll be no confusion. But, of course, for thefirst game, the old snap of our recent practice will be missing.It has been a hard blow to us."
"If we have to lose to-day's game," muttered Mr. Morton, "I'llbe almost satisfied to lose it to Tottenville, after the manlyand straightout conduct of Mr. Jarvis!"
"That same line of thought would make us content to go througha losing season, for all the fellows in other towns who receivedthat betrayed code sent the information right back to us," smiledPrescott. "But we're not going to lose to-day's game, Mr. Morton,nor any other day's. Drayne's treachery has just about crazedthe other fellows with anger. They'll win everything ahead of'em, now, just for spite and disgust, if for no better reason."
"Sometimes anger serves a good purpose," laughed Mr. Morton."But it was pitiful to look at poor old Dr. Thornton yesterdayafternoon. At first I thought he was going to faint. He seemedsuddenly to grow ten years older. It cut him to the quick. Heloves every one of his boys, and to have one of them go bad isjust as painful to him as to see his own son sent to the penitentiary."
"Is Dr. Thornton coming to the game this afternoon, sir?"
"Yes; he has never missed one yet, in any year that he has beenprincipal of Gridley High School."
"Then we'll make that fine old American gentleman feel all rightagain by the grand game that we'll put up," promised Dick vehemently."I'll pass the word, and the fellows will strain themselves tothe last drop."
Orders were issued to the gate tenders to throw Drayne out ifhe presented himself at the gate.
Drayne did put in an appearance, and he got through the gate toa seat on the grand stand, but it was no fault of the gate tenders.
Drayne had spent some of his spare money at the costumer's. Withhis trim, rather slim figure Phin Drayne made up rather well asa girl. He wore black---mourning throughout, perhaps in memoryof his departed honor---and a heavy veil covered his face. Inthis disguise Drayne sat where he could see what would happen.
At the outset it was Gridley's kick off, and for the next tenminutes Tottenville had the ball, fighting stubbornly with it.But at last, when forced half way down the field between centerand its own goal line, Gridley blocked so well in the three followingplays that the pigskin came to the home eleven.
Dick bent over, holding the ball for the snapback, while his battlefront formed on each side of him.
Dave Darrin, quarter-back, raced back a few steps, then halted,looking keenly, swiftly over the field.
Phin Drayne drew his breath sharply. Then his heart almost stoppedbeating as he listened.
"Thirty-eight---nine---eleven---four!" sounded Darrin's voice,sharp and clear.
"That's the run around the left end!" throbbed Phin Drayne.
But it wasn't. A fake kick, followed by a cyclonic impact atthe right followed.
"They've changed the signals!" gulped the guilty masquerader behindthe black veil. "Then they've found out."
With this came the next disheartening thought:
"That's the reason, then, why the coach ordered me out of the fieldThursday afternoon. Morton is wise. I wonder if he has told itall around?"
Gridley High School was doing some of its brilliant, old-styleplay now. Prescott was proving himself an ideal captain, quick-witted,full of strategy, force, push and dash, yet all the while displayingthe best of cool judgment in sizing up the chances of the hardbattle.
But that which Phin Drayne noted most of all was that every signalused had a different meaning from that employed in the code hehad mailed to the captains of the other school teams.
"It was all found out, and Gridley wasn't hurt," thought Phin,gnashing his teeth. "Good luck always seems to follow that fellowPrescott! Can't he be beaten? We shall see! Prescott, my finebully, I'm not through with you yet."
The first half ended without either side scoring. Impartial onlookersthought that perhaps formidable Tottenville had had rather thebetter of it, but no one could tell with certainty which was thebetter team.
When neither side scores in the first half that which remainsto be determined is, which side will show the bigger reserve ofvitality in the second half.
And now the ball was off again, with twenty-two men pursuing andfighting for it as though the fate of the nation hung on the result.Dick, too, soon had things moving at a gait that had all Gridleystanding up and boosting with all the powers of lungs, hands andfeet.
All that remained to interest Phin Drayne was to discover whetherhis late comrades had sufficiently mastered their new signalsnot to fail in their team work.
Once in the second half there was a brief fluster. Two Gridleymen went "woozy" over the same signal. But alert Dave Darrinrushed in and snatched a clever advantage out of momentary confusion.
After that there was no more confusion. Gridley took the gameby a single touchdown, failing in the subsequent kick for goal.Five minutes later time expired.
Feeling doubly contemptible now, and sick at heart, Phin Draynecrawled weakly down from the grand stand. He made his way outin the throng, undetected. He returned to the costumer's, gotoff his sneaking garb and donned his own clothing, then slippedaway out through a back door that opened on an alleyway.
Not until Sunday afternoon did Drayne yield to the desire toget out of doors. His training life had made outer air a necessityto him, so he yielded to the desire. But he kept to back streets.
Just as luck would have it, Drayne came suddenly face to facewith Dr. Thornton.
The good old principal had a fixed belief which followed the practiceof American law, to the effect that every accused man is innocentuntil he has been proved guilty.
In addition, the doctor had recovered a good deal from his firstdepression. Therefore he was able to meet this
offending pupilas he would want to under the circumstances.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Drayne," was Dr. Thornton's courteous greeting."It is beautiful; weather to be out, isn't it?"
"It is a perfect day, sir," Drayne replied.
Once he had gotten past the principal the young wretch gave wayto his exultation.
"No charge has been made, then," he told himself gloatingly."If I had been denounced, the Prin. could hardly have been asgracious. Well, hang it all, what are charges going to amountto, anyway?"
At the High School Monday morning, both before school and at recess,the members of the football squad cut Drayne dead.
"They suspect me, but they can't prove anything, anyway," chuckledthe traitor to himself. "Brass, Phin, my boy! Brass! That isbound to win out when the clodhoppers can't prove a blessed thing."
As none of the students outside of the squad showed any especialinclination to cut him, Phin felt almost wholly reassured.
"It would be libelous, anyway, if the gang passed around a wordthat they couldn't prove," chuckled Drayne. "So I guess thosethat may be doing a heap of thinking will have caution enoughto keep their mouths shut, anyway,"
That afternoon, after luncheon, Phin Drayne took a long trampover country roads at the back of the big town. It was five o'clockwhen he returned.
"Here's a note for you, on High School stationery," said Mrs.Drayne, putting an envelope in her son's hand. "It came sometime ago."
Something warned the fellow not to open the envelope there. Hetook it to his room, where he read the letter. It was from Dr.Thornton, and said only:
_"You are directed to appear before the Board of Education atits stated weekly meeting to-night. This is urgent, and you arewarned not to fail in giving this summons due heed."_
In an instant Phin was white with fear. His legs trembled underhim, and cold sweat stood out on his neck, face and forehead.
For some moments the young man acted as though in danger of collapse.Then he staggered over to the tap at his washbowl, and gulpeddown a glass of water. He paced the room restlessly for a longtime, and finally went over and stood looking out of the window.
"Young man," he said to himself severely, "you've got to brace,and brace hard. If you haven't any nerve, then getting squareis too strenuous a game for you? Now, what can that gang prove?They can suspect, and they can charge, but my denial is fullyas good as any other man's affirmation. Go before the Board of Education? Of course I will. And I'll make any accuser of minelook mighty small before that august board of local duffers!"
Brave words! They cheered the young miscreant, anyway. Phinate his supper with something like relish. Afterwards he setout for the High School building, in which the Board had its offices.Nor did his courage fail him until he had turned in through thegate.
A young man, whistling blithely, came in behind him. It was DickPrescott, erect of carriage, and brisk and strong of stride, asbecomes a young athlete whose conscience is clear and wholesome.
"Hullo, Prescott, what are you doing around here to-night?" hailedDrayne.
But Dick seemed not to have heard. Not a note did he drop inthe tune that he was whistling. Springing up the steps ahead,Dick vanished behind the big door.
"Oh, of course he goes here to-night," thought Phin, with suddendisgust. "Prescott scribbles for 'The Blade' and the Board ofEducation is one of his stunts each week."