Lily listened to the incident in much the same mood as John had displayed, regarding it all as rather a joke.
“I think it’s a good thing it happened,” she remarked. “Because it was a harmless way for Gertie Reed to take out her spite. And she was awfully4 mad that night, you know.”
“Yes, she was—and I’m thankful that she’s out144 of the troop. I saw from the beginning that I could never have any influence over her, or Mame either, for that matter.”
“Well, you’re certainly doing wonders with the others,” observed her chum admiringly. “It seems almost like a miracle—in such a short time!”
“If it only lasts!” sighed Marjorie.
“Why shouldn’t it?” demanded Lily. “Look at the enthusiasm over that practice game on Saturday night! Every single scout5 out, all in uniform, and proud as Punch. I think Jack6 was tickled7 to death with them, even though we did get beaten.”
“Oh, he expected us to get beaten,” returned her roommate. “But what pleases me more than the interest in basketball is the actual scout progress we’re making. Four second-class scouts8 out of eight is pretty promising9, and if I’m not mistaken, Sophia Ernsberg is going to pass the test before the first League game, so that we’ll have at least one substitute.”
“I wish that game didn’t come before Christmas,” said Lily. “So many things going on here at college—and I’m actually tired.”
“Yes, but I consider it a good thing for the troop. Remember you and I will be away for ten days, and the girls might lose interest if they didn’t have something like that to think about.”
“You have the schedule, haven’t you, Marj? What team do we play?”
“That’s the worst of it,” she answered, “we play that out-of-town troop—Number Ninety-seven. I understand that they’ve been playing a good while but by boys’ rules. They just organized into a scout troop this fall, and adopted girls’ rules. We are both new troops, you see, but they are experienced players.”
“And you think it would go very hard with our girls if they were defeated in their first game?”
“Yes, especially if their opponents played rough. But I understand that Miss Ainsworth is very strict.”
“Miss Ainsworth?”
“Well, then don’t worry about it, Marj. We have one more practice, anyway, before the game.”
The night of the game arrived—the last scout meeting before the Christmas holidays. The troop had arranged to gather at the settlement at half past seven and go in a body to the appointed place, one of the Y. W. C. A. gymnasiums in the upper part of the city. Jack, using his privilege as official coach, decided to go with the girls; but Marjorie instructed all other outsiders to go straight to the hall. She did not want to risk any unnecessary confusion or excitement.
“I never saw a better looking troop!” she cried146 proudly, when they were all assembled. “Honestly you girls look wonderful!”
“We have to live up to our officers and coach,” returned Queenie, with more sincerity13 than her bantering14 tone betrayed.
“Six players, one sub, three rooters,” counted Jack, with satisfaction. “Of course the last are the most important. Don’t forget to make lots of noise!”
“We’ll make it sound like thirty instead of three!” boasted Clara.
When they entered the building they met uniformed scouts on every side. Boys and girls alike were rushing about excitedly, as if the management of the whole match were upon their shoulders.
“Here comes the other team!” cried a husky girl in middy and bloomers, who in spite of her sneakers, looked at least six feet tall. “Welcome, worthy15 opponents!”
Marjorie’s entire troop stood still, rooted to the spot.
The other girl laughed uproariously.
“We’ve got some height—and muscle, too!” she replied with assurance. “We’re going to give you a fight, even if we are from the country!”
“That’s what we like,” nodded Marjorie, with true sportsmanship.
“Anyway,” whispered Stella to her captain, “their uniforms can’t touch ours!”
“And we have two college ’Varsity players on our team,” Queenie reminded her.
“And a whale of a coach!” added Dot enthusiastically.
The girls found the gymnasium as crowded and as confused as the halls. Evidently, they surmised, this was the usual custom at important games, but Marjorie sensed that something was amiss. Leaving her girls in the dressing18 room, she went in search of Miss Ainsworth.
“She hasn’t come yet,” one of the secretaries in the office informed her.
“Hasn’t come!” repeated Marjorie in alarm. “Well, what could have happened?”
“There has been a train wreck19 on her branch,” replied the other, “and we suppose that is the reason for the delay.”
“Then what shall we do? Have you someone else who can referee?”
At that moment the city director of the Girl Scouts entered the room. Apparently20 she was disturbed over the situation as Marjorie.
“I don’t know what to do, Miss Wilkinson,” she said, “unless we let your coach referee one-half of the game and Troop Ninety-seven’s the other half.”
“But our coach is a man,” objected Marjorie. “And I never consider men strict enough.”
“So is Troop Ninety-seven’s coach a man—but as far as I can see there is nothing else to do. I don’t148 know enough about the game myself, or I’d be glad to do it. If you can suggest anything else——”
“No, that wouldn’t do—it would mix up the schedule. So I suppose we shall have to leave it at that—Mr. Bridges is willing to serve the first half. Will you ask your brother to serve the second?”
“He hasn’t gym shoes,” replied Marjorie doubtfully. “Besides, I don’t think he would want to——”
“Well, find out and let me know; if he isn’t willing, the other man can go through with the entire game.”
Marjorie hurried out in search of her brother for the clock informed her that the game was about to begin. As she had thought, he absolutely refused to act, on the plea of lack of knowledge.
“I don’t know the fine points of girls’ rules,” he said. “I wouldn’t want to make a mistake in front of all these people.”
Marjorie sighed; the very worst had happened, she felt. But again she made up her mind not to let the girls see that she was disturbed; she would show them only confidence and determination to win.
She noticed that the girls, usually so self-possessed in any circumstance, were exceedingly nervous as they stepped out on the floor to warm up; indeed, Stella and Queenie were actually trembling. They chewed gum continuously, and rushed back and forth22 from one player to another, grasping the ball, shooting at the baskets, darting23 over to Jack now and again for a last word of encouragement or advice. She smiled over at Lily, who, like herself, was absolutely calm and unaffected by the excitement. It seemed hardly possible to her that these were the same girls who had ridiculed24 them so nonchalantly not three months ago on the same floor.
Fortunately for her team, all of the opponents were not so tall or so heavy as the girl they had met in the hall, and Marjorie was thankful to learn that this girl played in the center. Without being conceited25 about her own skill, she nevertheless felt entirely26 confident that she would outjump and outrun the other. Suddenly she felt her spirits rising; if her own team remembered the signals and the passing that Jack had drilled them with, they had a good chance of victory.
At last the referee’s whistle blew and the girls scrambled27 for their places, Marjorie within the circle alert for the toss-up. The ball whizzed into the air; quick as a flash Marjorie jumped high, and, in spite of her opponent’s advantage, touched it and tapped it back. Dot, true to her instructions, dashed back to receive it, secured it, and threw it swiftly over the heads of the opposing guards right into the hands of tall Annie Marshall. As had been pre-arranged, Annie passed it to Queenie, who was at that very moment cutting for the basket. She150 caught it deftly29 and tossed it into the basket, scoring for her team two points.
Loud shouts of applause rose from the balcony, admiration30 for the team play, the clever, swift passing, the assurance of the girls of this new troop. Jack Wilkinson rubbed his hands in delight; they were carrying out his instructions to the very letter.
The opposing team, however, displayed no admiration, only consternation31 and anger at the dexterity32 of their rivals. The captain glanced anxiously at the coach, who was frowning, but she received no encouragement. The whistle blew again; the game continued in much the same manner, with Marjorie’s team scoring six more points to the other’s none. Then, ever so cautiously, when the referee’s back was turned, the center winked33 at her side-center and forwards, and began to play rough, using her body to guard, waving her arms, pushing and elbowing her opponent until she obtained possession of the ball. The side-center took the hint, employing her greater weight against Dot, shoving her rudely aside in their mad scramble28 for the ball after the toss-up. To the amazement34 of Marjorie’s team this conduct went by unnoticed; whether the referee did not see it, or whether he did not consider it wrong, they could not tell, but he called no foul35. Marjorie’s team stopped scoring; the ball somehow travelled down to the opponent’s basket, and the forwards, imitating their centers, began to fight for their goals. They scored point after point; Marjorie’s players were powerless to use their passing; even if they did secure the ball, and apparently held it fast in their hands, their opponents knocked it out, and tossed it, or even kicked it in the opposite direction. Marjorie stood it as long as she could; finally she called time-out.
“I am sorry to seem to protest,” she said apologetically, turning to the referee, “but really we are not playing girls’ rules at all. You have not called a single foul!”
The man colored.
“I have to admit that I don’t know much about girls’ rules,” he replied. “I’m not refereeing36 from choice, you know. Nobody would be more thankful than I to see Miss Ainsworth appear.”
“Well,” explained Marjorie, relenting a little at his humility37, “it is a foul to charge or attack a player with the ball, and two hands on it give possession. Our team won’t play this kind of game.”
“I’ll be as careful as I can,” the other agreed. “But you know—fellows’ rules—and fellows’ games——”
“Yes, I understand,” smiled Marjorie. “But do your best!”
She walked across to her own little group, who were taking advantage of the time-out to talk with each other in animated38 and angry tones about their opponents.
“Let’s get in and fight!” cried Queenie. “Do152 them like they’re doin’ us! Kick ’em and trip ’em——”
Marjorie shook her head sadly.
“No, girls, that’s a contemptible39 way to play, and I am surprised that any Girl Scouts would stoop to it. I would be mortally ashamed of my team if they would do such a thing. Better a thousand times to lose the game.”
“But our team has them cinched a mile!” protested Stella, who was very eager to win.
“I wish we could consult Mr. Wilkinson!” exclaimed Queenie. “He’d let us play rough.”
“No, he wouldn’t, either,” answered Marjorie. “He’s too good a sport for that—and that kind of playing is the poorest kind of sportsmanship. We can consult him between halves, but not on a time-out. There’s the whistle—remember now, girls—good, clean playing!”
The girls sulked a little, but Marjorie knew that they would do as she asked.
The game proceeded with very little difference. The referee eased his conscience by calling one personal foul when the opposing side-center actually knocked little Dot Williams down in an attempt to secure the ball; but after that he subsided40 into the same slip-shod manner. At last the whistle blew for the half, with Troop Ninety-Seven in the lead at a score of 14–10.
Marjorie’s team was absolutely worn out, besides being angry and disgusted. They rushed over to153 Jack, repeating their plea to use the same kind of tactics their opponents were employing. But Jack was as firm as Marjorie in his refusal; in fact, he went farther and said that if they tried it in spite of his orders, he would sever41 his connections with the team. This was the deciding factor; the girls all liked and admired their coach, and had no desire to lose him.
To Marjorie’s amazement, however, she saw the opposing team return to the floor with a sullen42 sort of dejection in their countenances43. What, she wondered, could be the cause of this, in the light of their probable victory? The captain shuffled44 towards her.
“You the Captain?” she asked Marjorie somewhat gruffly.
“Yes,” she replied, still at a loss because of her manner.
“Well, Miss Ainsworth has been here ever since that time-out, and says that if our team doesn’t apologize for its playing, we are out of the Girl Scout League. So—I apologize.”
“I accept in the name of the team,” answered Marjorie, greatly relieved.
Then, to her delight, Miss Ainsworth took her place in the center of the floor, and the teams began playing again, much as they had started off at the beginning. Again Marjorie’s team worked its signal plays, its passing, and all the manoeuvers which Jack had taught them. The new referee performed154 her task in silent approval, and she was frankly45 delighted to witness their victory.
The final score was 36–16 in the favor of Marjorie’s team.
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1
reassured
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| adj.使消除疑虑的；使放心的v.再保证，恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词) | |
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2
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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surmised
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| v.臆测，推断( surmise的过去式和过去分词 )；揣测；猜想 | |
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4
awfully
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| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 | |
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5
scout
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| n.童子军，侦察员；v.侦察，搜索 | |
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6
jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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7
tickled
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| （使）发痒( tickle的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）愉快，逗乐 | |
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8
scouts
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| 侦察员[机，舰]( scout的名词复数 )； 童子军； 搜索； 童子军成员 | |
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9
promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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10
prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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liking
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| n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢 | |
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12
referee
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| n.裁判员．仲裁人，代表人，鉴定人 | |
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13
sincerity
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| n.真诚，诚意；真实 | |
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14
bantering
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| adj.嘲弄的v.开玩笑，说笑，逗乐( banter的现在分词 )；（善意地）取笑，逗弄 | |
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15
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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16
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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17
awe
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| n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧 | |
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18
dressing
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| n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料 | |
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19
wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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20
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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21
postpone
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| v.延期，推迟 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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23
darting
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的现在分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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24
ridiculed
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| v.嘲笑，嘲弄，奚落( ridicule的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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25
conceited
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| adj.自负的，骄傲自满的 | |
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26
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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27
scrambled
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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28
scramble
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| v.爬行，攀爬，杂乱蔓延，碎片，片段，废料 | |
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29
deftly
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| adv.灵巧地，熟练地，敏捷地 | |
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30
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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31
consternation
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| n.大为吃惊，惊骇 | |
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32
dexterity
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| n.(手的)灵巧，灵活 | |
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33
winked
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| v.使眼色( wink的过去式和过去分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮 | |
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34
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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35
foul
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| adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规 | |
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36
refereeing
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| [计]仲裁，审稿工作，稿件评审 | |
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37
humility
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| n.谦逊，谦恭 | |
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38
animated
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| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
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39
contemptible
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| adj.可鄙的，可轻视的，卑劣的 | |
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40
subsided
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| v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的过去式和过去分词 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上 | |
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41
sever
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| v.切开，割开；断绝，中断 | |
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42
sullen
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| adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的 | |
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43
countenances
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| n.面容( countenance的名词复数 )；表情；镇静；道义支持 | |
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44
shuffled
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| v.洗（纸牌）( shuffle的过去式和过去分词 )；拖着脚步走；粗心地做；摆脱尘世的烦恼 | |
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45
frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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