Change Signals: A Story of the New FootballBarbour, Ralph Henry
General
Change Signals: A Story of the New Football
Barbour, Ralph Henry
Football -- Juvenile fiction; Schools -- Juvenile fiction
“So that was it? I’m sorry, Burtis, you couldn’t keep on. That was
hard luck, wasn’t it? Well, I’ll speak to Staniford to-morrow; he’s
captain of the Second, you know; perhaps he will find something for
you, although, as you know, I suppose, there are only two weeks more of
football. What’s your line, Burtis?”
“Line?” asked Kendall vaguely.
“Yes; I mean what position have you played?”
“My dear Vinton,” Ned interrupted before Kendall could reply, “my
client is an all-around footballer. He can play anything from
quarter-back to manager. His――ah――domain, if I may use the word, has no
limits, Vinton; he――”
“Oh, please dry up, Ned,” begged Kendall laughingly. “He will think I’m
a perfect fool!”
“None of us,” replied Ned, shaking his head sadly, “are perfect.”
“Well, you come down to the field to-morrow afternoon,” said Dan to
Kendall, “and we’ll see. But don’t bring your advertising manager with
you. First thing I know he will have you captain of the team!”
“Thank you,” said Kendall gratefully. “Would it matter if I didn’t wear
regular things to-morrow?”
“Regular things?” asked Dan. “What sort of things?”
“I mean regular football clothes. You see, I didn’t get any because――”
“You shall have mine,” exclaimed Ned. “I’ve got a perfectly magnificent
array of football attire! I shall never use them again; they are yours
unconditionally, Curt. My football experience was brief but lurid.
Perhaps I didn’t know as much about playing the game as some; in fact,
the coach as much as hinted that; but I will say that when it came
to outfit, Vinton, I was head and shoulders above the whole field!
Complete, that’s the word for it. I don’t believe in doing things by
halves, and when I determined to lend my assistance to the football
team I obtained a catalogue from a dealer in football necessities and
luxuries and bought one of everything. I think I owned everything
in any way connected with the game except a gridiron. I even had an
assortment of leather and felt pads for my ankles, knees, elbows and
shoulders in case I should meet with an accident some time while
plunging through the enemy’s line for a touchdown. And I had――and still
have――a rubber thing that strapped around my head and covered my little
nose; I held one extremity of it between my pearly teeth, and I can
still remember how very unpleasant it tasted. All these things shall
be yours, Curt. I intend you to be the Beau Brummel of the football
field. All I ask is that some day you will allow me to dress you in
full panoply, with a complete assortment of rubber bandages, arm and
leg guards, nose guard and head guard, and have your picture taken!”
They were still laughing over Ned’s extravagances when the door opened
and Gerald Pennimore came in. He shook hands with Kendall and seemed
very glad to see him. “I thought you had forgotten your promise to come
and see us, Burtis,” he said. “How are you, Tooker? I haven’t seen much
of you this fall.”
“Been over to Arthur’s?” Dan asked.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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