Sink it Rusty

by Matt Christopher

  He approached it. Carefully, he put one foot on it, then the other. Little by little he moved his right foot forward, then his left foot. He grew more frightened by the minute. The frozen creek was farther below him. And the log seemed so much longer!

  He slid on a patch of ice! He fell off the log and struck the ice below. It didn't crack. And he wasn't hurt. At least the ice was strong enough to hold him.

  He climbed back up on the bank, and started across the log again. About a third of the way across, he slipped. Down he went again!

  He got up, tried it once more. He wasn't afraid now. He had become accustomed to the height. But he could not stay on the log.

  After the seventh try he became discouraged and gave up. He had gotten too tired, anyway, to keep trying. And those falls had begun to hurt.

  He turned, headed for home, and came face to face with Alec Daws, Perry Webb, and Joby Main!

  They smiled at him.

  Alec said, “Hi, Rusty! Joby said we might find you here!”

  Rusty stared. What were they doing here? How long had they been watching him?

  “Rusty,” said Alec, “you're trying too hard. You expect to do everything in a short time. That's impossible. You must take it easier, or you'll hurt yourself badly. I know how you feel, kid. I know exactly.” Alec put out his hand, the one with the black glove on it. “An accident did this. I'll never be able to play. But with you —someday you may be able to reach your goal. You have everything, Rusty. Keep it that way. Just be sure you don't get hurt by doing anything foolish. Like walking on slippery logs, for example. The trouble with you is, you want to rush things too much.”

  Alec paused and grinned. “Come on. Let's get back to civilization. Got a surprise to show you.”

  12

  RUSTY wondered what the surprise was, but he didn't ask. He didn't think Alec would tell him.

  Wonder how long they had been watching me? he thought again.

  He walked with the boys and Alec back through the woods. They did not hurry. They're walking slowly because of me, Rusty thought.

  Finally, they reached the road. The afternoon sun blazed in the blue sky, but the air was freezing cold. The boys' cheeks were red as apples, their breaths puffs of fog.

  They walked past the houses, and down the long, curving hill. From this high they were able to look down upon the lake. It was frozen over. Kids were skating on it. Their gay laughter reached the boys and Alec.

  The three boys walked abreast with Alec. They reached the bottom of the hill, turned left, and walked through the park toward the lake. Rusty's legs ached from all that walking, and he wanted to rest.

  Where is Alec taking us? What is the surprise he mentioned?

  All at once, Rusty hardly cared about the surprise.

  “I'm going to sit down on a bench,” he said, tiredly. “You guys go ahead.”

  Alec looked at him. “Guess we walked pretty far, didn't we? Okay.” He looked around, pointed at a bench near the edge of the lake. “Sit over there. Joby, stay with him. Come with me, Perry.”

  Five minutes later a tiny iceboat with a navy-blue sail skimmed across the ice from the direction Alec and Perry had gone. Rusty recognized Alec and Perry immediately, and his heart hammered. So this was Alec's surprise!

  Alec was sitting in a seat with his hands on a control stick. His feet were on a crossbar underneath and in front of the sail. Rusty realized that Alec was steering the iceboat with his feet.

  In the seat behind Alec sat Perry. His feet were on a short crossbar under Alec's seat. A strap was around his chest. Halfway between his seat and Alec's, underneath, was a long crossbar with a runner at each end.

  Alec and Perry sailed around for a while, then returned. Alec gave Joby a ride, and finally Rusty.

  “Just keep your feet on that crossbar,” advised Alec. “The strap will hold you tight in your seat.”

  Alec pushed the craft out and got in. He shoved the control stick forward, letting out the sail, which he had hauled in against the spar when he had stopped the craft.

  Instantly, the wind filled the big blue sail, and the iceboat almost took off. Kids who were skating stopped to watch with fascination.

  Alec steered the iceboat toward the middle of the ice-covered lake, away from the skaters. The runners thumped and swooshed as they whizzed over the ice. Gradually Alec pushed the left rudder, and the iceboat circled wide to the right. It tipped a little, and Rusty's heart jumped.

  Alec grinned back at him. “Don't be afraid!” he shouted against the hard-blowing wind. “We won't tip over!”

  Rusty tried to smile back as the wind pressed against his face. Finally, Alec straightened out the iceboat's course.

  “How do you like it, Rusty?” he asked.

  Rusty laughed. “I love it!”

  “I made this myself!”

  And then Alec went on: “How would you like to come out here with me every day, if it's nice? This will help you become strong and healthy, too! Help you to get used to rough weather! Would you like to do that?”

  “I sure would!” said Rusty. “But I'd have to ask my mom and dad first.”

  “Of course!” laughed Alec. His eyes shone like bright stars for a moment.

  Then Alec gazed past Rusty's shoulder and steered the iceboat toward shore. He kept looking, as if fascinated by some strange sight.

  Suddenly, a gust of wind came up. It filled the sail and whipped the iceboat half around! This time one runner lifted high off the ice!

  Rusty yelled. He thought they were going to topple over for sure!

  But Alec quickly brought the iceboat under control. He turned and grinned at Rusty.

  “Whew!” said Rusty. “Almost went then!”

  They were near shore, now. Alec looked again at whatever it was that had attracted his attention.

  “Rusty,” he said, at last, “who's that standing with Perry and Joby?”

  Rusty turned. A wide grin splashed across his face.

  “That's Marylou!” he said. “My sister!”

  So it was she who had almost caused them to spill!

  13

  “MAYBE she wants you,” Alec said.

  “We'd better go in.”

  Alec turned the iceboat toward shore. He stopped it at the edge of the park, near Marylou and the boys.

  “Hi!” he greeted Marylou.

  Marylou's eyes were bright and shining. “Hi!” she said.

  “This is Alec Daws,” said Rusty to Marylou. “He built that iceboat himself!”

  Marylou laughed, and put out her hand. She was wearing woolen mittens. “Nice to meet you,” she said. “I suppose, since you own such a beautiful iceboat, the boys bother you a lot!”

  Alec shook his head. “Not very much,” he said. “Matter of fact, today is the first day Rusty has known about it. By the way, have you ever ridden on one?”

  “Never!” Marylou's brown eyes widened with interest. “But if you'll invite me —”

  “I'm inviting you!” said Alec. “Hop on!”

  Marylou got into the rear seat. Alec strapped her in, then shoved the iceboat away from shore. He got in the front seat, adjusted the sail, and in a moment they were skimming swiftly over the ice.

  “I think she's ruined it for us,” said Perry quietly. “We might as well go home.”

  “Let's wait,” said Joby. “She might get scared or something.”

  Rusty chuckled. “You don't know my sister!” he said.

  They waited. Seven minutes later Alec and Marylou returned. Marylou's face was flushed with excitement.

  “What fun!” she cried. “I think I'd like to go out again sometime.”

  “Okay. Tomorrow,” said Alec. He turned to the boys. “Stick around. I'll take the iceboat back to the boathouse.”

  On their way home, Alec told them that he had scheduled a basketball game for the next week at Bay Town. Bay Town had lost only twice so far this season and would be strong competition.

  “A week after that wi
ll be the big one,” Alec went on. “Culbert was runner-up last year in the eastern division. That takes in some of the teams we've already played. Beat them, and we know we have something!”

  “I wish I could be around to see a game,” said Marylou. She looked at Rusty. “Mother wrote to me that you were doing marvelously.”

  “Marvelously is right,” said Alec, smiling. “Matter of fact, I have to slow him down now and then. He wants to rush things too fast.”

  Bay Town was as strong that following Saturday as Alec had said it would be. Their center was taller than Perry, a slim, blond boy who jumped, dribbled, and passed with equal skill. After the first quarter ended, Rusty could tell that the blond boy was practically Bay Town's team. Without him, they'd be nothing.

  The score was Bay Town — 11; Lakers — 4.

  “Perry, you, Joby and Bud cover him on defense,” advised Alec. “Try to keep him from scoring. That'll be our only chance.”

  The boys clung to the tall Bay Town center like leeches in the second quarter. They held him to two baskets. The Lakers scored seventeen points. The score, at the end of the first half: Bay Town — 15; Lakers — 21.

  In the second half the Bay Towners were a confused bunch of boys. The blond center tried steadily to get away from his guards, but had little luck. Perry fouled him twice. Ted, twice. Other than that, the center scored very few points. And the Lakers were dumping them.

  Rusty played his share of the game. From the corner he sank three set shots. He was fouled three times. He sank two of his free throws, for a total of eight points.

  He had played a good game. He wished Marylou was here to see him.

  The Lakers carried home the win, 4 to 36.

  It was a shocking loss to Bay Town. A fine team like theirs losing to a bunch of boys who had never played under a coach's guidance before this year? Impossible!

  But it had happened!

  “Alec said we did great,” Rusty wrote to Marylou that night. “Alec has me play the corner so I don't get hurt. But I scored eight points, anyway…”

  14

  ALEC printed a sign and hung it in the store. It read:

  BASKETBALL GAME

  Lakers vs. Culbert

  Sat. 2 P.M. Jan. 14

  at the Culbert Junior High Gym

  Everybody Come!

  It's Free!

  The sign stirred up interest. Men asked about the Lakers basketball team. Some of them didn't know that a team had sprouted up in Cannerville.

  “Where did they ever learn how to play basketball?” some asked with surprise.

  “In the big barn,” Alex told them. “Over there by the creek.”

  Women became interested, too. Most of the mothers of the boys who played on the Lakers team had already seen some of the games. After Alec put up the sign, more women wanted to see the games.

  “We'll have a crowd there for sure!” said Perry Webb excitedly.

  “We probably will,” replied Corny. “But what will they think of us if we lose?”

  “Won't be any disgrace,” said Alec. “Everybody will know that Culbert was runner-up for the championship last year. Our fans won't down a new team if it loses to a team like Culbert. But let's get this losing idea out of our heads! Let's think of winning, not losing!”

  Alec took Rusty with him on the iceboat nearly every evening. He taught Rusty how to handle the controls. Rusty loved it.

  On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights Alec worked hard with the boys in the big barn. There were a few things most of them still did not do well. Corny still was unable to get his passes away fast enough. Joby still couldn't sink more than one out of eight from the foul line. Bud's dribbling had improved. So had his passes. But he still fumbled the ball a lot. And when he did, it seemed always near an opponent. Ted, Perry, Rusty — they all needed improvement.

  Alec put in a few minutes of practice himself. It was fun to watch him. He hardly used his gloved hand. His other one was all he needed. He dribbled swiftly and gracefully. When he jumped to sink a lay-up, his feet lifted high off the floor. His hand seemed to go almost higher than the rim. When he finished playing, perspiration glistened on his face, but you could tell he enjoyed those moments with all his heart.

  He probably could have been a great basketball player, thought Rusty. Not me! I'll just be like this. Slow and awkward. I would never play in a game if Alec weren't coach.

  The Culbert Junior High gym was packed that Saturday afternoon. Many fans from Cannerville came to see the game and give their boys support. Many, Rusty knew, had never seen a game before.

  As usual, Rusty watched the opening of the game from the bench. He wasn't worried. Alec would put him in sometime.

  Perry and the Culbert center went up on the jump ball. Perry's long fingers tapped it. Bud caught it, dribbled away, and fumbled!

  “Did it again!” Rusty said.

  Culbert scooped up the fumble. A pass down-court. A quick dribble. Then a lay-up.

  In! Two points for Culbert, and the game was hardly ten seconds old!

  Lakers' out. Perry took the pass from Joby, dribbled the ball up-court. He crossed the center line. A Culbert player tried to slap the ball away from him. Perry passed to Corny. Joby started toward the right hand corner, then came forward quickly under the basket. Corny bounced the ball under his guard's arm to Joby. Joby took it, leaped and tried a hook shot.

  In!

  Culbert's out. A long pass down-court. A Culbert player was there to catch it. He dribbled it toward his basket, leaped for the lay-up. Missed!

  Perry was right behind him. He caught the rebound, brought the ball back up-court. Carefully, he passed to Joby. Joby passed to Bud. The five of them ran back and forth in a weaving pattern in the back court. Each looked for a chance for a fast break. But Culbert guarded their basket like a family of lions guarding their cub.

  Then Perry faked a pass to Bud, throwing his man off guard. He was at least ten feet away from the basket. He took quick aim and shot. The ball arched, fell through the rim and rippled the net for two points!

  A yell broke from the Lakers fans. What a clean, beautiful shot!

  The Lakers were tight as banjo strings when the game had started. They had moved about like wooden puppets. Now, as the first quarter drew to a close, they were no longer stiff and nervous. They moved with better timing. They were more careful with their throws.

  Tension was growing, interest mounting. Was this the Culbert team that had finished second in last year's championship? Was this the team that almost everybody had thought would beat a little nobody like the Lakers with hands tied behind their backs?

  What had happened to their great power?

  And what of the Lakers — was this really a nobody team?

  When the buzzer sounded, ending the first quarter, every fan in the gym knew that the Lakers were somebody, indeed!

  “Boys,” Alec said, while they dried the perspiration from their shoulders and faces, “you're playing wonderful ball. Keep it up, and we'll leave this town gasping for breath. I heard several of these Culbert fans call us hicks.” He smiled. “I think I've already heard their teeth crunching, eating their own words!”

  Rusty replaced Mark in the second quarter. Ted went in for Bud.

  “Just play the corner, Rusty,” reminded Alec. “You might do plenty of good right there.”

  Rusty didn't complain. He was to get in the game.

  Culbert started off with fast breaks. They took the Lakers by surprise for a while. They sank two lay-ups in quick succession.

  “Come on!” cried Perry. “Let's crush that charge!”

  Perry's spark encouraged his four teammates to put on more fire. They not only crushed Culbert's charge, they also breezed past them.

  When four minutes of the second quarter was up, the scoreboard read: VISITORS — 19; HOME — 14.

  Many Culbert fans, looking at the score, could hardly believe it was their team trailing in the game.

  Then, suddenly, the
play was near Rusty. Joby had the ball. He could not pass it to anyone else. He had to pass it to Rusty.

  “Shoot, Rusty!” he said.

  Rusty almost missed the pass. The ball struck his fingers. It hurt the middle finger of his right hand. He moved into position to throw. Just as he flipped the ball, a boy jumped in front of him and struck his hand!

  Shreee-e-ek!

  “Foul!” yelled the referee. “Number five! Two shots!”

  The Lakers fans cheered Rusty as he walked slowly to the free-throw line. The noise quieted down. The referee gave Rusty the ball. Rusty took his time, aimed, and shot.

  In!

  One more to go. Again he aimed and carefully shot.

  In!

  21 to 14. The Lakers were really moving!

  The buzzer. Culbert sent in subs. Two tall boys.

  “Oh-oh,” murmured Rusty. “What's this?”

  Culbert's out. They moved the ball swiftly down-court. The tall boys were doing most of the moving. They passed the ball quickly, accurately. A moment later one of them rushed forward, took a pass, leaped.

  A lay-up!

  The Lakers' out. They dribbled up-court, crossed the center line. Then someone rushed in, intercepted a pass, dribbled down-court! Another basket!

  Rusty was taken out. The Lakers needed stronger defense to stop this Culbert drive. Mark went back in.

  The electric clock on the wall ticked on. The Lakers put in another basket, but Culbert sank three to the Lakers' one. The half ended with a change on the scoreboard: VISITORS — 23; HOME — 24.

  Culbert was coming back!

  15

  “THEY held their big guns out on us,” said Coach Alec Daws. “Somebody has to stop them, or we'll get smeared, surely.”

  They were resting in the coolness of the locker room. No one had any comment.

  Alec walked back and forth between the rows of benches, thinking. Presently, he looked up.

  “There is a way to stop those tall boys from dunking those baskets,” he said suddenly. “Joby, you and Bud cover the dark-haired one. I noticed that he's the better shot of the two. Perry, you stay with the blond. I think you can handle him. Press him a little closer, but watch yourself. We can't afford fouls. Corny and Mark, cover the other three. Anyway, we'll see how this strategy works.”