AT LUMBERPORT
The girls of Central High were not neglecting other athletic work
through their interest in basketball; but just as the boys were giving
most of their spare time to football, so their sisters, during the
fall weather, were mainly interested in their own game.
As a whole, the girls' classes of Central High were given practice at
the game at least twice a week; and of course the representative team,
to which our particular friends belonged, was on the court almost
daily. There were games between the less advanced teams, too, which
brought the parents of the girls to the athletic field; and as the
season advanced the courts were marked out in the large upper room of
the gymnasium building, so that the game could be played under cover
on stormy days.
With the handicap against it at the beginning, of having been roughly
played in the city clubs, and the record of several girls having been
hurt who played without the oversight of a proper instructor, the game
gradually grew in favor at Central High until even such old-fashioned
folk as Mrs. Belding spoke approvingly of the exercise.
The girls themselves, even the "squabs" and "broilers," as Bobby
Hargrew called the freshmen and sophomores, were more and more
enthusiastic over basketball as the days passed. Although their
champion team was being beaten or tied in the trophy inter-school
series, they went to see each game, from week to week, and cheered the
Central High team with unflagging loyalty.
The very next week Laura's team went to Lumberport, a small steamboat
being chartered. It was filled with Central High girls and their
friends, and they went over to the game, intending to have a collation
aboard after the game and return down the lake by moonlight.
"Whether you girls beat the Lumberport girls, or not," chuckled Chet,
"we're bound to have a fine time. But I _do_ hope you'll lead your
team to victory at least _once_ this season, Laura. It looks as if you
girls couldn't beat an addled egg!"
"Nor anybody else, Mr. Smartie!" snapped Jess Morse. "You don't know
much about eggs, I guess."
"Nor you girls don't seem to know much about basketball," chuckled
Chet.
"What's the fight about?" demanded Bobby, coming up to the group on
the upper deck of the steamer.
"We ought to all pitch into him," said Jess, pointing to Chet. "He is
maligning the team."
"All right I'll help--if it's to be 'battle, murder, and sudden
death,'" chuckled Bobby. "We ought to get our hands in, anyway, for
to-morrow."
"What's to-morrow?" cried the girls.
"Didn't you hear what Gee Gee said to the English class to-day when
the gong rang?"
"Go on, Bobby. What's the joke?" urged Dora Lockwood.
"Why, Gee Gee said, 'Now, young ladies, that we have finished this
present subject, to-morrow we shall take the life of Carlyle. Come
prepared.' If Jess really wants us to help her draw and quarter Chet,
it might be good practice for what we're going to do to Mr. Carlyle."
"Poor Gee Gee," said Nellie, shaking her head. "She has her hands full
just now. Some of the squabs are as bad as ever you were, Bobby, when
you were a freshie."
"I like that!" exclaimed the irrepressible. "Me bad!"
"But what's happened to Miss Carrington?" asked Laura.
"She's got some mighty smart scholars in the freshman class," said
Nellie. "The other day she asked them what two very famous men were
boys together, and what do you suppose was the answer she got?"
"Give it up!" exclaimed Jess. "What was it?"
"One of those fresh squabs put up her hand and when Gee Gee nodded to
her, she squeals: 'Oh, I know, Miss Carrington! The Siamese Twins!'"
There were enough old folk aboard the steamboat to keep the exuberance
of the boys and girls within bounds. Short and Long had brought with
him his famous piratical wig and whiskers, and with these in place and
an old red sash-curtain draped about him, he looked more like a gnome
than ever, he was so little. The girls dressed up a stateroom for him,
into which he retired and told fortunes. And as Billy Long did not
lack in wit he told some funny ones.
This was one of the few occasions when Alice Long, Billy's busy
sister, had escaped from her manifold home duties to join in the "high
jinks" of her schoolmates. When they were all laughing at Billy's
antics and prophecies, Laura said to Alice:
"How do you ever manage to get along with those children, Alice? Tommy
is as full of mischief as Billy, isn't he?"
"He's worse," sighed the big sister; yet she smiled, too. "Tommy's
pretty cute, just the same. He had a birthday last week, and Dr. Agnew
came through our street going to see Johnny Doyle.
"'Hullo, Doctor!' Tommy called to him. 'I gotter birfday.'
"'You have!' exclaimed the doctor, apparently very much
astonished.'How many birthdays does that make?'
"'I'm five, I am,' says Tommy.
"'Five years old! Well,' ruminated the doctor, stopping at the gate as
though he contemplated coming in, 'what had I better do to a boy
that's got a birthday?'
"And Tommy speaks right up promptly: 'You can't! I'm sitting on it!'"
They had a lot of fun on the boat; but when the basketball team of
Central High got into their gymnasium suits in the Lumberport High
School dressing-room, they came down to serious thoughts again.
"We really _must_ beat these girls," said Laura, Mrs. Case being out
of the room. "It's all right to talk about being 'good losers' and all
that. But we don't want to be either good, or bad, losers all the
time. We've lost enough in the past. It's up to us to put Lumberport
on the shelf!"
"Hear! hear!" cried Bobby. "That's the talk."
"We have usually been able to handle Lumberport at basketball,"
continued Laura. "Let's not make this an exception to a good rule."
Even Roberta felt the inspiration of coming success before the game.
The team had been practicing faithfully and there was no real reason
why every member of it should not make a good showing. Mrs. Case
encouraged them as they went on to the court, and the Central High
crowd lined out the "yell" to greet them. There was a big audience,
for the Lumberport school had a good field and the parents of the
girls engaged were enthusiastic over basketball.
The ball was tossed up and Laura shot it over to Lily. Lily was a
pretty sure player when she was not excited. It was safe to trust her
during the first of any game. She now passed it quickly according to
her captain's signal, and to the right girl. The girls of Central High
kept the ball in play for a couple of minutes, and entirely away from
their opponents. Then Nellie got it for a good throw and--pop! the ball
went into the basket.
"First goal--hurrah!" yelled the boys from Central High.
For despite the insistence of the League rules, and the advice and
preachments of physical instructors, there was bound to be a spirit of
rivalry in the games. How else would the interest be kept up? Playing
for the sake of the game is all right; but the personal desire to win
is, after all, what inspires any player to do his, or her, best.
There was no ugly playing, however; tense as was the interest, the
opposing teams played fair and there was not an unpleasant word or
look indulged in by a member of either. With Hester Grimes off the
team from Central High there could be no complaint that they played
too hard, or unfairly. The whistle in this first half sounded very
seldom for fouls. And the game was played with a snap and vigor that
was delightful.
Central High had somewhat the best of it from that very first goal.
They won point after point. Half way through the first half Central
High was three points in the lead. When there were five minutes still
to go they made another clean goal, putting them up two more points.
But the Lumberport girls played well, too; they did not "go to pieces"
because the visitors' efforts were crowned with success. They fought
steadily and made a goal during that last five minutes.
Then the girls of Central High got the ball and made a run with it
down the field. Nellie seized it again and turned swiftly to throw. As
she did so her ankle turned under her and she came down upon one knee
with a little cry. The umpire was about to sound the whistle for time;
but the doctor's daughter sprang up instantly and threw the ball
straight into the basket. As she did so the timekeeper sounded her
whistle. The half was over.
Two of the girls ran to help Nellie, who stood, as Bobby said, "on one
leg like a stork!" She hobbled to the dressing-room between them.
"Oh, dear me! who'll we put in, Laura?" wailed Jess.
"You sha'n't put in anybody," cried Nellie, gritting her teeth to keep
back a cry of pain as she set the injured foot to the floor again.
"This will be all right in a moment."
"Looks like it!" cried Dorothy.
"You're knocked out, Miss," said Dora. "You know you are."
"I'm not!" replied Nellie.
Mrs. Case came hurriedly in. "You'll have to rest that ankle, child"
she said. "Captain Belding will have to put in a substitute."
"No, Mrs. Case. I'm going to play out the game," declared Nellie. "You
must not forbid it. I've only twisted my ankle. It will be all right
to-morrow. I'll show you!" she cried, and began stripping off her shoe
and stocking.