CHAPTER XIII

“FIGHTING FOR OLD YARDLEY”

_Yardley_ _Broadwood_ Vinton, l. e. r. e., Bishop Coke, l. t. r. t., Booth Hadlock, l. g. r. g., Haines Fogg, c. c., Johnson Merriwell, r. g. l. g., Mills Little, r. t. l. t., Weldon Dickenson, r. e. l. e., Corry Loring, q. b. q. b., Dowling Roeder, l. h. b. r. h. b., Reid Dyer, r. h. b. l. h. b., Ayres Eisner, f. b. f. b., Rhodes

Coke, the Yardley left tackle, sent the ball spinning from the tee on a long, low kick to Broadwood’s two-yard line, where Reid, the Green’s right half, ran it back past three white lines before he was stopped. The Broadwood full back went through Merriwell for a clean five yards, to the joy of the Broadwood supporters, but on the next play Roeder threw Reid for a loss and Weldon was forced to kick. Dan received the ball on Broadwood’s forty-three yards. Roeder failed to gain through center and Alf punted to Reid, who fumbled, Dan recovering the ball on the twenty-eight-yard line.

Yardley shouted blissfully, for with the pigskin within the shadow of Broadwood’s goal and in possession of the Blue a touchdown looked imminent. And after the next play it looked a good deal more so, for Roeder was driven through right tackle eighteen yards, eluding the secondary defense and being pulled and hauled along in a way that brought the Yardley supporters in the stand to their feet. Yardley cheerers demanded a touchdown with wild, exultant voices as the two teams faced each other on the nine-yard line. But Broadwood steadied down and Roeder and Tom between them only made four yards. On the next play Loring tried a forward pass to Little, but the latter failed to reach it and the ball bounded over for a touchback. Broadwood murmured its relief.

Weldon, Broadwood’s left tackle, punted out from the twenty-yard line to Eisner, Yardley’s full back, who made a dozen yards before he was tackled. Tom made five through right tackle, Dan failed to gain and Roeder missed first down by two yards. The ball went to Broadwood on her forty yards. Broadwood was twice thrown for a loss and punted again, Dan receiving the ball on his forty-four-yard line. He was downed in his tracks by Bishop. Tom and Roeder made eight yards and Alf punted to Reid, who again fumbled to Dickenson, on the Green’s thirty-three yards. On the next play Roeder was thrown for a two-yard loss and Yardley was set still farther back for off side. With the ball on the Green’s forty yards Alf tried an on-side kick which went to Reid for a fair catch on his twenty-five yards. Ayres made five yards around Dan’s end and Rhodes went through center for four more. With one to gain Weldon punted to Dan who caught the ball on his forty-yard line. On the subsequent play Fogg was caught holding and Yardley was set back fifteen yards. Tom made up the distance on a skin-tackle play and then plugged center for nine more, and Yardley cheers arose deafeningly. It was first down almost in the center of the field. Alf worked a pretty forward pass to Coke, which was just long enough to give Yardley first down again, and then Roeder made three yards at left tackle and Dan recovered Alf’s fumble on Broadwood’s forty-five-yard line. Alf punted outside to Dowling, and after the ball had been brought in at the twenty-five-yard line the Green hammered the Yardley line without much gain, and Weldon returned the ball to Dan in the middle of the gridiron. Eisner punted over the head of the Broadwood quarter and the ball rolled over the line for the second touchback of the game.

From the twenty-yard line Weldon again punted and Dan misjudged the kick and fumbled. Alf, however, was on hand and got the ball before the Broadwood end reached him, tearing off five yards before he was brought down. After that for a while the ball went back and forth between the twenty-five-yard lines until, near the end of the period, Broadwood made two on-side kicks successfully and for the first time in the game had the ball in her possession inside Yardley territory. It was well inside, too, for after the recovery of that second on-side kick by Johnson, the Broadwood center, the pigskin rested on Yardley’s eighteen yards. For almost the first time Broadwood had good and sufficient reason for rejoicing, and rejoice she did. The green flags waved wildly and along the side of the field the local enthusiasts capered and shouted. Rhodes made a scant three yards at Little and on a second attempt was thrown for a loss. Captain Mills and his quarter back held a consultation and then Weldon was called back and everyone knew that Broadwood was about to try a goal from field. Weldon placed himself on the twenty-seven-yard line and held his hands out, the ball went back to him on a good pass and he tried a drop kick. But the ball fell short and Dan pulled it down and was not caught until he had wormed and fought his way back to the twenty-eight yards. Yardley yelled its triumph and derision and a depressed stillness encompassed the Broadwood ranks.

Five minutes later, after Alf had punted to Broadwood’s thirty-nine yards and Dowling’s on-side kick had been recovered by Dan, Yardley set to work and ripped things wide open. There was a blocked punt luckily recovered by Alf, and Payson sent Sommers in in place of Eisner. Sommers was an erratic player, with plenty of strength and football knowledge when it pleased him to show them. He showed both to-day, in the remaining five minutes of the half, for on his first two plunges directly through the center of the Broadwood line he netted fifteen yards and made it first down. Mills was hurt in the second of the rushes and the play was held up for the full two minutes while he recovered. When he got to his feet again Yardley cheered him loudly. From the thirty-seven-yard line Tom went forward for five yards, Roeder took four more and Tom secured first down on Broadwood’s twenty-three yards. Yardley was imploring a field goal, but after a moment’s hesitation Alf decided that a touchdown was what was needed and to that end attempted a forward pass. But again Little failed and Broadwood got the pigskin eight yards from her goal line. And at that moment time was called for the first half.

“There’s nothing to it but Yardley!” cried Gerald as he and Arthur made their way back to the automobile to rejoin Mr. Pennimore. “We put it all over them!”

“Yes, but we had two chances to score and missed them both,” objected Arthur.

“Well, Broadwood had one chance and didn’t do any better,” replied Gerald. “Besides, the play was in her territory all the time except when they worked those two on-side kicks; and that was more luck than anything else!”

“I don’t know. The play was pretty even.”

“Why, Broadwood didn’t make a single first down on rushing!” Gerald scoffed. “And we made at least four.”

“Just the same Broadwood will come back hard in the next half. I wish we had managed to score.”

“So do I, but I’ll bet you we’ll just make rings around them in the next half. Isn’t Alf playing a dandy game?”

“Great! I never saw him run the team as smoothly, and he’s keeping old Broadwood guessing all the time with the plays he’s using. Broadwood is sticking to old-fashioned football pretty well; more than she did last year; and if she loses it will be only because the two lines are too nearly even for her to win on line bucking. And Dan’s doing great work too. He missed only one punt, and that was a tough one to handle. His backfield work is fine. And I don’t think the Broadwood backs got around his end more than once, either.”

“It doesn’t seem to me that Mills is showing up much,” said Gerald.

“Well, it’s hard to tell. Sommers got by him twice that I know of and Tom didn’t have much trouble with the center of their line. But it’s hard to judge of a linesman’s work unless you’re right on the field there.”

“I suppose it is. Hello, dad! Isn’t it great?”

“Fine,” responded Mr. Pennimore, puffing complacently on his cigar. “Looks as though we’d win, doesn’t it, son?”

“Yes, sir. We’re going to tie strings to them the next half. Wasn’t Dan fine?”

“He was, indeed. And I thought Tom seemed to get along pretty well when he had the ball.”

“You bet! Tom always does. He just puts his head down and gives a grunt and _goes through_!”

“That’s a good way to do,” laughed his father. “Enjoying it, Arthur?”

“Very much, sir. Can you see all right from here?”

“Oh, yes. I stood up on the seat. Nearly fell off once when What’s-his-name――Roeder――made that run over there just after the game started. It was beautiful to see the way they pulled him along. It seemed to catch Broadwood napping, didn’t it?”

“You bet it did! Isn’t it a dandy day for a game?” Gerald climbed into the car and settled down on the back seat and Arthur followed him. Over at the side of the field the Yardley cheer leaders were calling “Yardley this way! Yardley this way!” and the blue flags were massing together back of the ropes. Soon the singing began.

“This is Dan’s song,” said Gerald eagerly. “Listen, father!

“‘All together! Cheer on cheer! Now we’re charging down the field! See how Broadwood pales with fear, Knowing we will never yield! Wave on high your banner blue, Cheer for comrades staunch and true; We are here to die or do, Fighting for old Yardley!’

“Isn’t that great?” demanded Gerald. “Dan wrote the words and his sister made the music.”

“The――ah――the music sounds a little bit familiar, doesn’t it, though?” inquired Mr. Pennimore with a smile.

“All music does,” replied Gerald seriously. “Here’s the second verse:

“‘All together! Cheer on cheer! Victory is ours to-day! Raise your voices loud and clear! Yardley pluck has won the fray! See, the vanquished foeman quails; All his vaunted courage fails! Flaunt the Blue that never pales, Fighting for old Yardley!’”

Across the empty field the Broadwood supporters had let their own song die down to listen, and at the end of Yardley’s effort they cheered approvingly and generously. But they didn’t intend that the enemy should have its own way in matters musical and so came back with their own favorite, “Broadwood Green.” They followed that up with the song that Yardley detested most, “What’ll We Do?”

“‘Not far away there is a school That thinks it can play ball, sir. We’ll show it just a trick or two, We’ll show it what our men can do, _And_―――― It won’t think so this fall, sir! Oh, what’ll we do to Yardley, to Yardley, to Yardley? Oh, what’ll we do to Yardley? Well, really, I’d rather not say!’”

Yardley tried to drown the hated words with much cheering and then retaliated with:

“Old Yardley has the men, my boy, Old Yardley has the steam, Old Yardley has the pluck and sand, Old Yardley has the team! Old Yardley can’t be beat, my boy, She’s bound to win the game! So give a cheer for Yardley and Hats off to Yardley’s fame!”

A moment later the teams returned and the rival camps strove to surpass each other in their welcomes. It was Broadwood’s kick off, and in a moment the ball was high in air, cork screwing against the blue of the afternoon sky. Mills had made the kick and it was a good one, high and far, but his ends were slow in getting down under it and Dan, catching the ball, reeled off sixteen yards before he fell into the clutches of the enemy on his eighteen-yard line. When Yardley lined up it was seen that Hadlock, at left guard, had been replaced by Ridge. Alf called on Roeder and that dependable young gentleman made five yards. Tom secured four more and Alf punted to Dowling in the center of the field. The Green’s quarter back was brought to earth by Ridge. Then Broadwood for the first time made her distance by rushing, Rhodes taking the pigskin for seven yards and then five through center, Mills making the hole for him superbly. Ayres failed to gain on the next try to the disappointment of Broadwood’s friends on the side line, and Rhodes tried again. But the ball was Yardley’s on downs after the whistle had blown. Then followed a punting dual between Alf and Weldon, the ball sailing back and forth between the two thirty-yard lines. After the fifth exchange the pigskin went to Broadwood on her thirty yards. Then Broadwood hopes revived and Gerald had cause to recall Arthur’s prophecy that Broadwood would “come back hard.” The Green’s full back made first down in two plunges at the Blue’s line and then Ayres ran ten yards around left end. Broadwood was cheering like mad now. Ayres was given the pigskin again, but in three attempts at the Yardley line netted but eight yards and the ball went to the Blue.

Sommers was pushed and pulled through left guard for four yards and a penalty gave Yardley five more. Then Roeder made ten yards in two fine rushes, and Alf’s forward pass was carried out in good shape by Dan for a long gain but was called back. Alf then punted to Ayres and Weldon returned the kick to Alf, and the latter was thrown on his twenty-yard line. Roeder by this time was pretty well played out and Stearns was substituted, Roeder receiving the biggest kind of an ovation as he walked uncertainly off the field.

Stearns was given the ball on the first play and negotiated three yards at right tackle. Sommers got five at left guard and Alf punted to Ayres on Broadwood’s fifty-one yards. Weldon returned the compliment and Alf made a soul-stirring running catch of the punt on his twenty-five-yard line. Tom and Stearns made nine yards between them and Tom secured first down on a split play that caught Broadwood napping. Yardley seemed now to have found her pace, for Stearns and Sommers twice made first down, and Broadwood’s line appeared to be weakening. But the gain went for little, since, on the next play, Yardley was put back fifteen yards for holding. The ball was now on Yardley’s forty-seven-yard line. Alf tried a forward pass to Dan, who fumbled the ball but recovered it on the enemy’s forty yards, while the blue flags waved joyously and the Yardley cheers broke forth again. Stearns made a gain twice, and Alf once more tried a forward pass. Dickenson secured it and made twelve yards before he was stopped. The pigskin was down on Broadwood’s twenty-three yards now and Broadwood supporters were imploring their team to “Hold them! Hold them! Hold them!”

Tom made six yards past Mills and Stearns failed to gain. The ball was on the Green’s fifteen yards and pandemonium reigned about the field. Broadwood and Yardley shouts and cheers met and mingled in a meaningless jumble of sound. Another forward pass, Alf to Dan, and the two teams, desperate, panting, determined, stood on the seven-yard line. Stearns made two and Tom two more and the ball was three scant yards from the line. And then, amid such an uproar as Broadwood field had seldom heard, Tom crashed through right tackle for a touchdown.

That was too much for the Yardley adherents. Over and under the rope they streamed out onto the field, while caps and flags sailed in air and everyone shouted to his heart’s content. The ensuing two minutes were occupied in clearing the field, and as Yardley’s rejoicing died down the Broadwood cheer made itself heard. Then Coke kicked goal without trouble and again the blue flags waved. The teams changed goals and Mills kicked off, but four minutes later the whistle blew with Yardley in possession of the ball on her thirty-seven-yard line. The rival elevens cheered each other breathlessly and started for the gymnasium as the Yardley fellows streamed onto the field. One by one the members of the Blue team were captured and borne off in triumph on the shoulders of their joyous companions, while Broadwood cheered her defeated warriors and sang her songs. As Paul Rand and Goodyear and another chap set Alf on his feet at the entrance to the gymnasium Captain Mills came up. His face was white and tired and drawn, but at sight of Alf a smile lighted it up and he turned with outstretched hand.

“It was your day, Loring,” he said heartily. “My congratulations.”

“Sorry we couldn’t both win, Mills,” replied Alf, as he shook hands. “Your men played a great game.”

Mills smiled and nodded and passed on into the building.

“Poor chap!” thought Alf, in genuine sympathy. “I wonder if I could have smiled like that if we’d lost. He’s a dandy, big-hearted fellow, that Mills.”