Football -- Juvenile fiction; Friendship -- Juvenile fiction
There began to arise a howl for a touchdown as the Chester players
braced themselves for the shock. The Harmony line shifted quickly and
a double pass was tried. Martin tossed the ball to Hutchings, who shot
it toward Oldsmith for a dash upon Chester's 6-yard line. Oldsmith
reached the ball, but it slipped through his eager fingers, and was
buried under a swirl of Chester fellows.
After that the Harmony team waxed anxious again. They had learned that
this Chester aggregation was all that Marshall had found it to be, if
not more so. Their line tightened up at the critical places, and their
right halfback, Oldsmith, proved himself to be a very dangerous
person, likely to circle the ends, and break up the game at any stage.
Soon another drive was started on the part of Harmony, seemingly
determined not to be denied the touchdown so urgently needed. Sheer
weight carried Chester back, as it seemed, helplessly. Plainly the
only way to counteract this advantage on the part of Harmony was
through cleverness and swiftness. Captain Winters unbottled another of
the tricks which old Joe Hooker had taught them, and the crowd gasped
in wonder as they saw the tide again turn in Chester's favor, since
they had possession of the ball.
Back and forth the battle raged. It was furious while it lasted, and
kept everybody keyed up to top-notch excitement. Most of the fighting
in this period was done on Chester territory, however, for despite
their utmost endeavors Jack and his boys seemed unable to carry the
war into the enemy's country.
With but a short two minutes to cover Harmony finally took a mad pace
and managed to get the touchdown so ardently desired, as well as a
subsequent goal, making the score a tie, just as it had been at the
end of the third period when Chester and Marshall locked horns.
The mighty Harmony machine-roller seemed at fault when trying to crush
all opposition on the part of Chester. Something seemed to have
happened--either Harmony was weaker than when playing last with
Marshall, or else they found the defensive tactics of their latest
enemy more stubborn and resourceful.
The last quarter opened, and again the fight raged bitterly. Jack
uncorked more of the contents of the trick bottle, and as a result the
ball was over on Harmony territory from the start. Captain Winters had
figured it all out, and knowing what slight chances they had of
securing another touchdown against those stalwart fellows, he had
determined to risk everything on a kick from placement.
Somehow he seemed to feel this was Big Bob's special day, and that
some of the glory ought to be given to him in order to prove that
happiness can work wonders, even on the gridiron. So with an eye on
the chances, also observing the slant of the wind, and such minor yet
important things, Jack tried his best to work matters that the ball
would still be in their possession when on Harmony's 30-yard line.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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