Center Rush Rowland

by Ralph Henry Barbour

  CHAPTER XIV

  HARD KNOCKS

  High School had the advantage of a longer preliminary season thanher opponent, having already taken part in six contests, and inconsequence what she lacked in weight--for she was a light team--wasmade up to her in experience. The first period resulted in a good dealof wasteful effort on both sides. High School yielded the ball soonafter the kick-off and Parkinson started with line-plunging plays thattook her from her own twenty-nine yards past the middle of the fieldand well into the opponent's territory. Hodges, Little and Pearson,the substitute backs, showed good ability and were hard to stop. Itwas a fumble that finally cost them the ball and High School startedback from her thirty-six-yard line with a series of running plays thatfor awhile fooled the Parkinson ends and backs and put the ball onthe home team's forty-yard line. During the rest of the twelve-minutequarter the pigskin passed back and forth across the fifty yards withslight advantage to either side. The Parkinson supporters grumbledbecause the team didn't open up and try the High School ends instead ofinvariably yielding the ball after an unsuccessful fourth down plunge.But Dannis was in command, and Dannis generally knew what he was up to.

  During that first period Ira found the going rather easy, for hisopponent played a stupid game. It was only when, on attack, he hadto try conclusions with the opposing centre that he had difficulty.That centre, although a comparative youngster, was, as everyone agreedafterwards, "some player!" He had no trouble standing the Parkinsoncentre, Conlon, on his head, to use the phrase, and it was his abilityto do that that led to the first score which came a few minutes afterthe teams had changed places.

  Dannis had intercepted a forward-pass just behind his line andzigzagged to the enemy's thirty-eight. From there, in four rushes,Little and Pearson alternating, the pigskin had gone to the twenty-seven.Hodges had failed to get away outside right tackle and had lost a yard.With eleven to go on second down, Dannis had skirted the Red-and-Blue'sleft and, behind good interference, had placed the ball near thetwenty-yard line just inside the boundary. The next play had gone outand gained a scant yard, and Little, crashing through the right side ofthe High School defence, had just failed of the distance. Then, with theball nearly opposite the goal-posts and eighteen yards away from them,Captain Lyons had dropped back for a try-at-goal. Conlon's pass had beenrather poor, the ball almost going over the kicker's head, and possiblythe knowledge of the fact had unsteadied him for a moment. At all events,the opposing centre had brushed him aside, avoided Pearson and leapedstraight into the path of the ball as it left Lyons' foot. It had bangedagainst his body and bounded back up the field, and a speedy back, whohad followed through behind the centre, had gathered it into his arms onthe second bound and raced almost unchallenged for some seventy-fiveyards and a touchdown from which High School had kicked an easy goal.

  Perhaps that handicap was just what Parkinson needed to make her showherself, for, after Lyons had again kicked off and the opponents hadbeen held for downs and had punted back to Little, the brown teamstarted with new determination. By that time Ira's competitor hadrecovered from his slump, doubtless heartened by those seven points onthe score board, and Ira had his hands full. Dannis thrust the backsat right and left of centre and Ira was busy trying to make holes orto keep the left of the High School line from romping through. Pearsonwas the best gainer through the line, and once he got almost clear andrushed twenty-two yards before he was brought down. Little and Hodgesworked the ends for smaller gains and Dannis pulled off a twelve-yardstunt straight through centre on a fake pass. Parkinson was halted onHigh School's twenty-five and the Red-and-Blue recovered seven of thenecessary ten yards before she was forced to punt. Little caught nearthe side line and got back eight before he was run out of bounds. Withthe ball on the thirty-four, Dannis attempted a quarter-back run, butlost two yards. Hodges faked a forward and made six around right endand Little got the rest of the distance off right tackle. Near thefifteen yards, with four to go on third down, Hodges threw across thelines and Bradford caught on the eight. From there the ball was pushedover in three plays, Little scoring the touchdown. Lyons kicked thegoal from a slight angle.

  High School was given the ball for the kick-off and a short liftdropped it into the arms of Pearson near the twenty-yard line. TheRed-and-Blue showed demoralisation then and her line went to piecesduring the next dozen plays. Parkinson crashed through almost at willand had reached the enemy's twenty-one when the whistle blew.

  There was some criticism in the locker-room between halves, but CoachDriscoll found little fault, on the whole. Ira, who had been ratherroughly used, had a piece of plaster applied to his nose and arnicarubbed into his right ankle. Conlon was horribly messed up and was,besides, angry clear through. The knowledge that he had been outplayeddisgruntled him badly, and he spent the time when he was not in thehands of the rubber or trainer in glowering by himself in a corner.

  Both teams presented new talent when the third quarter started. ForParkinson, Basker had taken Dannis's place, Little and Pearson hadretired, Crane was at left guard in place of Buffum, and Logan was atright end. High School had one new back and two new linesmen. Ira'sopponent was still on hand, however, and viewed him darkly as theylined up after the kick-off. Ira was as yet unable to view the struggleas anything other than a somewhat rough amusement, and the other boy'sevident ill-will puzzled him. He soon found, though, that his opponentheld a different idea of the matter in hand. The High School left guardwas not viewing the affair as a pastime, and the fact was brought hometo Ira very speedily. The other fellow did not actually transgress therules, but he approached so close to the borderland between fair andunfair use of the hands that Ira found himself at his wit's end toprotect himself from punishment. Almost anyone else would have lost histemper and fought back, but Ira kept his smile and took his medicine.By the time Parkinson had reached scoring distance once more he waspretty badly used up. He wondered what would happen if he called theumpire's attention to his opponent's tactics, and was tempted to see.But he didn't. It seemed too much like acting the baby. Lyons, playingbeside him at tackle, saw what was happening and hotly told Ira to"give him what he's asking for, Rowland!" And, as Ira didn't, Lyonstook matters into his own hands on one occasion when the opportunitypresented itself to him and considerably jarred the High School leftguard by putting his shoulder under that youth's chin. Fortunately forLyons, the umpire didn't see it. But the compliment didn't alter theleft guard's tactics and Ira was sniffing at a bloody nose and lookingdimly through one eye when, after three plunges at High School's linehad failed, Lyons dropped back and put the pigskin over the bar for thethird score.

  Fred went out then, Hodsdon taking his place, and James went in forHodges. High School kicked off to Basker and the substitute quarterwas run back for a loss of four yards. A fumble a minute later wasrecovered by Mason, at left half, on Parkinson's twelve yards. Twoattempts at the line gained but six and Basker punted to midfield. Asmash at the Parkinson right side went through for five yards and Ira,who had been mowed down in the proceeding, felt so comfortable on theground that it didn't occur to him to get up until someone swashed awet sponge over his face. When he did find his feet under him he wasextremely glad of the support of the trainer, and when he found himselfwalking toward the bench he didn't even protest. There was, he feltsubconsciously, something radically wrong with a game that allowed theother fellow to "rough" you at pleasure and forbade you to "rough" himback. Someone lowered him to a bench and draped a blanket around hisshoulders, and someone administered to his half-closed eye and addedanother piece of plaster to his already picturesque countenance. Andafter that he was sent off to the gymnasium, receiving as he went ascattered applause from the friendly stands.

  Coach Driscoll used twenty-four players that afternoon, and the scoreof the game in the next morning's Warne _Independent_ looked a gooddeal like a section of a city directory. But in spite of putting twowhole teams into the field the coach failed to capture the game, for,in the last three or four minutes
of play, High School performed amiracle with a sadly patched-up eleven and worked the ball down toParkinson's twenty-two yards and from there, plunging once, groundinga forward-pass once and trying an end run that was stopped, she liftedthe pigskin across the bar and tied the score at 10 to 10! And FredLyons, dragging tired feet up the gymnasium steps, remarked sadlyto De Wolf Lowell: "Father was right!" Lowell, himself downcast anddisappointed, not knowing that Fred had Coach Driscoll in mind, foundthe remark frivolous and senseless and only grunted.

  "Well, what in the name of common sense has happened to you?" demandedHumphrey Nead as Ira trailed into the room about five. Ira smiledtiredly and gingerly lowered himself onto the erratic window seat.

  "I've been playing football," he answered. "Didn't you see the game?"

  Humphrey shook his head. "I did not," he answered. "But if they alllook like you it must have been a fine one! Who won?"

  "Nobody. It was a tie. Ten to ten."

  "Great Scott! Do you mean that you tore your face into fragments andended where you began?"

  "Something like that. Only, of course, we all had a pleasant time,Nead, and got a lot of nice exercise. It's a remarkable game, football."

  "Are you sure you've been playing football?" asked Humphrey, grinning."Sure you haven't been in a train wreck, Rowly?"

  "Quite sure, thanks. I played opposite a fellow who probably inventedthe game. Anyway, he knew a lot of stunts I didn't. He had more ways ofusing his hands without being seen than you can imagine."

  "Oh, that was it!" Humphrey frowned. "What did you do to him?"

  "Nothing much. Lyons said I ought to, but what's the good of havingrules if you don't stick to them? I tried to keep from getting killedand barely got off with my life. I don't think he got through me morethan three times, but he certainly made it difficult for me! The lasttime he came through very nicely, though, and when I came to I was onmy back and the trainer was trying to drown me with a sponge full ofwater. After that they lugged me off and sent me home. I didn't see therest of it, but I heard they tied up the game in the last quarter. Iguess Fred Lyons is awfully disappointed. You see, there's the meetingtonight."

  "It'll be a frost," said Humphrey. "I've heard a lot of the fellows saythat they weren't going. Here, you'd better let me doctor you a bit,Rowly. That eye's a sight! Who stuck the plaster all over you?"

  "Billy Goode. I do look sort of funny, don't I?" Ira observed himselfin the wavy mirror above the bureau. "I'd laugh," he added, "only ithurts my mouth!"

  "You were a silly ass not to go after that butcher," growled Humphrey."I wish I'd been playing against him! What was his name?"

  "I don't think I heard it. Hold on, don't take that plaster off!"

  "Shut up and stand still! You don't need half a yard of the stuffthere. Where are those scissors of yours? There, that's something like.Oh, hang it, it's bleeding again! Reach me the towel. Are you going tothe meeting?"

  "I don't know. Yes, I suppose so. Lyons wouldn't like it if we didn'tall go. That eye looks bad, though, doesn't it? Guess I'll get some hotwater and bathe it."

  "Hot water be blowed! Cold water is what you want. Here, I'll pour someout in the basin and you get to work."

  "Why didn't you go to the game?" asked Ira, as he sopped a drippingwash cloth to his eye.

  "Oh, I had something better to do."

  "Pool, I suppose," sniffed Ira. "You do too much of that, Nead."

  "Well, you miss your guess, old top. I was out with Jimmy Fallon on hismotorcycle. Say, that's sport, all right, Rowly! Sixty-five miles anhour sometimes, and everything whizzing past so quick you couldn't seeit! I wish I could afford one of the things."

  "You'll break your neck if you go rampaging around on one of thosecontraptions," said Ira. "It isn't safe, Nead."

  "Huh! That sounds fine from a fellow whose face looks like a beefsteak!You don't see any black eyes or broken noses on me, do you?"

  Ira laughed. "You've got the best of the argument," he replied. "Butsome day you'll come home with a broken neck if you're not careful.Where'd you go?"

  "Springfield. Took us forty minutes to go and less than that to getback. A motor cop tried to chase us once, but never had a chance. Weleft him standing."

  "Who is Jimmy Fallon?"

  "He works in Benton's cigar store. He's a corker, Jimmy is."

  "He must be if he spends his time racing policemen. I suppose you thinkyou're going to play pool tonight."

  "Surest thing you know, sport!"

  "Well, you're not. You're coming with me to the mass meeting. Andyou're going to----"

  "Yes, I am! Like fun!" jeered Humphrey.

  "And you're going to clap your hands at the right moment and pull forthe football team," continued Ira, regardless of the interruption."Also, Nead, you're going to subscribe liberally to the cause."

  "Nothing doing, Rowly! I've got a date with some of the fellowsdowntown. Anyway, I couldn't subscribe to the cause, as you call it,having but about a dollar and a half to my name and needing that formore important things, old top."

  "Broke again?" asked Ira.

  "Pretty nearly. I've got a dollar and sixty-two cents, or somethinglike that. Want to borrow a hundred, Rowly?"

  "No, thanks. But I'll stake you to a couple of dollars so you can putin your coin when they pass the hat."

  "All right. You put in a dollar for me and let me have the other now."

  "You can put it in yourself. You'll be there."

  "Nothing doing!"

  "This is something special, Nead," said Ira, seriously, speakingthrough the folds of the towel. "I want you to go with me. It won'tmatter if you miss one evening at the billiard place."

  "But I don't want to go to your old meeting," expostulated Humphrey."It's nothing in my young life! You give them a dollar for me and tellthem I wish them well."

  "No, we want all the fellows we can get. You'll be wanting to borrowin two or three days, Nead, and I shan't want to loan to a fellow whowon't do a little thing like this to oblige me."

  "Oh, don't you worry, old top. There are other places to make a raise."

  "Maybe, but I don't believe you want to try them. I'll be back hereabout half-past seven and the meeting's at eight. We'd better startfairly early so as to get good seats."

  "Gee, a fellow would think you were going to the movies," scoffedHumphrey. "What fun is there in listening to a lot of idiots talk aboutthe football team? Are you going to speak, too?"

  "Me?" asked Ira startledly. "Thunder, no! I couldn't speak a piece!"

  "Then I won't go," laughed Humphrey. "If you'll make a speech, Rowly,I'll take a chance."

  "Guess I'm the one who'd be taking a chance," replied Ira. "How doesthis eye look now?"

  "Dissipated, old top, dissipated! But it's a bit better. Well, I guessI'll run along and feed. Want to donate that dollar now, Rowly?"

  "N-no, I don't believe so."

  Humphrey frowned and paused irresolutely by the table, hat in hand."You're not in earnest about that, are you?" he asked. "I mean aboutholding out on me if I don't go to the meeting."

  "Yes, I am, Nead. You're wanted at the meeting and I'm asking you to goas a personal favour to me."

  "Rot! I don't see how it affects you any, whether I go or don't go. Itisn't your picnic."

  "Why not? I'm on the team, fighting and bleeding for the cause." Irafelt tentatively of his nose. "Bleeding, anyhow. Naturally, I want thething to be a success. Besides, Nead, they've got to raise some moneyif they're going to last the season out. Shall we say about twentyminutes to eight?"

  "Say what you like," laughed Humphrey, "but don't look for me, Rowly.I've got something to do tonight. Bye!"

  "Bye," answered Ira. When the door had closed he smiled gently. "If hedoesn't go with me I miss my guess," he murmured as he donned his vestand coat and slicked his hair down with a wet brush. "I suppose it's apoor business, buying him like that, but you've got to suit your methodto your man." With which bit of philosophy he observed his disfiguredcounten
ance dubiously and turned out the light.