CHAPTER X
IN THE ENEMY'S COUNTRY
ONE afternoon, after practice, "Bull" Hendricks called Bert aside andsaid: "I want you to stay a few minutes after the others have gone,Wilson. Reddy and I have something we want you to do."
"All right," was the reply, and accordingly, after the other members ofthe squad had finished dressing and had left the dressing room Bertlingered behind. In a few minutes the coach walked into the apartment,followed by Reddy.
"Reddy and I," began Hendricks, "have decided that we want something alittle more definite than rumor concerning one or two of the rivalteams. We have talked the matter over, and what we want you to do isthis. Next Saturday afternoon, as of course you know, the 'Maroons' and'Greys' are scheduled to play off the game that was postponed on accountof bad weather. We want to get a line on the two teams, but both Reddyand myself are too busy just at present to take the time off. But wethought you could go over and size things up about as well as we could.You understand the game thoroughly, and in addition I believe know howto use your head for something besides eating."
"You compliment me more highly than I deserve," laughed Bert. "But,"more seriously, "I'll be glad to do anything you want me to that will beof any service in helping the team to win."
"Well, it will be a help," said the coach. "We hear one thing to-day,and the exact opposite to-morrow, so we never know what to believe. Butif you go and see this game, you ought to be able to get a pretty fairline on the real state of affairs."
"The only trouble is," worried Reddy, "that the team will practicallymiss a whole afternoon's practice, because it's not much we can dowithout Wilson."
The little trainer would never have made this admission had he not beenvery sure of his man. But he knew Bert's sterling character well enoughto be sure that the remark would cause no case of "swelled head."
"We'll get along some way," said Hendricks, "and the team is in goodenough shape now to afford taking it easy one afternoon. We'll justpractice on signals, and they'll be all the better for a little let up."
"In that case," suggested Bert, "why couldn't I take Dick and Tom alongwith me? You know the old saying that 'two heads are better than one,'and on the same plan, three heads ought to be better than two."
"At that rate you'd have the entire college going over there and givingthe whole thing away," grunted Hendricks, "but I suppose you might aswell take them along. The chances are you won't be noticed in the crowd,and if you are there's no special harm done. There's no law againstplayers from one team going to see another team play."
"An' what's more," put in Reddy, "I don't believe one o' them can thinkreal well unless the other two is hangin' around somewheres close by. Itsure beats the Dutch, the way them three lads holds together."
"Well," said Bert, "that 'holding together,' as you call it, has been amighty good thing for each of us at one time or another. Looked at inone light, it's a sort of mutual benefit affair."
"Whatever it is, it seems to work pretty well," remarked Hendricks, "andit's results that always make a big hit with me."
They then proceeded to arrange the details, and it was decided that thethree boys should leave immediately after breakfast on Saturday. Wheneverything had been settled Bert took leave of the coach and trainer andsought out his friends.
After he had explained the plan to them, Tom threw a book he had beenstudying into a far corner, and gave a shout of delight which wasechoed by Dick.
"Some class to us, all right," exulted Tom; "it shows old Hendricks musthave some confidence in us, even though he'd probably be pulled topieces before he'd admit it."
"I suppose he must have," grinned Dick, "although up to this time I willconfess that I never suspected it."
"Well, we'd better not look a gift horse in the mouth," said Bert. "Thefact remains that we're in for an afternoon of good sport. It willcertainly be a pleasure to me to watch somebody else play football for achange. And before the afternoon is over, you can take it from me I'mgoing to know all about the comparative strength of their teams and oursthat there is to know."
"Well, you _may_ be able to learn something, seeing that I'll be alongto explain the fine points of the game to you and see that youunderstand what is going on," said Tom. "I suppose the coach realizedthat there wouldn't be much use in sending you over alone, and that'swhy he told you to ask us to go too."
"You certainly hate yourself, don't you?" grinned Bert. "However, Iwon't lower myself to answer you, merely remarking in passing that yourwords are only worthy of the deepest contempt."
"Is that so?" replied Tom. "I'm afraid if you pull much more of thatstuff I'll have to find a quiet nook for you in my private graveyard.I'd have done it before only that I find myself somewhat overcrowdedeven now."
"Say, cut out that nonsense, you two, and get down to business, willyou?" interrupted Dick. "What time are we supposed to leave here, Bert?"he asked.
"Right after lunch," responded that individual. "I'll get a time table,and we'll see what will be the best train to take."
"I know a better way to go than by train," said Dick.
"What's that--walk?" inquired Tom sarcastically.
"Please don't be any more foolish than you can help," said Dick withelaborate politeness; "what I was about to say was, that I think I knowwhere I can borrow an automobile for the afternoon. How does that ideastrike you?"
"Greatest ever," ejaculated Bert, "but where in the world are you goingto get the car?"
"Leave that to your Uncle Dudley," replied Dick. "I met an old friendthe other day. He's visiting relatives in the town for several weeks. Hehas all sorts of money, and sports two 'devil wagons.' He told me Icould have the use of one any time I had a mind to ask for it, so Idon't think I'll have any trouble on that score."
"That seems too good to be true," said Bert. "Suppose you look up yourfriend this evening after supper and make sure of getting the car. It'sbetter to know in advance what we can count on."
"I'll do that," promised Dick, "and if I get back in time I'll let youknow if everything is all right. If I get back late I'll tell you aboutit in the morning."
Matters were left in this state, and it was not until the next morningthat the boys learned of the success of Dick's visit to the town.
When they caught sight of him in the morning, Bert and Tom did not haveto question him.
"It's all right fellows," he said. "I fixed it all up, and we can havethe car any time we want it. And the one we're going to use is a peach,too."
"That's certainly fine," said Tom. "We'll make the trip in tip-top styleall right."
"People will think we're regular swells, for fair," agreed Bert.
"I think we'd better pose as a rich man traveling with his chauffeur andvalet," said Tom. "I'll be the rich man, Dick can be the chauffeur, andBert can be the valet."
"All right," said Bert, "but under those conditions, I insist on beingpaid in advance."
"So do I," grinned Dick. "I refuse to run that car a foot until I'm paidin full, a year in advance, cash down."
"If you feel that way about it," grumbled Tom, "I'll be forced to fireyou both and run the car myself. All you fellows think of is moneyanyway, it seems to me."
"Well, if you can't pay us I suppose we'll have to pose as just threefriends traveling together," laughed Bert. "That's the only way out ofit that I can see."
"I'll have to let it go at that I suppose," said Tom; and after a heartylaugh the boys dispersed to their recitation rooms.
Practice that afternoon was fast and hard, and it was a tired trio thatmet that evening in Bert's room to make final plans for their trip thenext day. They decided to walk to the garage where the automobile waskept, and Dick showed them a written order his friend had given himauthorizing him to take the car out.
"Your friend has certainly done everything up in fine style," commentedBert; "he must be a good man to know."
"He's a brick," said Dick enthusiastically; "we used to be in the sameclass in sch
ool, and we were always good friends. I'd like to have youfellows meet him."
"Yes, I'd like to get acquainted," said Tom. "It seems funny we haven'tmet him before."
"Well, you see, his folks moved West when we were both youngsters, andthat's the reason," explained Dick, "otherwise I suppose you wouldhave."
"Well, probably we will before he leaves town," said Bert. "But now, howabout to-morrow?"
"Why, right after breakfast to-morrow," said Dick, "we'll go straightfrom the training table to the garage. We won't have any more thanenough time as it is. It must be a matter of a hundred miles or more,and we want to travel easy and allow for possible breakdown and delay."
As there seemed to be no objection to Dick's plan, the boys adopted it.Immediately after the morning meal they set out for the town, and aftera brisk walk reached the garage.
Here they sought the proprietor, and Dick showed him the written orderfrom Moore, his friend.
"Oh, yes, that will be all right," said the garage man. "Mr. Moore toldme that you would call for the car at about this time, so I've beenexpecting you. There she is, over in the corner, the big gray onethere."
He indicated a big gray touring car, and the three comrades walked overto it. It was, as Dick had told them, a beautiful machine, and theypiled in with many expressions of admiration. As Dick had procured thecar the honor of driving it naturally fell to him. He manoeuvred the bigautomobile skilfully out of the garage, and they were soon spinningsmoothly over an ideal country road. The car behaved perfectly and Dickwas enthusiastic over it.
"We could get twice the speed out of it that we are now," he exulted,"but I'm not taking any chances to-day. We owe it to the team to becareful."
"Right you are," agreed Bert. "There's no use taking risks when we don'thave to. At this rate we'll eat up the distance in mighty short orderanyway."
And indeed, it was no great time before they reached their destinationand were bowling through the streets.
They left the car at the local garage, and made their way to the field,guided thereto by a constant stream of chattering and laughing peopleevidently bound for the same place. They obtained good seats and satdown to await the beginning of the game.
Before long the "Grey" players trotted out onto the field, and wereshortly followed by the "Maroons." Both teams went through theirpreliminary practice with snap and "pep," and received enthusiasticapplause from their admirers in the stands. Then the actual play began,and the three comrades noted every play and formation with the greatestattention. They were resolved to justify the coach's confidence in them,and to be able to give him an accurate line of "dope" when they returnedto their Alma Mater.
The game was fast and furious, but at the end of the first half the"Maroons" were leading by one touchdown. Excitement ran high at theopening of the second half, and a battle royal began. But the "Greys"fought fiercely, and by a splendid run down the field made a touchdownand tied the score. Then, in the last three minutes of play, they forcedthe ball over for another touchdown, and the day was theirs.
"Well!" exclaimed Bert as they filed out with the crowd, "both thoseteams have the 'goods,' but I think the 'Greys' are just a shade betterthan the 'Maroons.'"
"I do, too," said Tom, and this seemed also to be Dick's opinion. Theymade their way to the garage, and as it was now almost dark, Dick litthe lamps on the car. Then they purred smoothly along the macadam roadand after a delightful ride through the crisp autumn air delivered thecar safely into its garage before midnight.
The next morning they were received with an uproarious welcome when theymade their appearance at the training table. The other members of theteam had a pretty good idea of where they had been, and assailed themfrom every side with questions. But they kept their own counsel,reserving their information for the ears of the coach, and knowing thathe would tell the team all that he thought fit.
After the meal was over they repaired to the training quarters, wherethey found the coach awaiting them.
"Well," he said, "what luck?"
Speaking for his comrades, Bert related the story of the game, and thecoach listened attentively. When Bert had finished, he asked a number ofcrisp questions of each of the three boys, and their answers seemed tosatisfy him.
"Well," he growled, when at last he rose to go, "I can go ahead now withmore certainty. You fellows have done better than I expected." Whichfrom Hendricks was high praise.
"We've certainly got our work cut out for us," said Bert after the coachhad departed. "I haven't a doubt in the world but what we can beat them,but just the same we'll have to do our prettiest to get the long end ofthe decision."
"Bet your tintype we will," said Tom; "both those teams are a toughproposition for anybody to handle. But there will be all the more gloryfor us when we win."
"That's the talk!" exclaimed Dick, "there's no fun in winning a gamewhere you don't get hard opposition, anyway."
Meanwhile Hendricks had wended his way back to the training quarters,where he sought out Reddy.
He gave the red-headed trainer a brief outline of what the boys had toldhim, and Reddy listened attentively, once or twice breaking in with aquestion or two.
"So it seems," said Hendricks at last, winding up his discourse, "thatthe team we've really got to look out for is the 'Greys.' According tothe report of our three boys, they are mighty strong on the attack, andnothing behindhand on their defense."
"It looks that way," acquiesced Reddy, nodding his head, "the lads didpretty well, don't you think?"
"They did," agreed Hendricks; "they got just the information that I wasafter. And what do you think," he added with a laugh, "they weren'tcontent to go by the train or trolley, but borrowed an automobile andwent in style."
"Sure, and it's like themselves," grinned Reddy, "if I was runnin' abusiness I'd be afraid to give those byes a job. They'd be ownin' theplant in less than a year."
"I believe they would," said Hendricks. "They're natural born winners."
Bert Wilson on the Gridiron Page 10