Behind them came all the others on the run, strung out raggedly. Benjamin would make it--he was sure to make it. His pursuer could not reach him in time. Then it seemed that the Yale man had springs in his legs, for he sailed over the ground like a frightened rabbit. He closed in on Benjamin and flung himself headlong at the little fellow. Down slipped the tackler's hands, down from the hips to the knees, to the ankles. Down went Benjamin with a hard thump, stopped within three yards of Yale's line. Twenty men piled upon tackler and tackled. Deep down beneath that mass was Frank Merriwell, his hands clinging like hooks to Benjamin's ankles. He had stopped what seemed to be a sure touchdown for Harvard at that early stage of the game. CHAPTER XXXVI. WON BACK. Beside Inza Burrage, in a splendid position to watch the game, sat a pretty girl with fluffy hair. She wore Harvard's colors, and seemed greatly excited. "There he is!" she exclaimed, at various stages of the game--"there is Jack! See him, Inza!" "Yes," said Inza, "I see him." But her eyes were not on the one meant by her companion. She was watching Frank Merriwell, and she bit her lip as she watched. She had seen him receive her note, she had seen him read it, tear it in pieces, cast the pieces aside. "He will play!" she muttered. "He will break his promise to me!" Her companion heard her words. "You said Merriwell would not go into the game," she cried. "Yes, I said so, but I was wrong. He gave me his promise not to play, and last night he sent me a letter asking to be released from that pledge. The note I sent to him a short time ago was a reminder of his promise, and a refusal to release him." "Yet he will play?" "He is going into the game." "Then it can't be that he thinks as much of you as you supposed." "He does not. This has settled that point." "I'm afraid Harvard will not win, Inza. Jack says Frank Merriwell has been Harvard's hoodoo in everything. He was sure Harvard would obtain this game if Merriwell did not play. You said he did not mean to play, but I wanted you to ask him not to do so." "I did ask him, something I should not have done had we not been such friends, Paula, although I was curious to know how much influence I had over him. Oh, I think he is the meanest fellow! I shall hate him now!" Inza's eyes were flashing and her face flushed. She was intensely angry, and she showed it. Paula Benjamin was startled. "Oh, you musn't be too hard on him!" she said. "You know how much Jack loves Harvard, and how crazy he is for Harvard to beat Yale in this game. I was almost as crazy myself, and that is why I wanted you to ask Mr. Merriwell not to play." "I shall never trust him again," whispered Inza, hoarsely--"never! He has broken his promise to me." "It is certain he loves Yale as dearly as Jack loves Harvard. He may think it is his duty to break his word for the sake of Yale." "I don't care! I don't care! I do hope Harvard will beat!"