“Hey, Johnny! Toby!” yelled a familiar voice. It was Stitch Buttons. “Hitch your rope to the back and I'll pull you!”
“Great!” cried Johnny.
He looped the rope around a metal peg on the right side, then sat on the toboggan with Toby. Stitch cracked his reins lightly over the horses and they started off again.
“You never did this in New York City, did you?” cried Toby, laughing.
“I guess not!” said Johnny happily.
They reached the first house in town and Johnny heard some boys shouting to Stitch. Seconds later two boys passed by the sleigh, pulling sleds toward the distant hill.
“Well, look who's getting a ride,” one of the boys exclaimed. “Hi, Johnny! Hi, Toby!”
Suddenly there was a loud shout and Johnny saw Jim Sain leaping from behind a bush and yelling at the horses. One of the horses whinnied in fear and reared up on its hind legs.
“Hey, cut that out!” shouted Stitch.
But the sleigh started speeding down the street. Johnny and Toby grabbed the side rails of the toboggan to keep from being jolted off.
“Halt!” yelled Stitch. “Halt!”
The horses seemed to run even faster.
People on the sidewalks began to scream. What if we knock someone down? thought Johnny, panic-stricken. What if we hit a car?
The horses swung to the right at the corner. The sleigh started to swing, too. Its rear end skidded toward the left side of the street, missing a car by inches. Just then the toboggan rolled over, spilling Johnny and Toby out onto the street.
7
The boys rolled over and over until they hit a snowbank. They sat up and stared dazedly at each other. “You okay?” asked Johnny shakily.
“Yes. Are you?”
“I think so.”
They looked down the street at the sleigh and at Stitch pulling hard on the reins in a desperate effort to stop the horses. Near the end of the block the horses slowed down and came to an abrupt halt, lifting their front hoofs high into the air and whinnying loudly.
“Stitch has stopped them,” observed Johnny. “Come on.”
They ran down the street. Stitch was looking back at them. “You guys okay?” he shouted.
“Yes!” cried Johnny. He reached the sleigh and unhooked the rope of the toboggan.
“That darn Jim Sain,” Stitch said angrily. “He did it. He scared the horses.”
Stitch looked down the street behind him. Johnny looked too and saw Jim come running around the corner with the other boys at his heels. They stopped instantly and Stitch shouted, “I'm going to tell the police about this, Sain! They'll fix you!”
Jim turned, walked back up the street, and vanished around the corner, his friends with him.
A policeman came running from the opposite direction.
“What's the trouble, young fella?” he asked Stitch. “Those horses get away from you?”
“A kid jumped from behind a bush and scared them,” said Stitch. “They started running and I couldn't stop them for a while. They're okay now.”
“Good. Move on. You're holding up traffic.”
Johnny wondered if Stitch was going to tell the policeman who the kid was, but Stitch didn't. He slapped the reins and the horses moved on.
Johnny and Toby walked up on the sidewalk, pulling the toboggan after them. “Jim Sain's a real pain,” grumbled Toby. “He's always doing something to make people mad. Why can't he do something good for a change?”
“Maybe he's unhappy,” said Johnny.
“Unhappy? Why should he be unhappy?”
Johnny shrugged. “I don't know. But look at the clothes he wears to school. They're hardly ever clean and he wears the same pair of jeans over and over. And he hasn't had a haircut since I've been here. Maybe he doesn't have anything and gets his kicks by being dirty to people.”
“Guess we're lucky,” reflected Toby. “Especially since you and Mom came to live with us.”
Johnny smiled and put an arm over Toby's shoulders. “You know what? I didn't know what to think at first. I was scared having a new brother, a father, and a grandfather all of a sudden. I didn't think I could have fun in a small town, either.”
Toby's eyes flashed warmth. “Are you glad now you came?”
“Darn right. I wouldn't change this for a million bucks.”
8
School was closed till Monday, January 3. Johnny had lots of time to practice jumping and jump shots. Especially jumping, because he needed that most of all. He practiced several times a day and noticed that he was already jumping higher than before.
“You're gaining,” said Toby, drawing a new chalk mark where Johnny's fingertips touched the backboard. “About two inches.”
Two inches, thought Johnny. He had a lot to go to outjump Jim Sain and Oscar Hill.
The White Cats played the Astro Jets in the school gym on Tuesday, December 28. Johnny laid in a basket within the first thirty seconds. He still had trouble with his pivot foot. He couldn't pivot without dragging it across the floor a few inches, drawing a whistle from the referee for a traveling violation.
He remembered not to lose his temper though. He wouldn't forget the ref's warning when he had deliberately bounced the ball hard against the floor.
He was still unable to grab a rebound from the Astro Jets' tall center. He was hearing a name more often too. A name someone had tacked onto him several games back.
“Come on, Johnny Long Legs! Jump!”
He and Stogy Giles caught a rebound at the same time when the score was 7 to 4 in the White Cats' favor. The referee tossed the ball up between them and Johnny tried to put all the spring he could into his legs to outjump the boy who was more than six inches shorter than he. Stogy still outjumped him.
Other than Stogy, however, the Jets had no one with a sharp eye for the basket. One of them tried a shot from the center line and made it. The fans for both teams cheered for him. But apparently his shot was just lucky. It was the only one he made that first half.
The White Cats went into the second half leading 31 to 18. Stogy had made twelve of the eighteen points. He was small but fast. Twice he had stolen the ball from Johnny, leaving Johnny stunned for a second. And embarrassed.
Nat Newton played the last two minutes of the third quarter in place of Johnny and also started the fourth quarter. Johnny didn't mind. He hoped Coach Dates would keep him on the bench the rest of the game. He was tired of people calling him Johnny Long Legs and making fun of his poor jumping.
There were four minutes left in the quarter when the coach sent him back in. “Two things to remember, Johnny,” he said. “Watch your pivot foot, and put all the spring into your legs that you can when you jump.” Then he added, “You don't like the fans calling you Johnny Long Legs, do you? Ignore them. Know what fans used to call me when I played ball? Mucilage. It means glue. What do you think of that name?”
Johnny laughed. He agreed that it was certainly worse than Johnny Long Legs.
He fouled Stogy when the little guy tried to dribble by him and Stogy was given a shot. He made it. Then Johnny scored a set. A few seconds later he intercepted a pass, dribbled fast upcourt, and laid the ball against the boards for another two points. The game ended with the White Cats winning, 64 to 49.
“Good game, Johnny,” said Toby as they headed for the locker room. “You were high scorer.”
“How many?” asked Johnny.
“Twenty-seven points. Not bad, huh?”
They took their showers and began dressing when Nat Newton said something that was news to Johnny. “Did you hear that Coach Smith kicked Jim Sain off the Hornets because of what he had done to Stitch Buttons' horses?”
Johnny stared at him. “Are you sure?”
“Sure, I'm sure.”
“He deserves it,” said Rick. “Jim's always horsing around. Wising it up. It's about time somebody did something with him.”
“I don't know,” said Johnny thoughtfully as he and Toby walked home af
ter the game. “Do you think the coach should have kicked Jim off the team just because he yelled and scared the horses?”
Toby shrugged. “Don't you?”
“No. Maybe benching him for a while would be okay. But kicking him off the team… Man!”
“Yeah,” said Toby. “That is pretty rough.”
“And did you see that look on his face? He looked scared. Real scared.”
“He sure did,” admitted Toby.
They walked the rest of the way home in silence.
Toby told Mom and Dad about Coach Smith's tossing Jim Sain off the Hornets for what Jim had done, and also told them how Johnny felt about it. Dad smiled at Johnny. “This interests me, son. After the trouble Jim Sain has caused you and Toby, you think that his coach is giving him a raw deal. Both of you could've been badly hurt if it weren't for that snowbank, you know.”
“I know,” said Johnny. Then he looked at Mom. You understand, don't you, Mom? You've seen kids like Jim Sain in New York City. They do things to hurt you, then are sorry afterwards.
Mom put an arm around his shoulders and gave him a hug. “I think I know why Johnny feels the way he does about Jim,” she said. “We both have seen boys like Jim in New York. I don't know this boy Jim. But if Johnny wants to help him I don't see anything wrong in that. Do you?” she asked her husband.
“Not at all. Tell you what, son. Why don't you telephone Mr. Smith and ask him to give Jim another chance? He just might do it.”
Johnny thought about the suggestion. It's not that easy, he wanted to say.
“Can I wait till tomorrow?” he asked.
“Sure,” said Dad, patting him on the shoulder. “Take time to think about it.”
Johnny thought about it most of the next day. That evening he gathered all the courage he could and telephoned Mr. Smith.
“Mr. Smith,” he began, “this is Johnny Reese. My brother and I were on the toboggan that spilled over after Jim Sain had…” He wet his lips. His heart was pounding. “…after he had scared those horses.”
“Yes. I know who you are,” said Mr. Smith. “What do you want, Johnny?”
“Well, I heard you took Jim off the team because of what he'd done. I just thought—well, when we lived in New York City I knew a lot of guys. Some of them were like Jim Sain. They did mean things but, really, the guys weren't bad. I mean they were unhappy because their mothers and fathers never looked after them. I hardly know Jim, but the way he comes to school and the way he acts… I don't know, Mr. Smith. I think he's just unhappy and does things to… well… It's hard to explain, Mr. Smith.”
“I think I know what you mean, Johnny,” said Mr. Smith.
“Well, the reason I called is to ask if you'd give him another chance.” A lump rose in Johnny's throat.
“I see,” said Mr. Smith. “Okay, Johnny. I appreciate your telling me this. I'll think about it and decide what to do. Okay?”
“Okay. Thanks, Mr. Smith.”
“You're very welcome, Johnny.”
Johnny hung up. Sweat was rolling down his face.
The White Cats played the Hornets in the Community Hall on Thursday. Johnny looked anxiously for Jim Sain as the Hornets trotted in from the locker room. There he was!
“He's playing,” Toby said beside him. “Talking to Coach Smith did it, Johnny. I hope he knows it was you who helped put him back on the team.”
Johnny didn't get in the game until the first quarter was half over. As before Coach Dates played him opposite Jim Sain. Jim was the first to put out his hand as Johnny came across the floor.
“Johnny, thanks for talking to the coach,” he said.
Johnny smiled. “Forget it.”
Toby tossed the ball to Rick from out of bounds. Rick dribbled it a few steps and passed to Stitch. Stitch's guard almost took the ball from him. He stumbled backwards and rolled the ball across the floor to Johnny. Both Johnny and Jim Sain raced after it. They got it at the same time and struggled for its possession.
Shreeek! “Jump!” yelled the ref.
Johnny and Jim faced each other. The ref stood before them.
From the stands came a fan's yell. The voice of the man Johnny had heard too often already. “Don't let Leadfoot outjump you, Jim!”
Up went the ball. And up went the boys, Johnny leaping as high as he could. But it wasn't high enough. Jim's fingers soared a couple of inches higher. It was close. Closer than ever before.
9
A Hornet dribbled the ball cautiously across the center line then passed it to a teammate in the left corner. The player tried to take a shot but Toby leaped in front of him and forced him to toss the ball to another teammate.
The ball passed from one Hornet to another. Then Jim had it, took a shot, and scored.
Johnny shook his head disgustedly, turned, and ran upcourt. He had to keep Jim Sain from making baskets. At least keep him from making as many as he was accustomed to. It would be something if Jim was a star today and won the game for the Hornets. I'd be the goat, thought Johnny, for I'm the one who pleaded with Coach Smith to let Jim play.
The game was tied at the end of the first quarter, 11 to 11. In the second quarter the Hornets broke the tie when a little redheaded boy sank a corner shot. The ball struck the net without touching the rim.
The White Cats tossed the ball in from out of bounds. Cotton Cornish dribbled it across the center line, then whipped it to Stitch Buttons. A fiery Hornet went after Stitch and Stitch passed to Johnny.
Johnny considered taking a shot. He was just outside of the foul-shooting lane and not far from the basket. But in a wink Jim was there in front of him, his arms beating up and down like the wings of a hummingbird. Johnny passed to Rick.
Rick dribbled toward the basket, went up, and shot. At the same time a Hornet struck his wrist. Shreeeek! went the whistle. The ball swiveled through the net.
The ref signaled that the basket counted and that Rick was entitled to one shot. Rick made it, putting the Cats ahead, 14 to 13.
The Hornets took the ball down to their basket, tried to move in close with it, but couldn't. The Cats had formed a human wall to defend the basket. Only a daring player would try to break through it.
A daring player did. Jim Sain. He broke through the wall, with his right shoulder striking Cotton so hard that Cotton fell. The whistle shrilled as Jim leaped under the basket, laid the ball up against the boards, and sank it.
The ref shook his head sideways and yelled, “No basket!” Then he pointed a finger at Jim. “Charging!” he said, and gave the ball to the White Cats.
Jim made a face then ran downcourt to help defend his basket. Johnny and Toby exchanged grins. That time Jim's daring charge had backfired.
Toby took out the ball and passed it to Johnny. Johnny tossed it to Cotton, who he figured was a better dribbler than himself. Cotton dribbled to the center line where a Hornet buzzed at him and made a stab for the ball. Cotton stopped on a dime, pivoted on his right foot, and passed to Rick. Rick faked a shot and then passed to Toby, who was running down the right sideline. Toby caught the ball, stopped to shoot, but two players swarmed upon him instantly. One clamped his hand on the ball, trapping it.
Jump ball.
Toby outjumped his opponent but a Hornet caught the tap and started upcourt in a fast sprint. There was no White Cat within yards of him. He leaped, laid the ball nicely against the boards, and scored two points.
Again Toby took out the ball. He wasn't grinning now. Neither was Johnny. Johnny caught the pass from Toby and bounced it to Rick. Rick passed to Cotton, who again dribbled the ball to the center line, then across it, where a Hornet stopped him.
Cotton passed to Nat Newton who was in for Stitch. Nat dribbled to the left sideline then passed to Huck, who was running in toward the basket. Huck caught the pass and laid it up. Two points.
The game moved along swiftly, both teams playing equally well. The score remained close with the lead changing from one team to the other and back again.
; At the midway point of the second quarter Coach Dates put in Ken Addison in place of Rick and Dale Michaels in place of Toby. A couple of minutes later he sent in Buzz Elliot in place of Cotton. Johnny noticed that Coach Smith had put in substitutes too.
The fresh new players made little difference with the score. It was a tie seconds before the half ended. Ken sank one from the corner to break it, putting the Cats in the lead, 31 to 29, when the whistle blew.
Johnny was glad for the intermission. He was tired and the rest would do him good. He had played the entire first half.
He started the second half too. Hardly half a minute passed when Jim had the ball, dribbling toward the Cats basket. Johnny sprang after him. I'm going to stop this shot, he promised himself, even if I foul him.
He brushed past a Hornet and put his hand flat against the ball as Jim started to leap. Jim scarcely got off the floor. He looked from the basket to the player who had stopped him and Johnny thought he had never seen a more surprised look on anybody's face than was on Jim's.
“Jump!” yelled the ref.
The two boys faced each other. The ref stood ready to toss the ball up between them.
“Outjump him, Jim!” yelled that familiar voice again.
Johnny waited anxiously for the ref to toss up the ball. He was determined to jump higher than Jim this time.
The ball went up. The boys jumped. Johnny saw Jim's hand rise up past his, saw the hand tap the ball to a Hornet teammate.
“That-a-boy, Jim!” yelled the fan.
The Hornet tried a long shot. This time Johnny caught the ball as it bounced off the boards. He tossed it to Dale. Dale dribbled it a few steps then passed to Buzz. Buzz passed to Ken, who dribbled down the right sideline and took a set from the corner. A basket!
Johnny glanced at the scoreboard. The Cats were ahead by four points, 33 to 29.
The game remained close to the very end. The Cats led 54 to 53 with ten seconds left to play. The ball was in their possession.
“Hold that ball!” shouted Coach Dates. “Don't lose it!”
Johnny had the ball. He started to pass it to Rick but Jim got to it and tried to yank it away. Jump ball.
Johnny Long Legs Page 3
