[Illustration: "Smash and hammer; hammer and smash!"] A Quarter-Back's Pluck A Story of College Football BY LESTER CHADWICK AUTHOR OF "THE RIVAL PITCHERS," ETC. ILLUSTRATED NEW YORK CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY BOOKS BY LESTER CHADWICK =THE COLLEGE SPORTS SERIES= 12mo. Illustrated THE RIVAL PITCHERS A Story of College Baseball A QUARTER-BACK'S PLUCK A Story of College Football (Other volumes in preparation) CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY NEW YORK Copyright, 1910, by CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY A QUARTER-BACK'S PLUCK Printed in U. S. A. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I MOVING DAY 1 II LANGRIDGE HAS A TUMBLE 10 III PHIL GETS BAD NEWS 20 IV FOOTBALL PRACTICE 31 V A CLASH 43 VI PROFESSOR TINES OBJECTS 52 VII THE FIRST LINE-UP 61 VIII LANGRIDGE AND GERHART PLOT 70 IX SOME GIRLS 77 X A BOTTLE OF LINIMENT 91 XI IN WHICH SOM EONE BECOMES A VICTIM 100 XII THE FIRST GAME 106 XIII SMASHING THE LINE 117 XIV "GIRLS ARE QUEER" 123 XV PHIL SAVES WALLOPS 131 XVI PHIL IS NERVOUS 138 XVII THE SOPHOMORES LOSE 144 XVIII A FIRE ALARM 155 XIX THE FRESHMEN DANCE 162 XX PHIL GETS A TELEGRAM 172 XXI STRANGE BEDFELLOWS 179 XXII A CHANGE IN SIGNALS 187 XXIII BATTERING BOXER HALL 195 XXIV GERHART HAS AN IDEA 210 XXV PHIL GIVES UP 217 XXVI SID IS BOGGED 224 XXVII WOES OF A NATURALIST 233 XXVIII TOM IS JEALOUS 239 XXIX A STRANGE DISCOVERY 246 XXX A BITTER ENEMY 254 XXXI "IT'S TOO LATE TO BACK OUT!" 260 XXXII TOM GETS A TIP 265 XXXIII "LINE UP!" 273 XXXIV THE GAME 280 XXXV VICTORY--CONCLUSION 287 A QUARTER-BACK'S PLUCK CHAPTER I MOVING DAY Phil Clinton looked critically at the rickety old sofa. Then he glanced at his chum, Tom Parsons. Next he lifted, very cautiously, one end of the antiquated piece of furniture. The sofa bent in the middle, much as does a ship with a broken keel. "It--it looks like a mighty risky job to move it, Tom," said Phil. "It's broken right through the center."