ANOTHER VICTORY--CONCLUSION
"That's the way to do it!"
"What did I tell you? Oak Hall won't be in this game!"
"This will wipe out that football defeat!"
So the cries rang out. The great ice-hockey contest was but six minutes
old, and amid a wild yelling and cheering Rockville had carried the puck
down into the Oak Hall territory, and Mallory, their star player, had
made a swift and safe goal.
"Wasn't that going some!"
"Three cheers for Mallory!" And the cheers were given with a will.
"Oak Hall! Oak Hall!" came the answering cry, and then the supporters of
that school burst out into a new slogan:
"Ice hockey!
Nice jockey!
Oak Hall
Has the call!
Wa! wa! wa! wa! Whoop!"
"Oh, what a shame that Rockville scored!" sighed Vera Rockwell.
"Never mind, the game isn't ended yet," returned Mary Feversham.
"No," came from a Rockville cadet, sitting near. "When it is the score
will be about forty to nothing, in our favor." And this remark caused
some cadets to smile, and made both of the girls turn very red.
"Aren't they horrid!" whispered Mary.
"Don't mind them," answered her friend. "But, oh, I do so hope Oak Hall
wins!" And then both girls waved their Oak Hall banners vigorously, by
way of encouragement to the team.
Once more the puck was put into play in the center of the field of ice,
and again Rockville sent it flying near to the Oak Hall goal. But this
time it came back, and now the fight was on for several minutes near the
left side line. There was a little rough play on both sides, and the
referee called time.
"I want no more such work," he said, almost sternly.
"I was hit in the side by somebody," growled Plum.
"I was hit in the back," came from a Rockville player.
"If there is any more such work I'll call the game," said the referee,
and then the whistle blew to start again.
This time Oak Hall worked with vigor, and presently had the rubber disc
down close to the Rockville goal. But alas for their hopes! Just as Ben
was on the point of striking for the net, a Rockville player stole the
puck from him, rapped it to another player, who sent it whirling to
Mallory, and in a twinkling it was down at the other end of the field.
"Another goal for Rockville!"
"What did I tell you? Boys, this is a walk-over for our school!" cried
Guy Frapley, who was on hand and as anxious as anybody to see Oak Hall
defeated.
"Oak Hall may be able to play football, but they don't know how to play
ice hockey!" added John Rand, who was with him and equally anxious to
see Dave and his friends lose.
The supporters of Oak Hall had little to say. The only lad who felt
happy was Nat Poole.
"Here is where Dave Porter and his crowd get what is coming to them,"
thought the money-lender's son. It pleased him greatly to think his
school might be beaten. Which shows how really mean-spirited Nat was.
Again the game proceeded, and now the contest waged in earnest. In a
mix-up near the center of the field, one of the Rockville players named
Devine crashed into Plum, and both went down in a heap, with two other
players on top. The puck went sailing toward the Oak Hall goal, and
though Dave did his best to stop it, the goal was made an instant later.
"Time! time! Somebody is hurt!"
"That goal ought not to count!"
A babble of voices sounded out, and slowly the players untangled
themselves. Then it was learned that Plum had been hurt on the shoulder,
and one of the Rockville players had gotten cut in the ankle, and both
had to retire. Luke Watson took Plum's place. It was decided that the
goal had been made unfairly, after time was called and allowed, and so
it was not counted.
But even this did not help Oak Hall in the first half of the contest.
Rockville went at it hammer and tongs again, and soon scored a
legitimate third goal, amid a cheering that was tremendous. Then the
whistle blew, and the first half of the game became a thing of the past.
"We are up against it and no mistake," remarked Roger, dolefully, as he
and the other players sat down on a bench in the boathouse to rest.
"We are too slow," answered Dave. "We simply must put more ginger in our
playing."
"Yes, and we've got to take more chances," added Sam. "Might as well do
it--we can't lose anything," he added, bitterly.
When the call sounded to start the second half of the game, the Oak Hall
seven came forward with a do-or-die look on their set faces. Rockville,
on the other hand, wore a happy smile, as if the victory was already a
sure thing.
For a minute the playing was uncertain. Then came a surprise, for Oak
Hall "broke loose," to use Messmer's way of expressing it. The puck was
fairly stolen from Mallory himself by Dave, and sent forward, and to the
right and the left, in a manner that was bewildering.
"Send it back, Rockville!"
"Don't let them score!"
"Back with it! Back!"
"Go it, Oak Hall! Whack it, Hamilton!"
"Now for the goal, Morr!"
"There she goes!"
"Hurrah! Score one for Oak Hall!"
"Now then, you've struck your gait, fellows! Keep up the good work!"
It was true. Oak Hall had scored on a beautiful strike by Roger, aided
by Shadow. But Dave had started the thing by getting the rubber away
from Mallory, much to that star player's chagrin.
The goal warmed the hearts of the Oak Hall seven wonderfully, and when
the puck was again placed in position, they went for it like hungry cats
after a mouse. The exchange of blows was rapid, and the disc was stolen
and recovered half a dozen times in as many seconds. Then came a long
drive by Ben, and another by Dave, and then a Rockville player sent it
out of bounds. Bringing it back gave the lads time to recover their
breath, and again they went at it with a determination that was
terrific.
"Oh, somebody will be killed!" cried Vera, as several came together with
a crash.
"What a rough game!" murmured Mary. "But look, Dave Porter has the
rubber!"
"Yes, and he is carrying it to the Rockville goal!"
"Oh, look at the others after him!"
Dave had the puck, and with almost a clear field ahead of him he was
"worrying" it along, while the whole of the Rockville team was following
on his heels. He waited until they were almost on him, then made a half
turn, raised his stick, and let drive with all his power.
"Say, look at that!"
"What a beautiful drive!"
"Another goal for Oak Hall!"
"Three cheers for Dave Porter!" came from some of the Oak Hall
supporters, and the cheers went echoing far and wide across the river.
Vera and Mary cheered with the rest, and so did a number of other girls.
"Now then, Oak Hall, tie the score!"
"We will!" murmured Roger.
"That's the talk!" cried Dave. "Everybody in the game now, and on the
jump!"
Fearing they were losing their hold on the game, Mallory spoke to the
others of his team. He gave the signal for a trick play on the left
side. But Dave was on the alert, and the trick was blocked, and then
Dave gave a signal to try the same trick on Rockville. Neither Mallory
nor his followers dreamed this would be done, and they were so neatly
caught that every old ice-hockey player who witnessed the play had to
smile. The trick took the puck halfway down into the Rockville
territory, and though the cadets worked hard to send it back, it was not
to be, and Phil knocked the goal that tied the score.
"A tie! A tie!"
"Now, Oak Hall, one more to win!"
"Rockville! Rockville! One more! One more!"
By this time everybody was thoroughly worked up over the contest. All
who had been seated were on their feet and cheering wildly for their
favorites.
"Whatever you do, don't let them score again!" said Dave, to his
players. "Keep the rubber away from our goal."
"We'll send it down to their goal," answered Shadow.
"So we will!" cried Ben.
"This is our game--we have got to have it," was Phil's response.
"It's win or bust," muttered Roger.
Once more the puck was placed in position. Rockville now played as they
had never played before, and twice the disc came dangerously close to
the Oak Hall goal. But each time Luke Watson drove it back. Then it came
forward swiftly to the other end of the field. Here there was a
battle-royal between Mallory and Roger. Dave came whizzing up, and
managed to steal the rubber, and sent it to Ben. He got it within three
yards of the goal, and then Shadow took hold, and landed it safely in
the net.
"Hurrah! One more for Oak Hall!"
"That makes the score four to three!"
"Wake up, Rockville! Six minutes more to play!"
"Now hold 'em!" cautioned Dave, as the puck was brought forth once more.
"Hold 'em, I tell you!"
"We'll do more!" answered Roger, grimly. "That is, if we get the
chance."
"Of course--but don't run any risks."
Back and forth flew the rubber disc. Rockville was wild to tie the
score. This made one of the players take a "long chance." Roger saw it,
and in a twinkling he rushed forward and upset the fellow's
calculations, and sent the puck again into the Rockville territory. Then
came a rush of players, and back and forth swung the human mass. Then of
a sudden the rubber disc flew up into the air, to land almost at Sam
Day's feet.
It was Sam's chance, and like a flash he improved it. Down the icy field
went the rubber with Sam behind it.
"Stop him!"
"Send it back!"
Dave was behind Sam, and now he swept ahead. Then came a mix-up with
Mallory. But Dave got the puck and sent it straight for the net.
"Another goal for Oak Hall!"
"Two minutes more to play!"
"Rockville can't win now!"
With saddened faces Rockville lined up once more, and again the disc was
put in action. The fight was hot, and the puck moved rapidly in the
center of the field. Then the whistle blew, and the wonderful contest
came to an end.
Final score: Oak Hall 5, Rockville 3.
It was assuredly a well-earned victory, and Dave and his team were
warmly praised by all their followers. Even Doctor Clay came up to shake
each player by the hand.
"I am proud of you," he said. "This will be quite a feather in the Oak
Hall cap."
"Can we celebrate to-night, Doctor?" asked Roger, quickly.
"You can--up to twelve o'clock. But please don't wreck the school
building," and the master of Oak Hall smiled indulgently.
"Oh, it was just too lovely for anything!" cried Vera.
"The best ever!" added Mary.
"I got a number of good snap-shots of the game," said Polly Vane, who
was quite an amateur photographer. "I'll have the pictures developed and
printed, and give each of you copies to take home."
"That will be splendid, Polly," answered Dave. Later on Dave received
his set of pictures, and took them to Crumville, where he showed them to
Jessie and the others with much pride.
"That contest was harder than the one on the gridiron," remarked Phil,
when they were returning to Oak Hall in one of the big sleighs.
"Rockville meant to win," said Buster. "And it looked as if they would
win, at first."
"They have a star player in Mallory," said Ben. "But one star doesn't
make a team."
"Say, that puts me in mind of a story," began Shadow. "Once three
fellows----" But then he broke off short, as a handful of soft snow
thrown by Roger took him full in the mouth.
"Keep your stories for to-night, Shadow!" cried Dave. "Now for a song!"
And then the crowd in the sleigh began singing at the top of their
lungs.
It was assuredly a grand victory, and that evening the whole school
celebrated, with bonfires, singing, and dancing. Dave was called on for
a speech. Plum took part in the celebration, for he was not seriously
injured.
"And now for the holidays and home!" said Dave, on the following Monday
morning. "Just two weeks more of the grind, boys!"
"They'll soon slip by," said Phil.
"Dave, do you imagine that Merwell and Jasniff will return to
Rockville?" continued the shipowner's son.
"I don't know--perhaps, after a while--when they think I will drop the
charge against them."
"Perhaps they are too scared to come back," said Phil.
"They are bad eggs," murmured Dave. But how bad, he was still to learn.
He was to meet Merwell and Jasniff again, and what that pair did to
injure him and those he so dearly loved will be told in another volume
of this series, to be entitled: "Dave Porter on Cave Island; or, A
Schoolboy's Mysterious Mission." In that book we shall meet Dave and
many others of our characters again, and learn the particulars of a
happening at Crumville that was as dismaying as it was perplexing.
"Well, let us forget Merwell and Jasniff," said Roger. "Say, that
hockey victory has made me feel two years younger."
"That and a letter he got from Laura," murmured Phil.
"Humph, as if I didn't see the letter you got from Belle Endicott,"
retorted the senator's son.
"Dave got a letter, too--from Jessie," went on Phil. "Perhaps----"
"Hi, you fellows, get through grinding, and come for a skate!" shouted
Ben, bursting into the dormitory. "The ice was never better."
"That's the talk!" cried Dave, throwing down his Latin grammar. "First
fellow to get his skates on gets a ginger snap!"
And off he ran, with the others at his heels. And here for the present
we will say good-by to Dave Porter, his chums, and his rivals.
THE END
DAVE PORTER SERIES
By EDWARD STRATEMEYER
"Mr. Stratemeyer has seldom introduced a more popular hero than Dave
Porter. He is a typical boy, manly, brave, always ready for a good time
if it can be obtained in an honorable way."--_Wisconsin, Milwaukee,
Wis._
"Edward Stratemeyer's 'Dave Porter' has become exceedingly
popular."--_Boston Globe._
"Dave and his friends are nice, manly chaps."--_Times-Democrat, New
Orleans._
DAVE PORTER AT OAK HALL
Or The School Days of an American Boy
DAVE PORTER IN THE SOUTH SEAS
Or The Strange Cruise of the Stormy Petrel
DAVE PORTER'S RETURN TO SCHOOL
Or Winning the Medal of Honor
DAVE PORTER IN THE FAR NORTH
Or The Pluck of an American Schoolboy
DAVE PORTER AND HIS CLASSMATES
Or For the Honor of Oak Hall
DAVE PORTER AT STAR RANCH
Or The Cowboy's Secret
DAVE PORTER AND HIS RIVALS
Or The Chums and Foes of Oak Hall
DAVE PORTER ON CAVE ISLAND
Or A Schoolboy's Mysterious Mission
DAVE PORTER AND THE RUNAWAYS
Or Last Days at Oak Hall
DAVE PORTER IN THE GOLD FIELDS
Or The Search for the Landslide Mine
DAVE PORTER AT BEAR CAMP
Or The Wild Man of Mirror Lake
DAVE PORTER AND HIS DOUBLE
Or The Disappearance of the Basswood Fortune
DAVE PORTER'S GREAT SEARCH
Or The Perils of a Young Civil Engineer
DAVE PORTER UNDER FIRE
Or A Young Army Engineer in France
DAVE PORTER'S WAR HONORS
Or At the Front with the Fighting Engineers
End of Project Gutenberg's Dave Porter and His Rivals, by Edward Stratemeyer