“The school wants you to win to-day. Just keep that in mind. You’ve been outplayed so far by a team that’s no better than you are; not quite so good, I think. You’re no more handicapped than they are by the wet field and wet ball. There’s no reason why you can’t make a touchdown in each period, fellows. But you’ve got to do better than you have done. You’ve got to play together and put more snap into it. Perhaps you’ve forgotten what Nordham did to you last year. Or perhaps you don’t care. If you don’t care, go on playing as you’ve been playing. If you do care, go back there and show them how to play football!”
On the way back Payson sought Kendall. “I’m sorry you got hurt, Burtis,” he said kindly4. “Take care of that wrist, though, and we’ll have you playing next week. Andy says he will have you in shape by then.” He nodded and moved ahead.
“Next week!” muttered Kendall. “That means I don’t get back to-day! I could, though,[222] if it wasn’t for this silly sling5 around my neck.” He removed his hand and lowered it. It began to hurt as the blood flowed down into it, and Kendall scowled6. “Gee, but it’s mean luck! First I went and fumbled8 the ball and they scored a touchdown, and then I had to bust9 my wrist and can’t play any more!” He worked his fingers experimentally. They hurt some, but he decided10 that he could manage to hold a ball with them in spite of the splints if they’d only give him a chance. He looked about for Andy Ryan as they trotted11 on to the field to the long cheers of the stand. The trainer was busy, and Kendall waited until he was for an instant alone. Then—
“Andy, you said I could go back,” he charged.
“Go back? Do you mean play football?”
Kendall nodded.
“I said that, did I?” Andy grinned. “Was I snoring at the time?”
“You know you weren’t,” answered Kendall indignantly. “And you did say maybe I could——”
“Maybe! Sure I said maybe, Burtis. But what would you be doing out there with one arm in a sling——”
“I don’t need to keep it in a sling, Andy!”
“You don’t, eh? Listen, son. Do you keep your hand where I put it and take care of it.[223] Then maybe you can play next week. If you don’t——”
“There is,” replied Andy dryly. “All ready, men!”
Kendall, staring blankly before him, turned to find a seat on the bench, and heard his name called. Gerald was leaning across the barrier with an anxious countenance13.
“What did you do?” he called. “Break anything?”
“Dislocated,” answered Kendall, tapping the bandaged wrist. He moved nearer to Gerald. “They say I can’t play any more to-day, and—and——”
“Of course you can’t,” agreed Gerald frowningly. “You’ve got to take care of it. Isn’t it mean luck, Kendall?” One might have thought that it was Gerald who had injured himself instead of Kendall. The latter nodded gloomingly, waved his well hand and found a seat between Metz and Jackson. Metz was not very cheerful company these days, since he had but lately been deposed14 from right end in favor of Adler and was not yet viewing the matter philosophically15. Jackson, who was a substitute guard, a big, raw-boned chap with lantern jaws16 and eyebrows17 that[224] met companionably above his nose, glanced at Kendall’s injury and asked laconically18:
“Broke, Burtis?”
“No, just a dislocation.”
“Too bad ’tain’t broke. They say breaks heal quicker’n dislocations.”
“My, but you’re a cheerful comforter,” muttered Kendall, as he turned to watch the kick-off. Merriwell had elected to give that honor to Nordham. There was no advantage attached to the possession of either end of the field to-day, for there was no wind. The rain still descended19, but it was more like a heavy mist now. Nordham booted the ball far down the field, and Simms got it near his own ten-yard line and by a wonderful effort that brought the onlookers20 to their feet carried it past mid-field. By that time the Yardley back had dodged21 and fought his way past the entire Nordham team save its quarter and seemed well on his way for a touchdown. Having outstripped22 his interference, Simms ran directly at the Red’s quarter-back at full speed. But that youth was not to be fooled. He approached Simms slowly and cautiously. Just as the runner swerved23 to his left the red-legged player made a diving plunge24 at Simms and brought him down, the two sliding through mud and water for yards after the tackle.
[225]
Yardley hammered the center for small gain and then slid off the tackles and made her distance. A fumble7 was recovered and an end run lost ground. Simms tried a quarter-back kick, and Nordham got the ball near her thirty yards. An exchange of punts gave no advantage to either side, and Nordham tried the Yardley center and squeezed through for two short gains. Crandall got the punt and trailed off twenty-odd yards before he was pulled down. Yardley went back to her former tactics of direct attack, plugging the guards and tackles and now and then trying a wide end run. In this manner the ball was carried down to Nordham’s twenty-three-yard line. Marion got through for three, Crandall made five on a skin-tackle play, and the pigskin rested squarely on the fifteen-yard line. There was a pause here, Simms and Merriwell holding a consultation25. Kendall guessed that they were discussing the chances of making that needed two yards. To try a field goal then seemed absurd.
Finally Fales dropped out of the line and went back as though to kick, and, although there were one or two cries of “Fake!” Nordham seemed pretty well convinced that a try-at-goal was to be the play. She pulled her wings in a little and made ready to break through. This left the Yardley[226] ends free and Kendall, noting the fact, wondered whether Simms meant to chance a forward pass. The ball went back to Fales and the big guard stepped forward and swung his long leg. The Nordham forwards came crashing through with upstretched arms, leaping and stumbling. Fales, however, had not kicked. With the nearest Nordham players almost upon him he side-stepped and hurled26 the ball straight over the center of the line toward where Cousins awaited it. There was an instant of suspense27, of wild scrambling28 on the part of the defenders29, and then the ball, aimed too high, went over Cousins’ head, struck an upright of the goal and bounded back. A dozen bodies threw themselves after it. But under the rules it went to Nordham for a touchback and a groan30 of disappointment arose from the stand. Nordham kicked from behind her goal line and Crandall made the catch on Yardley’s forty-three yards. From there Yardley hammered out two yards and then the whistle blew for the end of the third period.
As the players separated to don their blankets and change positions Coach Payson strode over to Andy Ryan. Kendall, watching, saw the trainer swing around and look at him. Payson’s gaze followed. Kendall’s heart leaped into his throat. For a moment the two talked. Once[227] Andy shook his head slowly. Once he shrugged31 his shoulders. Then Payson was calling.
“Burtis!”
Kendall sprang from the bench and hurried to the side-line.
“Do you think you can go in and kick if you have a chance?” asked the coach hurriedly. “If you’re to go in at all I’ve got to put you in now. You may tell Simms not to use you except for kicking.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Take your sling off,” said Andy, “but keep your arm up all you can. And keep out of scrimmage, too.”
“Yes, you needn’t rough it up any, Burtis. All I want you to do is punt when necessary, and if we get inside their thirty yards try a goal unless Simms is pretty certain of making a touchdown. You tell him that. Tell him he’s to use you only when necessary, and to try for a field-goal inside their thirty yards unless he’s sure he can make it by rushing. Send Fayette out. Go ahead!”
The teams were already forming at the farther end of the field as Kendall sped on. A cheer burst forth32 from the stand, and then another as Brinspool raced after Kendall to relieve Marion. Kendall made for the referee33.
“Right half,” he panted. “You’re off, Fayette.[228] Let me have your head-guard.” Then he drew Simms aside and whispered the instructions. Captain Merriwell joined them and listened. Neither he nor Simms seemed very well pleased.
“A goal from field won’t do much good,” muttered Simms. “We’ll have to have two to even tie the game.”
“He’d better have left Fayette in,” said Merriwell. “Well——”
“Ready, Yardley?”
“All ready, sir!” Simms trotted to his place. Brinspool snatched Marion’s head-guard and sent that youth dejectedly off. The whistle blew.
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1
trotting
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| 小跑，急走( trot的现在分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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2
massaging
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| 按摩，推拿( massage的现在分词 ) | |
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3
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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5
sling
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| vt.扔；悬挂；n.挂带；吊索，吊兜；弹弓 | |
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6
scowled
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| 怒视，生气地皱眉( scowl的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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7
fumble
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| vi.笨拙地用手摸、弄、接等，摸索 | |
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8
fumbled
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| （笨拙地）摸索或处理（某事物）( fumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 乱摸，笨拙地弄； 使落下 | |
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9
bust
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| vt.打破；vi.爆裂；n.半身像；胸部 | |
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10
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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11
trotted
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| 小跑，急走( trot的过去分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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12
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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13
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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14
deposed
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| v.罢免( depose的过去式和过去分词 )；（在法庭上）宣誓作证 | |
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15
philosophically
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| adv.哲学上；富有哲理性地；贤明地；冷静地 | |
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16
jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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17
eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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18
laconically
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| adv.简短地，简洁地 | |
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19
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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onlookers
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| n.旁观者，观看者( onlooker的名词复数 ) | |
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21
dodged
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| v.闪躲( dodge的过去式和过去分词 )；回避 | |
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22
outstripped
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| v.做得比…更好，（在赛跑等中）超过( outstrip的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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23
swerved
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| v.（使）改变方向，改变目的( swerve的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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24
plunge
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| v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲 | |
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25
consultation
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| n.咨询；商量；商议；会议 | |
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26
hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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27
suspense
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| n.（对可能发生的事）紧张感，担心，挂虑 | |
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28
scrambling
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的现在分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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29
defenders
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| n.防御者( defender的名词复数 )；守卫者；保护者；辩护者 | |
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30
groan
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| vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
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31
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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32
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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referee
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| n.裁判员．仲裁人，代表人，鉴定人 | |
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