CHAPTER XI A GREAT GAME OF FOOTBALL
Once more the days glided by peacefully. Autumn was now well under way,and the leaves of the trees were turning to crimson and gold. Boatingbecame almost a thing of the past, and talks about football filled theair.
With the coming of the football season Dale Blackmore was in his element.Not only was Dale a good athlete, but it was speedily learned that he hadbeen captain of a good amateur football team in the town he hailed from,and that the team had in one season won nine games out of twelve.
"Dale is the man for our team," said Jack, and by a popular vote the ladwas made captain. There was a slight opposition by Dan Baxter but thisquickly subsided.
As soon as he was made captain, Dale set to work to organize as a good ateam as Putnam Hall could produce. He tried fully thirty cadets and thenselected fifteen--eleven for the regular team and the balance assubstitutes. On the regular team were Jack, Andy, Hogan, Bart Conners,Henry Lee, and others already mentioned in these pages. Pepper was asubstitute, and he was willing enough to take a "back seat" as he calledit.
"Now we have got to get into practice," said Dale, "and it's to be nobaby play either." And every day the team went out on the playground topractice. Dale made a good coach, and soon had the boys doing finely. Hewas assisted by George Strong, who had himself played football on hiscollege team.
It had been expected that Pornell Academy would play Putnam Hall. But thePornell students were sore over their boat-race defeat and they insistedthat a false start had been made. The discussion grew warm on both sides,and so the scheme for a football match for that year fell through,although matches between the two schools were played later, as I havealready mentioned in certain volumes of the "Rover Boys Series."
"Those Pornell fellows are a sore lot," said Jack. "I suppose they feltsure they'd win that boat race."
"They are going to play the Rigsby Football Club next Saturday," saidAndy. "Dale just told me."
"I thought we were to play Rigsby," put in Joe Nelson.
"We are, some time later."
The Rigsby Football Club was controlled by a rich gentleman named Rigsbywho had an elegant place outside of a nearby city which I shall callMornville. The team was composed largely of college boys and playedexceedingly well.
The game between the Pornell Academy and the Rigsby Club attracted alarge crowd to Mornville, and half a dozen students from Putnam Halljourneyed to the town, to see what sort of a game was being put up.
"We must catch all the pointers we can," said Dale. "It may help us inour playing."
The Pornell Academy made a fine showing during practice, but when thegame started it was quickly found that the Rigsby team was too heavy andtoo clever for them. In each half of the game the Rigsby Club made atouchdown and a goal, and when the contest came to a close the scorestood, Rigsby 12, Pornell Academy 0.
"That's as bad as the boat-race defeat," said Pepper. "They must feelsick."
"Those Rigsby chaps are heavy and full of ginger," said Dale, seriously."We'll have no picnic playing against them."
When our friends were coming from the football grounds they fell in withhalf a dozen Pornell students.
"Fine day, Bock!" called out Pepper, cheerily. "Good day for playingfootball, eh?"
"Oh, you needn't crow!" growled Roy Bock. "Just wait till Rigsby waxesyou--you won't feel so happy."
"Maybe they won't wax us."
"Won't they!" put in Grimes, who was along. "The score will be about 50to nothing in Rigsby's favor."
"Wait and see," said Jack, quietly; and then the students of the twoschools separated.
After this game the team of the Hall practiced harder than ever, andGeorge Strong taught them several useful plays. So the days went by untilthe eventful day for the match arrived. The game was to come off on theRigsby grounds, and the students from Putnam Hall went over in the stage,the carryall, and in carriages and on bicycles.
At first Dan Baxter said he was not going, but when he heard how theRigsby Club had defeated Pornell Academy he changed his mind.
"The Rigsby Club is sure to beat Dale Blackmore's crowd," said he toPaxton and Coulter. "Let us go over there and see the drubbingadministered."
"All right, I'm willing," said Coulter. "Maybe we can pick up a littlemoney in bets." And when they arrived on the football grounds all ofBaxter's cronies as well as the bully himself put up money that PutnamHall would be beaten.
"I just heard Baxter is betting against our club," said Andy, coming inwith the news.
"How mean!" cried Jack. "To bet against his own school! I don't believein betting, but if I did want to lay a wager, I'd do it on my ownschool."
"That's just how I feel about it," put in Pepper. "Well, I hope now, morethan ever, that we win."
It was a fine ground, with a beautiful stand and nice dressing rooms forboth clubs. Mr. Rigsby himself was at hand and shook each of the visitorsby the hand.
"Play for all you are worth, boys!" he said, cheerfully. "I want the bestclub to win!"
"We are going to do our best, sir," said Dale, modestly.
The halves were divided into thirty-five minutes each, and soon the firsthalf was on. It was Rigsby's ball and they sent it twenty yards intoPutnam Hall territory. The Rigsby fellows were exceedingly active, andinside of ten minutes they scored a touchdown and immediately afterwardskicked a goal.
"Hurrah for Rigsby! That's the way to do it!" was the cry.
"Putnam Hall will be defeated worse than Pornell Academy was!"
When the touchdown and goal were made Dan Baxter grinned at Paxton andhis other cronies.
"What did I tell you?" he whispered. "This is a dead easy thing forRigsby."
"You're right," answered Paxton. "Wish I had another fiver up on them."
"Let us do a little more betting," said Mumps, who had just a dollar ofhis spending money left.
They walked into the crowd, and after some trouble managed to place whatmoney they had left on the Rigsby team. Then they hurried back to theirseats. The first half of the game was drawing to a close.
"Another touchdown for Rigsby!"
"Hurrah! Now for a goal!"
"There she goes! A goal, sure enough! How do you like that, Putnam Hall?"
With the score 12 to 0 the two teams went at it again. But hardly had theleather been put into play when the whistle blew and the first half cameto an end.
"We are up against it sure, this trip," sighed Andy. "They can playlike--like tigers!"
"They are too heavy for us, that is certain," said Dale. "We must dependupon our lightness and our quickness if we want to win anything at all."
The brief intermission was soon at an end, and once more the two teamsfaced each other. The Rigsby followers cheered wildly while the studentsfrom Putnam Hall gazed expectantly.
It was soon seen that Dale's team was not playing as before. There waslittle mass work, and the ball flew from player to player with greatrapidity. This did not suit the Rigsby team, and they made several errorsand lost some ground thereby.
Hardly had the second half been opened than Joe Nelson got the ball. Hepassed it to Hogan, who sent it to Andy. With a wild leap over a Rigsbyplayer, the acrobatic youth went flying down the gridiron with theleather clutched in his arms.
"See Andy Snow running with the ball!"
"Stop him, Brown! Stop him, Callahan!"
"Cut him off, Sturmen!"
So the calls rang out and several started in pursuit of Andy. But just asthey thought they had him he let the ball drop, gave it a swift kick, andover the bar sailed the leather.
"Hurrah! What a beautiful kick!"
"And on a dead run, too!"
"Putnam Hall is waking up!"
The cadets cheered wildly and unfurled the flags they had brought along,while some tooted their horns.
As soon as possible the ball was put into play once more. This time itwent far up into Putnam Hall territory, and it l
ooked as if Rigsby wouldscore once more, when Hogan got the ball.
"Not just yit, me laddybuck!" muttered the Irish cadet, and started inthe opposite direction. He made twenty yards before he was downed and theball went to Joe Nelson, who carried it another ten yards. Then Dalelanded on it through a fumble by Rigsby, and took it over the line for atouchdown. A moment later there was a trial for a goal, but it failed.
"Never mind, it's a touchdown, anyway!" shouted the Putnam Hallsupporters.
With the score 12 to 9 against them, Putnam Hall went again at thebattle. They had exactly seven minutes in which to do or die, and theexcitement all over the field was now intense. Among the anxious oneswere Baxter and his cronies.
"They can't win anything in seven minutes," argued Paxton, somewhatgloomily.
"There it goes!" cried Mumps. "See, Rigsby has the ball!"
"They are going to score again!"
It certainly looked like it, but at the last moment Dale got the ball andsent it back. Then it went from player to player so rapidly that theRigsby players could not follow it. At last Jack had it and he ran withmight and main for a touchdown--and got it!
"Whoop! Hurrah! Putnam Hall wins!" was the cry.
The goal was kicked, and the ball went again into play. But before itcould be moved ten yards time was called; and the match came to an end.Putnam Hall had indeed won.
The Putnam Hall Cadets; or, Good Times in School and Out Page 13