Ralph Henry Barbour

“ I didn’t ask to have a blooming Britisher wished on me, if you care to know it!”
“And I didn’t ask to be put in with a bear,” replied Hugh mildly. “What’s wrong with you, anyhow, old chap? Anything I’ve done?”
“There isn’t anything wrong,” responded Bert crossly, “except that a fellow likes a certain amount of freedom in his own rooms. You seem to think you own this place!”
“Piffle! Go ahead and walk if it does you any good.” Hugh smiled as he turned back to his book. Probably Bert was looking for grievances, for that smile instead of bringing peace produced a fresh outburst. ”

“ Don’t you like to win when you start out to?”
“Oh, rather! But playing a game is playing a game, old chap. It isn’t business or war, is it? Why not play for the fun of it? Try as hard as you like and then if you don’t win—er—forget it!” Hugh was palpably proud of his bit of slang.
“That’s all right,” replied Bert. “I’ve heard a lot about your English sportsmanship and all [64] that, but I notice that when we go over to your side of the pond and beat you, you don’t like it a bit and you come back at us with charges of professionalism.” ”

“ He was back a half-hour later, in time for French, and, so far as he knew, his absence was passed unnoticed.
It drizzled all day, and toward evening grew colder. The gridiron, covered with a sprinkling of marsh hay, remained deserted. At four o’clock the team met in the gymnasium and had a half-hour’s drill on signals, and then again, at half-past eight, there was a blackboard talk. But the day went slowly to most of the fellows and the weather affected tight-strung nerves, and everyone from Coach Bonner down to the least important third-string substitute was heartily glad when bedtime came. ”

“ Once a team went past overhead, and once an automobile sped across, roaring fearsomely and threatening to bring the old structure down on top of them. Then quiet again, and the winding stretch of the river below, black and silver. With the rising of the moon the little breeze had found courage and now blew cooler from the west. Nine [27] o’clock struck in the village and they splashed back into the water and swam to the float. Half an hour later they parted in front of Trow, Ted and Pop turning in there and Bert and Nick going on to Lothrop. ”

“ School Team, Bert, you’re supposed to behave yourself and not act like a kid.”
“Oh, chuck it, Pop,” returned Bert shortly. “I’ve been lectured enough. You’re as cheerful as a raven.”
“After all,” said Nick, “’is ’Ighness is the only one should kick. He’s dished on football for two weeks, anyway, and that queers him utterly for this year. If anyone has a right to grouch it’s Hugh, and he’s the most cheerful of the lot.” ”

“ Come on down to the boathouse if you want to get what’s coming to you!”
“Right-o,” responded Hugh calmly. “I say, Peet, nip it, like a good chap, will you?”
“Nip what?” gasped Peet.
“Toddle, run along,” elaborated Hugh impatiently.
“N-no, sir, I’m going with you, Ordway, but you’re a fool to fight Longley. Listen, won’t you? He can lick you easily. Why, he’s bigger than you and older and—and he knows how to fight, too! Let’s—let’s beat it!”
But Hugh was already stalking along behind Longley and Bowen, and Peet’s remonstrances fell on deaf ears. ”

“ What’s the use?” asked Cathcart. “I know it was Ordway.”
“You do? Even when I say it wasn’t? When I say it was me? You’re mighty smart, aren’t you?”
Cathcart colored and frowned. “Very well,” he said stiffly. “I’ll report you both and you can settle it between you. I’m not quite such a fool as you seem to think, Winslow.”
“I’m not thinking,” replied Bert impolitely.
“Stow it, you chaps,” Hugh broke in. “Be fair, Bert. Cathcart’s only doing what he has to. Much obliged for lying, old chap, but I don’t really mind being reported. It’s all right, Cathcart,” he added reassuringly. ”

“ I thought it might be cooler tomorrow, but that sunset says not. What do you think?”
“Oh, we ought to be able to stand a little work in the morning, if we don’t do any in the afternoon. Still, it’s just as you like, Coach. It is awfully hot for football, and that’s a fact.”
“Have a heart, Ted!” implored Derry.
“That’s the scheme, sir,” exclaimed Nick Blake. “It’s going to be hotter than ever tomorrow.” Nick expertly thrust some bread crumbs down Pop Driver’s neck. “We’d all be better for a rest, sir. Just look at Pop here! Overcome by the heat, Mr. Bonner!” ”

“ Already a few tennis enthusiasts were busy on the courts as Bert and his companion passed through the gate, and Hugh stopped a moment to watch. “I dare say a chap doesn’t have much time for tennis if he plays football,” he remarked questioningly.
“None at all,” said Bert. “Do you play?”
“A bit. It’s a rip—a corking game, I think. If I don’t have any luck with football I’ll have to go in for it. I saw a notice up about a Fall Tournament, I think.”
“Yes, they have one in a week or two. We’ve got some rather decent players here. Last year we didn’t do a thing to Mount Morris.” ”

“ Look here, I’m out of football for a couple of weeks anyhow, Cathcart. What do you say we have a try at tennis some day? What hours do you have in the mornings?”
“I’m pretty full every morning but Thursday and Saturday,” replied the other doubtfully. “I wouldn’t be much of a fellow for you to play with, Ordway. I’m terribly stale. Fact is, I only do it in spring because I have to.”
“Oh, I’m no marvel, old chap! Anyway, that doesn’t matter, does it? We can have some sport. What time Thursday, now?” ”

“ HANRIHAN PROMISES “The beauty of being on probation,” observed Nick, “is that a fellow is able to give his entire time to the improvement of his mind. I recall that during my junior year being on pro was very helpful to me. It allowed me to do a lot of studying that I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish otherwise, and so, without doubt, preserved me to Grafton posterity. If it hadn’t been for that thoughtful act on the part of faculty you might not have me with you this evening, fellows.”
“Faculty has a heap to answer for,” said Guy sadly.
“I don’t mind—much,” said Hugh. ”

“ Nick was in extremely high spirits, in spite of the fact that two of his fingers were bound together with surgeon’s tape, and, after Cathcart had removed his restraining presence, became so hilarious and playful that Guy and Hugh were forced to improvise a straight-jacket from a pair of Bert’s discarded football pants. Subsequently, Nick reclined, neatly trussed, on the window-seat and proclaimed: “I am but mad north-northwest: when the wind is southerly I know a hawk from a handsaw!” ”

“ Hugh gained more knowledge of the finer points of football that evening when Nick, Pop Driver, Guy and Bert threshed it all out in Number 29. Much of the discussion went over his head, but he awoke to the realization that there [75] was a great deal more to football than meets the eyes of the spectator. Nick and Bert argued for ten minutes over one play which had gone awry. Bert declared that it shouldn’t have been called for in the circumstances and Nick proved, to his own satisfaction at least, that it was fundamentally, psychologically, scientifically correct. ”

“ Hugh had a conference with Mr. Rumford at two-thirty and when he got back to Lothrop it was nearly half-past three and Bert had gone down to the field. Hugh dumped his books, paused to scribble a memorandum, and then, changing coat and waistcoat for a sweater, started for the door. Simultaneously there was a knock on the half-opened portal and Hugh swung it open, revealing on the threshold a very stout man with very red cheeks and a very luxuriant mustache. That mustache so fascinated Hugh for a moment that he merely stood there and gazed. ”

“ The talk that Hugh had received from Jimmy, otherwise the assistant principal, Mr. Rumford, was nothing to what Hanrihan had to say to him Saturday morning. Hanrihan told Hugh quite explicitly how many kinds of an idiot he was and would listen to no excuses.
“You seem to think all we have to do is waste time on you fellows and then you can drop out whenever it pleases you. Making a football team isn’t any cinch, Ordway, when you’ve got only nine weeks to do it. You haven’t any right to take up our time if you don’t mean to stick it out.” ”

“ BACK TO THE FOLD Bert was as surprised as he was delighted when Hugh informed him after practice that Mr. Crowley had virtually promised him a place with the second team. At first Bert insisted that his chum had misunderstood, but, on having the conversation repeated, acknowledged that Hugh had good grounds for encouragement. “I never heard of its being done before, Hugh,” he said. “Tom Hanrihan must have a drag with Dinny, and no mistake. You’ll have to work like the dickens to stay on. Think you can do it?” ”

“ If you’re out to beat a fellow, beat him. That’s my idea.”
“Yes, I know, but there are some things a chap wouldn’t do to win, aren’t there? He wouldn’t cheat, for instance, and he wouldn’t take advantage of—of technicalities, if you know what I mean. Oh, I dare say I’ll come around to your way of looking at it after a bit,” Hugh added cheerfully. “Anyway, I’m going to keep on plugging along at football, because, maybe, you know, after a while I’ll really think it’s fun!”
“Meaning that you don’t now?” laughed Bert. ”

“ I do kick! I’m kicking!”
[11]
“I hear you,” murmured Ted. “Go on kicking. Nobody’s going to miss you if you go back to Deal Beach tomorrow. We could have got on well enough without you, anyhow. You were simply asked because we thought you’d feel hurt if you weren’t.”
“I like your nerve!” gasped Nick. “My word! Who’s been doing the work for five days out there? Trying to get drive into you chaps is like pulling teeth! Why, you miserable sandy-haired——”
“Oh, come on,” begged Bert. “I’m getting hungry. Anyone want to wash up? Come along if you do. ”

“ I never imagined that I’d get in your way, Bert. If I had I’d never have gone in for the silly game. Now look what’s happened!”
“Well, what has happened? I’m out and you’re in because you deserve to be. Besides, there’s another year coming, isn’t there? Football doesn’t stop after Saturday, you know.”
“That’s taking it mighty well,” said Hugh warmly. “But—just the same I don’t like it. It makes me feel an awful rotter, an out-and-out rotter, old chap! If there was any way to—to—to back out——”
“Don’t be a chump! ”

“ As I make it out you don’t care so much for playing football as you do for winning from the other chap, the rival school, you know. If you do win it’s all awfully jolly and everyone’s as happy as a lark. If you lose, why, you all draw long faces and feel sort of disgraced. ”

“ Up and down in front of the gymnasium the battle waged, the two classes fairly even in numbers. For the first few minutes it was a mere matter of pushing and shoving, one throng against the other, lower middle giving way only to close ranks again and force upper middle back. The seniors, laughing and impartially encouraging the belligerents, watched appreciatively. And in the meanwhile, quite forgotten, the juniors proceeded undisturbed with their election.
Afterwards lower middle declared that upper middle had started the real trouble, and upper middle stoutly laid the blame on her opponent. ”

“ Long punts, thrilling catches and wonderful runs nipped in the bud by desperate tackles. Now and then an attempted forward pass by Grafton, but never successful. Mount Morris playing as if she’d be satisfied with an 0 to 0 tie, taking no chances with the ball in her possession, playing it safe always. Grafton growing more desperate every minute as the time shortens. Sending Vail and Keyes banging into the left of the Green-and-White line for short gains, whisking Blake and Winslow past tackle or outside end for slightly longer ones, until again the ball is near the twenty-five yards. ”

“ Rotan’s forwards would string across the field almost from side line to side line, her backs would retreat ten and even twelve yards behind them, there would come a quick, short signal, the ball would go back, the back-field would start on the run to one side or the other, the ball would be caught by one or another of the moving backs, Grafton would come plunging through and then—well, then a blue-armed youth would be suddenly seen running blithely away with the pigskin tucked to his body and not a Graftonian nearer than five yards! ”

“ Ted looked over and grinned.
“Sore?” he asked.
“Sore as a boil! You wouldn’t think a fellow would get so soft in summer, swimming and playing tennis and everything. I wish Bonner would let us off tomorrow. I think he might. It wouldn’t hurt him to give us a day’s rest.”
“He’s going to give us the afternoon off,” replied Ted. “Only morning practice tomorrow. You can thank me for it, Bert. It was my pretty little thought.”
“He wouldn’t have seen me on the field tomorrow, anyway,” remarked Nick. “I’m going down to the junction to meet Guy at three-something. Come on with me.” ”