QUARTER-BACK BATES
The ball was still Kenwood’s on her forty-six and she had made five
yards in two downs. Another thrust added a yard more. Then came a
forward-pass, and Peters spoiled it while brown-and-white banners
waved. Dick came running in, piping his signals on the way.
Then started one of those long and steady marches down the field that,
while less thrilling, less spectacular than runs or passes, are far
more gruelling. If Parkinson had played slowly before she played so
no longer. Never on that field had plays been run off faster, never
had backs started quicker or linemen lunged harder. The pace told on
the enemy before the thirty-yard line was passed. Dick chose his plays
wisely, uncannily, thrusting here and there unexpectedly, trying this
end and that and always somehow managing to get his ten yards in four
downs. Sometimes the distance had to be measured and often the result
was in doubt until the referee’s hand waved to the chain holders,
but from the enemy’s forty-seven to her eight the advance continued
remorselessly. Kirkendall and Warden were the heroes of that invasion,
although Gaines and Peters, the latter twice sweeping around from
position for short gains, took part as well. But on the eight yards
Kenwood dug her toes and refused to give another inch. On the second
down Kirkendall was doubled up for no gain, after Warden had failed off
right tackle, and the big full-back was sent to the eighteen yards for
a try-at-goal. But there was an attempted double pass first, and if
Gaines had taken the throw from Dick in better shape it might have come
off. As it was, however, Gaines almost dropped the ball, recovered it
and was downed before he could toss across the line to the expectant
Bob Peters. So, after all, that march tallied but three points for
the Brown-and-White, and came near to not tallying at all, for
Kenwood found a weak spot on the Parkinson right and plunged through
desperately as Kirkendall booted. The pigskin cleared the upstretched
hands by inches only, but cleared them and sailed safely over the bar.
Parkinson cheered and demanded further scores, but the third quarter
ended in an exchange of punts after the kick-off and when the final
period began the score was 7-3, with Parkinson on the short end and,
so many thought, likely to stay there.
Coach Driscoll put in a new right guard and a new right tackle,
Bartlett and Cairns, so bolstering what, all the season, had shown as
the weakest part of the brown-and-white line. Scoville also went in,
Furniss having played himself to a stand-still at left end.
Kenwood started from her twenty-nine yards when the period began and
unloosed Marble again for a fifteen-yard romp, and again got him loose
for twelve more, taking the ball well into Parkinson territory. Then
two plunges failed and a forward-pass went wrong and the visitors
punted to Dick on his twelve. A Kenwood end upset him before he had
gained his speed. Parkinson started another march then, but it went
less smoothly now and ended at her thirty-five, and Kirkendall punted.
Kenwood returned on second down, losing several yards on the exchange.
Again Parkinson took up her weary advance, but the plunges at the
enemy line netted shorter gains and it was a forward-pass, Dick to
Peters that took the home team to the enemy’s twenty-two yards. Here an
attempt by Gaines around his own left was nipped in the bud. A penalty
for holding set the Brown-and-White still further back and again she
punted. Kenwood once more accepted the challenge and Warden caught near
the boundary on his thirty-eight.
Kenwood began to make substitutions in earnest and Coach Driscoll
called Gaines out and sent Long in. Many of the Parkinson team were
showing the effects of the game by now and Bob Peters, though still
confident and cheerful, looked like a wreck. Dick tried to persuade him
to go off, but Bob indignantly spurned the notion. Time was flying fast
and something less than six minutes remained when Parkinson lined up
near the edge of the field on her thirty-eight. Long got two through
the Kenwood centre and lost it on a second attempt at the same place.
Dick ran half across the field for a scant three yards and Kirkendall
romped around his own right for eight. Then another forward failed, for
Scoville was far out of position for the catch, and Warden was knifed
through the Kenwood left for two. With eight to go on third down,
Kirkendall faked a kick and threw a short pass across the centre of the
line which Peters just missed, and Kenwood took the ball.
Four minutes only remained and Kenwood tried every known method
of wasting time. In the end, though, she was forced to punt, for
Marble was stopped twice--the youngster had been used hard and was
showing the result--and the pigskin was Parkinson’s on her forty-one.
Kirkendall was pulled down for a loss and had to go out, and Trask,
who took his place, made but a yard outside right tackle. Long skirted
the enemy left for seven, however, and then made it first down on a
plucky slam straight at centre. But it was hopeless to expect to snatch
a victory by such slow methods, for the hands of the timekeeper’s
watch were ticking off the seconds fast. Dick tried a forward, Trask
to Peters, but Kenwood was not to be fooled and Bob never had a chance
at the hurtling ball. The “two-over” netted four where the Kenwood
line split to meet the shift. Dick tried the same play again on the
opposite side and got three. Warden was hurt and gave way to Skinner.
Trask punted to Kenwood’s seven and the fleet-footed and elusive Marble
caught and brought the pigskin back to twenty-three, through the whole
Parkinson team. Twice Kenwood dared to buck the brown-and-white line
and then punted to safety.
But what seemed safety was not. For Dick made the catch on his
twenty-eight yards, and for once the interference was all he could have
asked for. Skinner and Peters upset the Kenwood ends and a hastily
formed cordon of Parkinson players blocked the others. Dick looked and
whirled to the left, cutting diagonally across behind his interference.
Then he had to side-step an eager Kenwood tackle, and after that to
run his hardest to throw off the Blue’s right half. But he did it, for
he had found his stride now and that ability of which Sumner White had
boasted to Dick’s father came to his aid. Straight along the side-line
he flew, some five yards inside it, hard and fast, with the enemy
speeding after him and the quarter-back coming down upon him. The
fifty-yard-line went underfoot and the pursuit had not gained. But the
enemy quarter was almost on him now. Dick eased his pace the littlest
bit and veered further into the field. Whatever happened, he did not
mean to be forced over the side-line. Not until he had passed the
middle of the field did the thought that he might win the victory for
Parkinson come to him. Until then he had thought only of getting free,
of gaining what he might before he was thrown to the turf. Now, though,
with only the quarter-back before him he caught a brief and wonderful
glimpse of victory! If only he could get by the last of the enemy!
Then it happened, almost before he was ready to meet it! The Kenwood
player poised, waited, sprang! Dick whirled on his heel, his right
arm stretched before him, locked, and spun dizzily. Arms grasped his
thighs, were torn loose, settled about his knees, held! Dick felt
despair at his heart even as he strove to wrench free, to set his feet
in new strides. And somehow, his hand thrusting at a head and his
knees tugging at the bonds that held them together, he staggered free!
Staggered and fell to one knee and one hand, but found his feet beneath
him again and the goal beckoning!
The pursuit had closed in now and foremost friend and enemy were but
a few yards behind, but Dick’s speed was still to be counted on and,
although his lungs hurt and his legs felt leaden, he gained at every
stride and sped on and on over one white line after another. Behind
him panting players surged despairingly or joyously and beside him a
thunderous surge of shouts and a wild din of cheers kept pace. Then the
end was in sight. Here was the ten-yard-line beneath his feet, there
the last trampled yellow-white mark and the padded posts of the goal!
Only a few more strides, only a few more agonising gasps for breath!
[Illustration: _The pursuit had closed in now and foremost friend and
enemy were but a few yards behind_]
Dick never knew when he actually crossed the line, never knew when,
having crossed it, he circled the nearer post and dropped weakly to
the earth to be pounced on as weakly by a Kenwood back. When he did
know things clearly the world was a medley of triumphant shouting and
the blaring of instruments and the thump-thumping of a bass drum. He
was still fighting for breath when Trask kicked the goal that put the
score at 10-7. And 10-7 it stayed, for there was only time for an
exchange of punts and a discouraged rush by Kenwood when the whistle
signalled the end of the game and the end of the season, the victory of
Parkinson and the defeat of a worthy foe.
* * * * *
An hour later Dick sat in state in Number 14 Sohmer and received the
congratulations of his friends. His father sat beside him, very proud
and erect, beaming on all; on Blash and Rusty and Sid and Stanley and
many more who stormed the hero’s retreat that November afternoon. And
there let us leave him, with Blash’s words in our ears: “Two dozen
citizens,” declaimed Blash, “in monster indoor meeting pay tribute to
famous athlete, Richard Corliss Bates!”
_This Isn’t All!_
Would you like to know what became of the good friends you have made in
this book?
Would you like to read other stories continuing their adventures and
experiences, or other books quite as entertaining by the same author?
On the _reverse side_ of the wrapper which comes with this book, you
will find a wonderful list of stories which you can buy at the same
store where you got this book.
_Don’t throw away the Wrapper_
_Use it as a handy catalog of the books you want some day to have.
But in case you do mislay it, write to the Publishers for a complete
catalog._
Football and Baseball Stories
=Durably Bound. Illustrated. Colored Wrappers.=
=Every Volume Complete in Itself.=
The Ralph Henry Barbour Books for Boys
In these up-to-the-minute, spirited genuine stories of boy life there
is something which will appeal to every boy with the love of manliness,
cleanness and sportsmanship in his heart.
LEFT END EDWARDS
LEFT TACKLE THAYER
LEFT GUARD GILBERT
CENTER RUSH ROWLAND
FULLBACK FOSTER
LEFT HALF HARMON
RIGHT END EMERSON
RIGHT GUARD GRANT
QUARTERBACK BATES
RIGHT TACKLE TODD
RIGHT HALF HOLLINS
The Christy Mathewson Books for Boys
Every boy wants to know how to play ball in the fairest and squarest
way. These books about boys and baseball are full of wholesome and
manly interest and information.
PITCHER POLLOCK
CATCHER CRAIG
FIRST BASE FAULKNER
SECOND BASE SLOAN
PITCHING IN A PINCH
THIRD BASE THATCHER, By Everett Scott
GROSSET & DUNLAP, _Publishers_, NEW YORK
THE TOM SLADE BOOKS
By PERCY KEESE FITZHUGH
Author of “Roy Blakeley,” “Pee-wee Harris,” “Westy Martin,” Etc.
=Illustrated. Individual Picture Wrappers in Colors.=
=Every Volume Complete in Itself.=
“Let your boy grow up with Tom Slade,” is a suggestion which thousands
of parents have followed during the past, with the result that the TOM
SLADE BOOKS are the most popular boys’ books published today. They
take Tom Slade through a series of typical boy adventures through his
tenderfoot days as a scout, through his gallant days as an American
doughboy in France, back to his old patrol and the old camp ground at
Black Lake, and so on.
TOM SLADE, BOY SCOUT
TOM SLADE AT TEMPLE CAMP
TOM SLADE ON THE RIVER
TOM SLADE WITH THE COLORS
TOM SLADE ON A TRANSPORT
TOM SLADE WITH THE BOYS OVER THERE
TOM SLADE, MOTORCYCLE DISPATCH BEARER
TOM SLADE WITH THE FLYING CORPS
TOM SLADE AT BLACK LAKE
TOM SLADE ON MYSTERY TRAIL
TOM SLADE’S DOUBLE DARE
TOM SLADE ON OVERLOOK MOUNTAIN
TOM SLADE PICKS A WINNER
TOM SLADE AT BEAR MOUNTAIN
TOM SLADE: FOREST RANGER
TOM SLADE IN THE NORTH WOODS
GROSSET & DUNLAP, _Publishers_, NEW YORK
THE ROY BLAKELEY BOOKS
By PERCY KEESE FITZHUGH
Author of “Tom Slade,” “Pee-wee Harris,” “Westy Martin,” Etc.
=Illustrated. Picture Wrappers in Color.=
=Every Volume Complete in Itself.=
In the character and adventures of Roy Blakeley are typified the very
essence of Boy life. He is a real boy, as real as Huck Finn and Tom
Sawyer. He is the moving spirit of the troop of Scouts of which he is
a member, and the average boy has to go only a little way in the first
book before Roy is the best friend he ever had, and he is willing to
part with his best treasure to get the next book in the series.
ROY BLAKELEY
ROY BLAKELEY’S ADVENTURES IN CAMP
ROY BLAKELEY, PATHFINDER
ROY BLAKELEY’S CAMP ON WHEELS
ROY BLAKELEY’S SILVER FOX PATROL
ROY BLAKELEY’S MOTOR CARAVAN
ROY BLAKELEY, LOST, STRAYED OR STOLEN
ROY BLAKELEY’S BEE-LINE HIKE
ROY BLAKELEY AT THE HAUNTED CAMP
ROY BLAKELEY’S FUNNY BONE HIKE
ROY BLAKELEY’S TANGLED TRAIL
ROY BLAKELEY ON THE MOHAWK TRAIL
ROY BLAKELEY’S ELASTIC HIKE
ROY BLAKELEY’S ROUNDABOUT HIKE
GROSSET & DUNLAP, _Publishers_, NEW YORK
THE PEE-WEE HARRIS BOOKS
By PERCY KEESE FITZHUGH
Author of “Tom Slade,” “Roy Blakeley,” “Westy Martin,” Etc.
=Illustrated. Individual Picture Wrappers in Color.=
=Every Volume Complete in Itself.=
All readers of the Tom Slade and the Roy Blakeley books are acquainted
with Pee-wee Harris. These stories record the true facts concerning his
size (what there is of it) and his heroism (such as it is), his voice,
his clothes, his appetite, his friends, his enemies, his victims.
Together with the thrilling narrative of how he foiled, baffled,
circumvented and triumphed over everything and everybody (except where
he failed) and how even when he failed he succeeded. The whole recorded
in a series of screams and told with neither muffler nor cut-out.
PEE-WEE HARRIS
PEE-WEE HARRIS ON THE TRAIL
PEE-WEE HARRIS IN CAMP
PEE-WEE HARRIS IN LUCK
PEE-WEE HARRIS ADRIFT
PEE-WEE HARRIS F. O. B. BRIDGEBORO
PEE-WEE HARRIS FIXER
PEE-WEE HARRIS: AS GOOD AS HIS WORD
PEE-WEE HARRIS: MAYOR FOR A DAY
PEE-WEE HARRIS AND THE SUNKEN TREASURE
GROSSET & DUNLAP, _Publishers_, NEW YORK
THE WESTY MARTIN BOOKS
By PERCY KEESE FITZHUGH
Author of the “Tom Slade” and “Roy Blakeley” Books, Etc.
=Individual Colored Wrappers. Illustrated.=
=Every Volume Complete in Itself.=
Westy Martin, known to every friend of Roy Blakeley, appears as the
hero of adventures quite different from those in which we have seen him
participate as a Scout of Bridgeboro and of Temple Camp. On his way to
the Yellowstone the bigness of the vast West and the thoughts of the
wild preserve that he is going to visit make him conscious of his own
smallness and of the futility of “boy scouting” and woods lore in this
great region. Yet he was to learn that if it had not been for his scout
training he would never have been able to survive the experiences he
had in these stories.
WESTY MARTIN
WESTY MARTIN IN THE YELLOWSTONE
WESTY MARTIN IN THE ROCKIES
WESTY MARTIN ON THE SANTA FE TRAIL
WESTY MARTIN ON THE OLD INDIAN TRAILS
GROSSET & DUNLAP, _Publishers_, NEW YORK
THE HARDY BOYS SERIES
By FRANKLIN W. DIXON
=Individual Colored Wrappers and Text Illustrations by
WALTER S. ROGERS=
=Every Volume Complete in Itself=
The Hardy Boys are sons of a celebrated American detective, and during
vacations and their off time from school they help their father by
hunting down clues themselves.
THE TOWER TREASURE
A dying criminal confessed that his loot had been secreted “in the
tower.” It remained for the Hardy Boys to make an astonishing discovery
that cleared up the mystery.
THE HOUSE ON THE CLIFF
The house had been vacant and was supposed to be haunted. Mr. Hardy
started to investigate--and disappeared! An odd tale, with plenty of
excitement.
THE SECRET OF THE OLD MILL
Counterfeit money was in circulation, and the limit was reached when
Mrs. Hardy took some from a stranger. A tale full of thrills.
THE MISSING CHUMS
Two of the Hardy Boys’ chums take a motor trip down the coast. They
disappear and are almost rescued by their friends when all are
captured. A thrilling story of adventure.
HUNTING FOR HIDDEN GOLD
Mr. Hardy is injured in tracing some stolen gold. A hunt by the boys
leads to an abandoned mine, and there things start to happen. A western
story all boys will enjoy.
GROSSET & DUNLAP, _Publishers_, NEW YORK
THE TED SCOTT FLYING STORIES
By FRANKLIN W. DIXON
=Individual Colored Wrappers and Text Illustrations by
WALTER S. ROGERS=
=Every Volume Complete in Itself=
No subject has so thoroughly caught the imagination of young America as
aviation. This series has been inspired by recent daring feats of the
air, and is dedicated to Lindbergh, Byrd, Chamberlain and other heroes
of the skies.
OVER THE OCEAN TO PARIS
In which we meet Ted Scott, daring young American, who flies alone from
New York to Paris.
RESCUED IN THE CLOUDS
After his return from Paris, Ted tours the country in his plane, and
rescues his chums from a blazing machine a mile in the air.
OVER THE ROCKIES WITH THE AIR MAIL
In this volume Ted Scott goes back to his “first love,” The Air Mail
Service and is lost in the wilderness of the Rockies through the
treachery of his enemies.
FIRST STOP, HONOLULU!
After breaking the world’s altitude record, Ted sets out to conquer the
Pacific and in a thrilling attempt flies from San Francisco to Honolulu.
THE SEARCH FOR THE LOST FLIERS
Two of Ted’s best friends disappear while flying near Porto Rico. After
a series of exciting adventures the young air ace rescues them in the
nick of time.
GROSSET & DUNLAP, _Publishers_, NEW YORK
Transcriber’s Notes:
--Text in italics is enclosed by underscores (_italics_); text in
bold by “equal” signs (=bold=).
--Except for the frontispiece, illustrations have been moved to
follow the text that they illustrate, so the page number of the
illustration may not match the page number in the Illustrations.
--Punctuation and spelling inaccuracies were silently corrected, except
as noted below.
--Archaic and variable spelling has been preserved.
--Variations in hyphenation and compound words have been preserved.
--The author’s em-dash and long dash styles have been retained.
--Inconsistencies in formatting and punctuation of individual
advertisements have been retained.
End of Project Gutenberg's Quarter-Back Bates, by Ralph Henry Barbour