Lester Chadwick

“ Then the whole body of sophomores quickly threw themselves against the freshmen, as if to force them away from the pole by weight of numbers. They nearly succeeded, and Tom and his fellow defenders of the flag staff thought their arms would be pulled out of the sockets. But, as if it was a second down in a fierce football game, the freshmen held their opponents and thrust the wave of sophomores back. ”

“ I'm not saying I did such brilliant work—none of us did—but you did rotten, Langridge, and you know it. It isn't as if you couldn't do better, for we all know you can. You've gone stale—or—or something!"
Tom had an idea what it was that had made the pitcher go "stale." His brilliant hit and run had been followed by a reaction, the result of the stimulant he took. It is always thus.
Langridge stared at Kerr, his most particular chum, and then, as if not understanding it, went off by himself in a corner of the car. ”

“ There was great celebrating in Randall that night. Some of the boys wanted to light historic bonfires along the river, which blazes were always kindled on great occasions, but Mr. Lighton reminded the lads that they had still to win the contest with Fairview before they would be champions, and he urged that the game was no easy one. So milder forms of making glad were substituted. Tom was the hero of the hour, and he felt that there had been made up to him everything that he had suffered in being kept so long on the scrub.
It was dark in the apartments of Langridge. ”

“ He had cheered the nine until his throat ached, but somehow there was to him a hollowness in the winning.
"Too bad you couldn't play, old man," commented Sid. "I was almost hoping Langridge would strain his arm, and then——"
"Don't!" exclaimed Tom quickly. "That's bad luck, and, what's worse, Sid, it's treason."
"Then give me liberty or buy me a seltzer lemonade, Patrick Henry!" declaimed Phil. "Honest now, Tom, weren't you just aching to get out and play?"
"I was," replied Tom so earnestly that the others looked curiously at him. "I never wanted so much in my life to get into a game. ”

“ The sophomores had started another song. They were about through the second verse when there came a series of sudden yells from the pavilion. There were cries of pain, and Langridge, in the midst of the freshmen, called out:
"That's it! That's the stuff! Rah! rah! sophs! This time we break you up. Cheer, boys, cheer!"
The freshmen set up an exultant cry as it became evident that, in some way, the gleeful singing of the second-year lads had been stopped. There was an excited movement in the pavilion, yet the waiting freshmen could not see that anything had taken place. ”

“ Over in the grandstand Ford Fenton, who was cheer leader, called for the "Brace, brace, brace" song and it came in a mighty chorus.
"Only one run! only one!" pleaded hundreds of Randall lads. "One run to beat 'em, and then Tom Parsons will strike 'em out!"
Tom heard it and smiled. His arm had been given another rubbing, and though it pained him, he went to the bat first in the tenth inning with a confident step. Somewhere on the grandstand he knew a girl was watching him, and he tried to single her out. ”

“ Better let him go. He'll only laugh the more at us."
"But what are we to do?" demanded Langridge. "We don't want to lose the game." He was very vexed, for he knew it would reflect on him as manager.
"The only thing I see to do is to walk back until we meet another car and then send on word of this abandoned one," said Sid. "It's a long walk, but——"
"Hark!" cried Tom Parsons suddenly. "An auto is coming along the road."
"Maybe some of us can get a ride," proposed Phil Clinton. "We can go to town and hire a rig for the rest of you." ”

“ Tom could fancy Mr. Lighton thanking him for the information about Langridge and could even imagine the coach acting on it and warning the pitcher. Tom could see the look on the face of Kindlings when he was told. It would be a revelation. Yet for all the service that he rendered to the team there would be but one construction put upon Tom's act by his classmates—he would be accused of informing in order to oust Langridge so that he might have the pitcher's place.
"And I can't do that," declared Tom to himself. "I'll have to find some other way. I'll make one more try with Langridge." ”

“ Langridge," said the girl with some dignity.
"You had no right——" began the 'varsity pitcher.
"I fancy Miss Tyler is the best judge of that," spoke Tom coolly as he took the girl's hand.
"Is she?" sneered Langridge. "Maybe she knows who brought her to this affair then! If she does, she can find some one else to take her away," and he swung off.
For an instant Miss Tyler stood looking at him. The dancers whirled around the couple standing there and the music sounded sweetly. There was the suspicion of tears in her eyes. ”

“ He had little more time for thought, however, as the umpire was getting the new ball from the foil cover and was about to call the game.
Boxer had won the toss and elected to bat last, so it was the turn of the visitors to get up first and show what they could do. Langridge was greeted with a cheer from a crowd in the Randall section of the grandstand as he went to the bat. He was popular with the large mass of students in spite of his ways. He seemed in good form and there was a confident air about him as he swung his willow stock to and fro.
"Play ball!" called the umpire. ”

“ Langridge stood before his rival, waiting. It was quiet in the little room, so quiet that the ticking of the alarm clock sounded loud. Outside could be heard the tramp of feet in the corridor, students going to and fro. Langridge glanced nervously at the door. He was plainly afraid lest some one should enter and find him there. ”

“ There's none greater except football, and when I see the gridiron marked off and hear the 'ping' of somebody's boot against the pigskin my heart begins to thump and I catch my breath and want to take the ball to batter down a stone fence and make a touchdown."
"Bravo!" cried Sid. "You're as bad as Tom."
"Quit talking and get to practice!" exclaimed a voice at the rear of the lads, and they turned to see Langridge.
"Say, who told you to give orders?" asked Sid quickly. "Bricktop is our captain." ”

“ Churchill's heart had softened at the last moment.
"Girls, girls, girls!" exclaimed Tom as he walked out on the field with Sid and Phil and saw the grandstand at Fairview massed with gay femininity. "And all pretty too!"
"Of course," agreed Sid. "What did I tell you? But what interests me more is the other team. Jove! but they are quick," for the Fairview students were batting and catching in a manner to provoke admiration. ”

“ SOME "OLD GRADS"
"What's the matter, old man?" inquired Sid the next morning as he rolled over in bed and looked at Tom.
"Matter? Why?"
"You look as if you'd been drawn through a knot hole, and a small one at that. What's wrong?"
"Nothing," and Tom tried to laugh it off. "I didn't sleep very well, that's all."
"For that matter, neither did I."
"Get out! I heard you snoring away like a boiler blowing off steam."
"Then I must have been tired. I never snore unless I am. Wow! ouch! ”

“ He must be a fine pitcher if he gets nervous," declared Clinton.
Langridge glanced at the circle of freshmen about him. There were enough of them to stand off the rush of the sophomores, who, as they came nearer, were observed to be rather few in number.
"Here it goes!" exclaimed the rich youth, and he threw the lead weight with all his force. It struck the cross, but did not carry the cord over the arm.
"At 'em, fellows! At 'em!" yelled the leading sophomores. "Tear 'em apart! Don't let 'em get the clapper!" ”

“ Besides, Tom wanted advice. So he told his chum everything from the time of meeting with the sporty students until the sensational retreat of Langridge to his room.
"Now, what would you do?" asked Tom. "Keep still and take what's coming or tell the proctor and use that as an excuse for coming in late? It really wasn't my fault."
Sid scratched his head. It was a new problem for him. He saw the point Tom made, that by informing on a fellow student, Tom would be held blameless, as indeed he had a right to be. Why should Tom suffer for another's fault? ”

“ Langridge kept up his phenomenal work and another pale zero went up for Boxer, while Randall had a single mark that loomed big before the eyes of the cheering throng.
But the hopes of those who wanted to see Randall win suffered a severe setback, for in the next two innings they could not score, while in each frame for the Boxers there were two runs chalked.
"Four to one," remarked Tom to Phil Clinton. "They're crawling up. I wonder if we have any show?"
"The game is young yet," answered Phil. "I think we will do them." ”

“ But Langridge is something of a sport. He has good clothes—better than most of us here—he has all he wants to spend, and he's liberal with it. He has quite a following and lots of fellows like him. He doesn't care what he does with his money, and that's the whole thing in a nutshell. That's why he's manager and for no other reason. But, as I said, Woodhouse won't stand for any of his dictation.'
"Maybe I'll get a chance then," mused Tom.
"I guess you will. I'd like to see another good pitcher on the nine. Maybe we'd win more games if we had a good one." ”

“ In an instant Sid and Tom were grasped each by half a dozen hands and pulled to the middle of the room. Then Broken-nose and some others took the two water pitchers and poured the contents over the two freshmen. It was not a pleasant ordeal, but Tom and his chum bore it unflinchingly. It was useless to struggle.
"Oh, this is no fun!" exclaimed Gladdus. "They don't fight."
"The odds are too heavy," retorted Tom quickly. "I'll take any one of you alone," he added, and he looked as if he meant it. ”

“ The 'varsity pitcher was not as steady on his feet as he should have been.
"I—I s'pose you'll tell Kindlings and Lighten about me, eh, what?" he asked brokenly as he walked along.
"No," said Tom quietly. "But you ought to cut it out, Langridge, if not for your own sake for the sake of the team."
"That's right, that's right, old man, I ought. You're a good sort of chap, too preachy maybe, but all right. I ought to cut it out, but I like fun."
"You ought to give up smoking and drinking," went on Tom boldly. ”

“ It was a sort of "fade-away" ball, made famous by a great professional player.
Tom drew his arm back, having gripped the ball strongly. The action made him wince with pain, but there was no time now to stop for that. Out straightened his muscles and the horsehide left his hand swiftly. He knew it was a good ball, but in spite of that he almost feared lest he should hear the fatal "ping" as the bat hit it or listen to the umpire's "ball one." Tom felt that he could not toss another curve. ”

“ The winning of this game against what was generally considered to be a much stronger team than that of Randall did much to infuse an ag; gressive spirit into the latter players. The trip, too, acted as a sort of tonic.
"Boys, I think we're fit to make the fight of our lives a week from to-day," declared Captain Woodhouse as he and the team were on their way back to college. "We'll wipe the diamond up with Fairview and then maybe that banner won't look fine at the top of our flagstaff." ”

“ Tom did not reply, but he wondered what use Langridge was going to make of the wire.
"They ought to start soon now," whispered Phil. "There's a good crowd of them there."
"Yes, and they've got scouts out all around," added Sid as he and his chums saw a number of shadowy figures patroling the stretch around the pavilion. "They're not going to be caught unawares."
"I don't see how we're going to break 'em up," remarked Phil.
"You wait and you'll see," exclaimed Langridge, who was moving about among the freshmen. "Say, Ed, you'd better go now and light the fuse." ”

“ Go easy!"
"But that's no reason why we should let them walk all over us!" exclaimed a sturdy lad, who had watched, with rising anger, the attack on Fenton. "I don't see why a crowd of us fellows should take whatever mean things they want to inflict."
"That's all right, Clinton," declared Langridge.
"It's college custom, just the same as it is for us to take the clapper out of the chapel bell, have it melted up, and cast into watch charms. It's college custom, that's all." ”