WHEN THE CHEERS BROKE LOOSE
Fifteen minutes left to play.
By this time even the most hopeful spectators had settled down
to the conviction that the Army was to lose the game. The most
sanguine hoped that the score would not exceed 6 to nothing.
"We're done for on this trip!" muttered Lewis, the Army's right
guard.
"No, we're not," retorted Dick, his eyes flashing. "We can't
lose; that's all there is to it!"
"Who told you that," demanded Lewis.
"That used to be our motto, our fighting principle on the old
Gridley High School team in the days when it never lost a game,"
replied Prescott.
"Hm!" returned Lewis. "I wish we had some more of your old Gridley
players on the team today, then."
Then they scurried to their places, leaving Dick in wonder as to
whether Lewis' last remark had been intended for sarcasm.
"Greg." whispered Dick, his pulses throbbing, "you see those fellows
on the Lehigh right flank?"
They're the fellows we've got to down. We've got to down them,
if we get killed!"
"That's the word!" gritted the Army left tackle. "Dick, I'd about
as soon be killed as let the Army be walked over!"
This had all been whispered rapidly.
The Army had just got the ball again, and was only ten yards over
into Lehigh territory.
Now Boyle's signal was sounding:
"Twelve---seven---six---three!"
Dick straightened. Greg squirmed. Both knew that their chance
had come again.
Making an oblique dash, Boyle himself passed the pigskin to Dick
Prescott. Then all of the Army line that could do so stiffened in
and surged behind Prescott and Holmes.
Lehigh's bigger right end was making like a cyclone for Dick. The
Lehigh man was backed finely.
Just as they were on the point of dashing together, Greg, as by
previous arrangement, gave Dick a prodigious shove, at the same
instant himself leaping forward.
So quickly was the thing done that Lehigh's right end, ere he
realized it, had grappled with Greg---and Dick was around the
end, racing!
With a muttered growl of rage Lehigh's man let Holmes go. For
a second or two, the college men were badly rattled. Greg, with
the agility of a squirrel, ducked low and got through, racing
with all his might after Prescott.
Twenty-four yards were covered ere Prescott went down. When he
did so, Greg was standing back, saving himself that he might help
Dick the next time.
Once more the ball was snapped back. This time some brilliant
faking was done. The whole of the first movement looked as though
the ball were to be pushed somewhere through the Army's right
flank, and Lehigh wheeled accordingly. But it was a left-end pass,
after all. Dick and Greg got through by a very slight variation
on their last ruse eighteen yards more gained!
In an instant, now, those in the Army seats were wild with enthusiasm.
The band crashed out joyously, a dozen measures, while the cadets
sang one of their songs of jubilant brag. Then all was suddenly
still for the next bit of play.
While the men of both teams were hurrying to the line-up, a signal
was noticed by hundreds that caused excited comment.
Brayton made some slight signal to Prescott Both Dick and Greg
shook their heads sullenly.
"Confound Brayton!" shivered Lieutenant Barney. "What does he mean
by that? He has signaled Prescott and Holmes asking them if they
can put one more by Lehigh, and they have refused. Ennis and all
the Lehighs have tumbled. Brayton-----"
"Seven---two---nine---eight!" voiced Quarterback Boyle.
Instantly Coach Carney's face cleared. It was an emergency signal,
not yet used in the game. As if unconsciously, all the men of
the Army eleven had turned toward right guard.
The ball was snapped back. Boyle took three steps of a plunge
toward right guard, then suddenly dodged, passing the ball to
Greg, who swiftly passed it to Prescott---and the race was on.
Lehigh's right end made a gallant dash to stop Dick. There was
a mix-up in an instant. All happened so swiftly that the spectators
were not certain how the thing had been done.
But Dick Prescott, with Cadet Greg Holmes almost at his side,
was charging across the lower field, past one of the halfbacks,
and with only fullback really in their way.
There was a tackle. But Dick was seen to come out of it, while
Greg rolled on the grass with the fullback.
"_Touchdown!_"
The air trembled with the vibration of that surging yell as Cadet
Prescott raced across Lehigh's goal line.
"Humph!" ejaculated Haynes. But he, too, was on his feet, watching
the lively performance.
Then the pigskin was carried back for the kick for goal, and the
goal was made.
Lehigh was tied! After the early discouragements of the game that
seemed luck enough.
Lieutenant Carney was the personal embodiment of joy as he recalled
the signal of Brayton and the sullen headshakes of Prescott and
Holmes.
"That was a ratty and clever piece of acting, to throw the visitors
off their guard!" chuckled the Army coach.
No time was lost in lining up again. Only seven minutes of playing
time were left. It seemed too short in which to do anything in
the faces of the Army players there glowed the light of determination.
Within three minutes the ball was well down in Lehigh territory.
The college men fought grimly now. They were becoming rattled;
the Army players seemed more confident and more full of spirit
than at time in the day.
Now there came another play. Again the Army's left wing was used.
There was a short, desperate scrimmage. The Army had gained four
yards, yet lost---what?
For, out of that scrimmage came Dick and Greg, each limping enough
to be noticed.
One of the Army "rainmakers" (doctors) even started out from the
side lines, but Brayton waive the medical officer back.
"Is it a trick, this time, or real?" wondered Conch Carney, who
did not care to be caught napping again.
"Five---nine---seven---two---eighteen!"
The last numeral called for a fake kick. So well was the strategy
carried out that Lehigh was even trapped into spreading out a trifle.
It was a left-end play again, however, and Dick and Greg, backed
by all the rest, fought to put it through.
Lehigh's halfback caught Prescott this time---caught him fair
and full, and Prescott went down.
Yet this had been intended. So well was it done that Greg, close
in, was away with the ball by the time that Prescott touched the
earth.
There was a yell of dismay from the visitors. They started to
bear down Holmes, but all of the Army team had been prepared for
this move from the instant the last signal; had been called.
So it was the full force of the charging Army line that pushed
Cadet Holmes through and over the goal line.
Over all the cheering that followed this manoeuvre came the call
for time at the end of the game's playing time. Yet, under the
rules, the kick for goal was tried.
The kick failed---but who cared? The finishing score was:
Army, 11; Lehigh, 6.
Gone were all the doubts concerning Prescott and Holmes. Now
they were the most sensational players in the Army team. Justly
Brayton received his full share of credit both for taking on Prescott
and Holmes at the eleventh hour, and also for carrying out so
cleverly his own captain's part of the strategy that had won.
Lehigh's team went off the field dejected. The visitors had
counted on victory as theirs. There was a noticeable silence
among the Lehigh "boosters" as they clambered down from their
from their seats and strolled moodily away.
Only one man had any adverse commend. That man was turnback Haynes,
and all he said was:
"_Humph!_"