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Dick Prescott's Third Year at West Point, a fiction by H. Irving Hancock |
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Chapter 12. In The Battle Against Lehigh |
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_ CHAPTER XII. IN THE BATTLE AGAINST LEHIGH Before noon the next day Lehigh turned up---team, subs., howlers and all, and as many as could crowded into the conveyances that had been sent down to the railway station to meet the team and coaches. The cadet corps, busy to a man with Saturday morning recitations, did not see the arrival of the visiting team. But the Lehighs and the afternoon's game were the only topics for talk at dinner in the cadet mess hall. "They've sent over a race of giants," growled Brayton down the length of the table at which he sat, while a poor little plebe cadet, acting as "gunner," was serving the roast beef. "Sergeant Brinkman, of the quartermaster's detachment, told me that the weight of the team sprung the axles on two of the stoutest quartermaster wagons. Every man that Lehigh sent over weighs a good part of a ton. What do you think of that, Prescott?" "Glad enough to hear it," smiled Dick, nodding. "I believe it's the light, lithe, spry fellows who stand the best show of getting through the enemy's line." "If all our smaller men were like you, I'd believe it, too, muttered Brayton. "But we haven't any more light men like you and Holmes, Prescott," broke in Spurlock from the adjoining table. "I'm going to duck the team and quit playing," protested Dick, "if Holmesy and I are to be twitted about being wonders." "But, honestly, Prescott" began Brayton, "you two are-----" "Average good Army men, I hope," interposed Dick. "Nothing more, I hope. At least. I speak for myself. If Holmesy wants to star-----" "I'll call you out, ramrod, if you carry the joke too far!" warned Greg. Seeing that both of the chums were in earned and didn't want to hear their merits sung, the others near them desisted. But, at many a table further removed, the whole trend of prediction was that, with Prescott and Holmes now definitely on the eleven, the Army stood its first chance of defeating Navy that year. The Navy! It is the whole hope of West Point to send Annapolis down to defeat. The middies of the Navy on the other hand, can smile at many and many a defeat, provided the Army trails behind the Navy at the annual football game. As the cadets marched out of mess hall and back along the sidewalk to barracks, those who allowed their gaze to stray ever so little across the roadway in the direction of the administration building noted that the holiday crowd had already begun to gather. There were girls down from Vassar for the afternoon, and from half a dozen choice schools along the river. There were many out-of-town visitors from every direction. We're going to three or four thousand people here to see the game," murmured Greg to Dick, in the undertone that cadets know so well how to use in ranks without being detected in conversing. "Think so?" inquired Prescott. "I'm sure of it." In the groups that were strolling up and down the roads leading across the plain were young ladies whom many of the cadets wanted badly to see and exchange greetings with. First of all, however, Saturday afternoon inspection had to be gone through with. From this, not even the members of the Army football squad were privileged to be absent. When inspection was over many of the cadets hastened forth for brief converse with popular fair ones. None of the football men, however, had time for this. As soon as might be, they reported at the gymnasium, there to receive much counsel from coach and captain. "Keep yourself in good shape, Haynes," called Dick, laughingly, when, after getting into togs, he met the turnback similarly attired. "Going to funk?" asked Haynes rather disagreeably. "Not intentionally, anyway," Dick smiled back at the "sore" one. "But I hear that we young Davids are going to be pitted against Goliaths this afternoon. It may be just my luck to go down in one of the scrimmages and get a furlough in hospital." "I hope so!" muttered Haynes, but he said it under his breath. Out over on the side lines officers and their families, and hordes of visitors, were filing toward the seats. Across at the east side of the gridiron, Lehigh's few hundred sympathizers were already bunched, and were making up with noise for their smallness of numbers. Among the Army "boosters" the uniforms of the officers brightened the picture. From time to time squads or detachments of cadets arrived and passed along to the seats reserved for them in the center. Below the cadets, the band was stationed, and was already playing lively airs. Out ahead of the band stood a megaphone on a tripod. This was to be used, later on, by the cheer-master, one of the cadets, who must call for the yells or the songs that were to be given. A rousing cheer ascended from the Lehigh seats when the visiting college team trotted out on the field. Hearty, courteous applause from the Army seats also greeted the visitors. The band played as soon as the first Lehighs were seen coming on to the field. "Team fall in!" shouted Brayton, at last "Substitutes to the rear. Forward!" Out of the gym. stepped these young champions of the Army. Across the roadway they strode, then broke into a trot as they reached the edge of the field. And now a mighty cheer arose. Yesterday, the Army's friends had feared a defeat, but now word had gone the rounds that Prescott and Holmes had made the team strong in its weakest spot, and that a cyclonic game might be looked for. For the next few minutes the Army eleven indulged in practice plays and kicks. During this period, the cheer-master cadets and the corps of cadets were busied with the various Army yells and songs that promised victory for the young soldiers. Nor were the Lehigh "boosters" anything like idle. Every time an Army cheer ceased, the Lehigh sympathizers cheered their own team. Then game was called, with kick-off for the Army. The ball was passed to Lehigh's right end, who, full of steam, dashed on with it. Dick and Greg were foremost in the obstruction that met the Lehigh runner. But the Lehigh man was well supported. Through Dick, Greg and Ellerson dashed the runner, backed splendidly by his interference. It took quarterback and one of the halfbacks of the Army to put the runner down some eight yards further on. "Humph! I don't see that Prescott and Holmes are doing so much for us," muttered Haynes to the sub. at his right, as both watched from the side lines. "Look at what they have to stop," returned the other cadet. "Don't be sore, Haynes; you couldn't do any better. "Humph!" grumbled the turnback. It soon developed, however, that Lehigh felt especially strong on its right end. Hence, much of the work seemed to devolve upon Dick and Greg. For twenty yarns down into Army territory that ball was forced. Then, after a gain of only two more yards, Lehigh was forced to surrender the ball. Army boosters stood up and cheered loudly. "You've got a tough crowd to get by, Prescott," muttered Brayton. "But look out for signals." As Brayton bent over to snap-back, Quarterback Boyle's cool voice sounded: "Fourteen---eight---nine---three!" In another instant Boyle had made a running pass with the ball to Greg, who passed it on to Dick Prescott. Now all the Army boosters were up in their seats, eager to see how the much-lauded Prescott would serve with the pigskin. Ball clasped, head down, Dick settled for a run, his whole gaze on the on-coming Lehigh right line. They met in a clash. Dick had planned how to slip out of the impact, but the stronger Lehigh right end had both arms around Prescott, and down went the Army left end. "Humph!" grunted Haynes, though his tone did not sound displeased "I hope that isn't a sample of Prescott's skill," muttered one Army captain to another. "No matter how good a man he is, Prescott should have been in the squad from the outset of the training," replied the other. Boyle was calling the signal. Breathlessly the larger part of the spectators watched to see Dick redeem himself. But again he failed to make much of an advance with the ball. After the second "down," with barely anything gained, Brayton ordered Boyle to throw the ball over to the right of the Army line. So, in the next dash, Prescott and Holmes had but little to do. The Army lost the ball. Immediately it looked as though Ennis, captain of Lehigh, had heard all about the new Army left end and left tackle, for Lehigh's own sturdy right end came forward with the ball. Dick and Greg both dashed furiously at him, but Greg was hurled aside by Lehigh's interference. Dick, however, held Lehigh's right end dragged the Army man for a yard; then others joined in the melee, and the ball was down. Lehigh advanced some twenty yards before being compelled to give up the ball. It became more and more plain that the visitors intended forcing the fighting around the Army's left end. At last, however, the Army balked the game, and returned to the attack, trying to regain some of the lost Army territory. "They're going to pound us, Greg," whispered Dick in one of the pauses of the game. "We were all right in the High School days, but we're playing with tremendously bigger men now." Even Brayton began to question his judgment having taken these two men so recently on the team. "If I had been able to train them from the first, they'd have been all right," muttered the captain of the Army Eleven. To ease up on Prescott and Holmes, Brayton directed, as often as possible, charges through the center, or right-end rushes. But almost half of the time Lehigh seemed bent on bearing down the Army's left end. The hard work was beginning to tell on both Dick and Greg. Yet it was a long tine, after all, before Lehigh managed to score a touchdown. When the time came, however, the visitors also made their kick for goal, and the score was Lehigh, 6; Army, 0. "Humph!" remarked Cadet Haynes, for the dozenth time. All his fellow subs. had moved away from him. They were disappointed, but they realized that Prescott and Holmes had entered the game under brilliant promise, yet without training. Dutifully the cadet cheer-master kept at his work, but now the responses came with less volume from the corps of cadets, who were truly sitting on anxious seats. In the interval of rest, Lieutenant Carney talked anxiously with Brayton. "Have we made a mistake in Prescott and Holmes?" asked the coach. "What do you think, sir!" asked Brayton. "If we had had that pair in training from the outset," replied the Army officer, "I'm satisfied that they would have made a better showing. Lehigh isn't a particularly strong team, but they have one of the best right-end assaults that I've seen in some time. It's really too bad that Prescott and Holmes, in their first game, are put against such a strong, clever assault." "Well, we can't put Haynes in now, unless Prescott should be injured," replied Brayton. "Haynes?" repeated the Army coach. "I'm glad he's not on your line today. Training and all, Haynes isn't the man to match Prescott, even without training." Haynes heard, and his face was convulsed with rage as he turned swiftly away. "Queer how folks take so much stock in that fellow Prescott!" muttered the turnback. "Why can't a man like Lieutenant Carney see that Prescott is nothing but a dub, while Holmes is only a dub's helper?" All through the Army seats it was beginning to be felt that the late placing of Prescott and Holmes in the Army had probably been an error. There were even many who rated Haynes higher than he deserved to be rated, and who believed that the turnback might have done much to save the day. As it was, the Army had about given up hope. Lehigh was stronger than usual; that was all, except that the Army team appeared to be weaker than in the year before. The band still played at appropriate moments; the corps of cadets answered every signal for a yell, but Army spirits were drooping fast. "Greg," muttered Dick, with a rueful face, "you can wager that we're being roasted by everyone out of earshot!" _ |
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