The Winning Touchdown: A Story of College Football

by Lester Chadwick

  CHAPTER XIV

  THE HAZING OF SIMPSON

  "Three cheers for the Newkirks!" commanded Bean Perkins, as he swung hisgaily decorated cane, and the yells bore ardent testimony to the warmfeeling felt for a defeated rival.

  "Now, then, sing: 'Though We Walloped You, We Love You'!" again orderedthe cheer leader, and the song welled forth.

  In turn, the Newkirk players cheered for their opponents, and thoughthere was the bitterness of defeat in their hearts, none of thisbetrayed itself in their yells.

  The big crowd scattered from the grandstands, and, pausing only to getrid of the worst of the dirt that marked them, our three heroes weresoon walking side by side with Phil's sister and her two companions.

  "Oh, wasn't it great?" demanded Miss Tyler, of Phil.

  "Splendid!" cried Ruth Clinton.

  "You certainly rolled up a great score against them," was MissHarrison's contribution to the trio of opinions.

  "We ought to be ashamed of ourselves," declared Phil. "Newkirk isn't inour class, and we only play them to sort of open the season, and forpractice. Yet they nearly scored on us."

  "Oh, we didn't do so bad," was Tom's opinion.

  "I think we showed up pretty well, for a team that had to be patched upafter we lost two of our best players," came from Sid.

  "Well, you fellows didn't play so awful," conceded the quarter-back,"but if Sam had been in much longer there'd have been a different story.Pete Backus is making out all right, and his practice in jumping doeshim good. But Sam----"

  "Simpson helped a lot," said the end.

  "Yes, better than I thought he would. He didn't get gridiron-frightbecause he was on the 'varsity, and his head seems to be about the samesize as before, barring where he got kicked over the eye," went on Phil."Understand, I'm not knocking the team!" he explained quickly, for hesaw the girls looking at him rather oddly. "Only I know, and so doesKindlings and Lighton, that we've got to do heaps better when we playFairview and Boxer Hall."

  "Oh, our boys are going to beat you!" exclaimed Miss Tyler, with amischievous glance at her chums.

  "Yes, you have to stick up for Fairview," declared Phil, "but wait andsee." He spoke confidently, yet there was an uneasy feeling in hisheart. Both Boxer and Fairview had stronger teams than ever before.

  The little party walked on, laughing and chatting, discussing the gameat intervals. Phil had a chance to speak to his sister away from theothers for a moment, and took advantage of the opportunity, to ask:

  "Langridge hasn't been pestering you with any of his attentions lately,has he, Ruth?"

  "Indeed he hasn't!" she exclaimed vigorously. "And if he does, Phil, Ihope you won't do as you did before, and make the other girls and meridiculous."

  "I didn't mean to do that," replied the quarter-back, "only I'm notgoing to have him mixing in with anyone I care for."

  "And I presume that is intended as much for Madge as it is for me!"whispered Ruth, with a laugh at her brother's blushes, which werevisible under the bronze of his tan.

  "Oh, don't----" he began, and then the others came up.

  "Well, what about us, fellows?" asked Tom, when the inseparables were intheir room that night, rather sore and tired from the game.

  "We can't pat ourselves on the back, and vote ourselves gold medals,"declared Phil. "I hear that Lighton and old Kindlings are having aconsultation, and there may be a shift of some of the players."

  "I hope he puts me on the other end," exploded Tom. "Bascome didn'tsupport me at all to-day."

  "Now, don't get to feeling that way over it!" cautioned Phil, quickly."That spirit makes a team go to pieces sooner than anything else."

  "Oh, I'm not going to disrupt the team!" declared Tom. "I think,though----"

  He stopped suddenly, and appeared to be listening. Phil sat up on theold sofa, and Sid looked questioningly toward the door.

  "Someone's out in the corridor," he whispered.

  "Yes," and Tom nodded. "Maybe they think we're out, and they're bringingback our chair."

  "Or the clock," added Phil.

  Tom arose, and tiptoed toward the portal. Before he reached it, therecame a cautious knock on the panel.

  "Shall we answer it, or pretend we're not in?" he breathed to Sid. Then,without giving the latter time to answer, a voice called, in a hoarsewhisper:

  "I say, Tom, are you and the bunch in there?"

  "It's Dutch!" spoke Phil, in his natural tone. "Come on in, you oldscout! What's all the secret society business about, anyhow?"

  Tom opened the door, and Billy Housenlager and Holly Cross stoodrevealed.

  "Don't yell so!" cautioned Dutch. "We're going to haze that bigchap--what's his name?" and he turned to Holly.

  "The one from California," explained the centre rush.

  "Oh, Simpson," supplied Tom. "Haze him--what for? The hazing season isover."

  "Not for him," explained Dutch, with a chuckle. "You see, he arrivedlate, and he didn't get what was coming to him in his freshman year. Sohe has to take it now. Do you lads want to be in on it? If you do, don'tmake any noise. He's in a room nearly above you fellows, and he maysuspect something and listen. Want to have some fun?"

  "I don't know--do we?" and Tom turned to his companions.

  They hesitated a moment, and then Phil, with a long yawn, exclaimed:

  "I don't know as I care to. Too tired. You fellows can, if you like."

  "Not for mine!" came quickly from Sid. "I've got some butterfly specimensto mount."

  "Oh, you fellows make me tired!" declared Dutch, in accents of disgust."Why don't you be sports? Have some fun! Come on, Tom!"

  "No; if Phil and Sid are going to stay in to-night, I'll be with them.You and Holly can go ahead with the hazing. What's it going to be?"

  "Oh, it isn't Holly and me alone," explained Dutch, quickly. "A lot ofthe lads are in on it, but I suggested you chaps, and now you back out."

  "We never backed in," replied Phil. "What are you going to do toSimpson, anyhow?"

  "Make him swim Sunny River," declared Dutch, with a chuckle. "That is,we're going to chuck him in, and he'll sink or swim."

  "That's taking chances," remarked Tom, quickly. Somehow, he did not likethe idea of hazing the Californian. They had become too friendly withhim, and Tom was glad his chums had declined to have a hand in it.

  "No chances at all," denied Dutch, vigorously. "We'll be ready with aboat and ropes, in case he can't swim. But I think he can."

  "I didn't mean about that part of it," went on the end. "But he may takecold."

  "Oh, piffle!" cried Holly Cross. "If he can't stand a little wettinghe's no good. Besides, it's warm to-night. Come on, Dutch; we'll go backand tell the crowd that this bunch is doing its knitting, and can'tcome." His voice showed his contempt.

  "Tell 'em anything you like," retorted Sid, "and maybe before you'rethrough you'll wish you'd stayed home and learned your lessons."

  "Aw, rats!" fired back Dutch, as he and his chum went down the corridor.

  "Say, maybe there's more truth than poetry in what you said," commentedPhil, after the door had been closed.

  "In what?" asked Sid.

  "About those fellows being sorry. You know, Simpson is a husky lad, andhe may put up more of a fight than they give him credit for."

  "By Jove!" cried Tom, suddenly. "I believe you're right, Phil. Thosehazers are going to stack up against trouble, and what's the matter withus seeing the fun?"

  "How?" asked Sid.

  "Go down to the river, and watch 'em throw Frank in."

  "Sure!" cried Phil; and a little later three figures stole cautiouslyout, crossed the campus, and took position well concealed in the nowleafless shrubbery that lined the bank of the stream.

  "Here they come!" suddenly exclaimed Tom, who had constituted himself alookout. "And they've got him, too!"

  "How can you tell?" demanded Phil.

  "He's the biggest fellow in the bunch."

  "I didn't think he'd let them take him out
of his room," said Sid."Maybe he's in a blue funk."

  "You don't know him," declared Tom, quietly. "If I'm not mistaken,there'll be some fun soon."

  "Keep quiet, or they'll have the laugh on us if they see us," cautionedPhil.

  The hazers and their victim came nearer, and the voice of DutchHousenlager could be heard declaiming in triumph:

  "Now, then, fellows, we'll initiate Mr. Simpson into the mysteries ofthe Mermaid Society. I believe you never were a member of that, wereyou, Mr. Simpson?" he asked, mockingly.

  "Never, and I don't want to join now," came from the big Californian,who seemed strangely gentle in the hands of his captors.

  "Oh, but you must, you know," explained Holly Cross.

  "Sure," asserted Bascome. "You ought to have joined as a Freshman, butit's not too late. Is the water nice and warm, Dutch?"

  "Yes; I had it heated to seventy-two degrees this afternoon," repliedthe fun-loving Housenlager.

  "What! You're not going to put me in the river to-night, are you?"demanded Simpson, in almost tragic tones.

  "That's our intention," mocked Dutch.

  "But I may catch cold. You oughtn't to do a thing like this, boys,"pleaded Frank.

  "Oh, listen to him!" mocked Bascome. "Let's take him back to his mama!"and he imitated the crying of a baby.

  "Oh, but, fellows, just consider," begged the intended victim. "I--I maybe drowned," and his teeth seemed to chatter. "Please--please let mego!"

  "Oh, yes--with bells on!" cried Holly, with a laugh.

  "Say, I thought you said he'd make mincemeat of 'em?" whispered Phil."Why, he's a coward!"

  "Maybe," admitted Tom, somewhat puzzled. "I didn't think he'd beg offlike this."

  "Pshaw! It's going to be a fizzle," declared Sid.

  "Now, then, all ready?" asked Dutch of his chums. "Get good holds, Hollyand Bascome, and pitch him in."

  "Oh, let me go! Please let me go!" begged Simpson.

  "Aw, cut it out! Be a sport!" urged Dutch. "It won't hurt you, and ifyou can't swim, we'll pull you out. You've got to take your medicine,and you might as well make up your mind to it. In with him now,fellows!"

  "Let her go!" cried Holly.

  "No! Don't! Stop!" cried the Californian, and his voice broke. "Pleaselet me go--consider, fellows--you may regret this!"

  "Regret nothing!" cried Dutch. "In with him!"

  There was a struggle on the bank of the river, a series of surprisedgrunts and exclamations. Then a dark body went sailing through the air,and fell with a splash into the stream, while the shout that followedended in a gurgle.

  "There he goes!" cried Phil. "He's in!"

  Another dark body shot from the bank into the water.

  "Why--why!" gasped Sid. "They're hazing two! Who's the other lad, Iwonder?"

  The second body made a great splash. Then, before it came to thesurface, a third form hurtled through the air and made a great noise inSunny River.

  "Julius Caesar's grandmother's cat's kittens!" yelled Tom, careless ofwho heard him. "Simpson isn't in the water at all, fellows! Look! look!There he is! He's throwing the others in! He's throwing 'em all in!"

  "SIMPSON ISN'T IN THE WATER AT ALL, FELLOWS! HE'STHROWING THE OTHERS IN."]

  Phil and Sid stood beside their chum, and gazed on the scene, which wasnow partly illuminated by a half moon. They saw the big Californianstanding in the midst of his would-be hazers, knocking them down rightand left as they rushed at him, and then, as the hidden ones watched,they saw the new student grasp Holly Cross around the waist, and, by awrestler's trick, toss him over his back, and into the stream, wherethree forms were now swimming toward shore--three wet, miserableforms--three very much surprised lads--and Holly Cross joining them bythe most direct route--by an air line, so to speak.

  Into the water Holly fell with a splash, and after him went Dutch. Then,seeing their two ringleaders thus summarily disposed of, the otherhazers ceased their attack on Simpson.

  He stood in the midst of the throng, many of whom were just arising fromsome terrific left-handers.

  "I told you that you might be sorry," came in calm tones from theCalifornian.

  "For the love of mustard, who are you, anyhow?" demanded Bascome, as hecrawled dripping and shivering up on the bank. "Are you a championstrong man, or an elephant trainer?"

  "Oh I spent one vacation traveling with a circus, and learned to do somethrowing tricks," modestly explained Simpson. "And now, gentlemen, I'llbid you good-evening," and before the crowd could stop him, had theybeen so disposed, he walked away.

  That's how Frank Simpson was hazed. Ask any old Randall graduates totell you about it, and hear what they say.