That was on Friday, and on Saturday morning Monty waited with mingled feelings of curiosity and uneasiness for Doctor Duncan to make an announcement in chapel regarding the matter of the stolen keys. Jimmy Logan was quite as alert, and Leon was plainly anxious. But to the surprise of each, and of the school in general, no mention was made of the affair. Faculty was treating it with bland unconcern, or so it would seem to one less used to the ways of faculty than James Townsend Logan. Jimmy was pessimistic after chapel, and on the way across to Lothrop made the fact known.
“I’d like it a good deal better,” he said, “if Charley had come out in the open and talked about it. It just proves that Rumford is doing some of his gum-shoe work, and doesn’t want to—to frighten the criminals. ‘Jimmy’ is all right, but he fancies himself a bit as a ‘detecative.’ Still, he doesn’t always make good. Last year, for instance. Remember how he sleuthed around to find out who started that Junior Meeting Riot, Dud?” Dud nodded. “Well, he fell down hard on that.”
“I’m not so sure,” said Dud. “Most fellows thought the reason faculty didn’t jump someone was because it was afraid it would have to jump half the school. Some fellows did get pro, didn’t they? Hobo Ordway——”
“Oh, Ordway got caught trying to sneak into hall after lock-up. Some lower middlers shut him up in a room in School Hall, and he had to climb down a rain-spout or something, and Wallace Cathcart, who was proctor then, nabbed him. That wasn’t any feather in ‘Jimmy’s’ cap. Just the same, I wish they’d come out, and say things and not scare us to death with this Secret Service stunt. I met ‘Jimmy’ in the corridor this morning, and he looked too blamed innocent and sweet for anything! Bet you he’s got a clue—or thinks he has!”
“Well, what’s the good of letting it spoil your entire day?” asked Monty, snuggling down into the neck of his sweater philosophically. “I didn’t do anything much, after all. It was a perfectly harmless joke. If Jimmy wants to be nasty, why, that’s up to him. I’m enjoying a perfectly clear conscience.”
“If only you hadn’t let that pig of Standart get wise,” mourned Leon. “Couldn’t we get him into a canoe and spill him out in the river? He doesn’t look like a chap who knows how to swim.”
“I’ll stake my claim he doesn’t,” agreed Monty. “He hates water too much ever to learn swimming! Well, I’m going to breakfast. See you later, fellows. I’ll be up at eleven, Leon.”
They parted in front of Lothrop, Jimmy, Dud and Leon entering the building to seek the dining hall, and Monty setting out briskly for Morris. It was a cold, nippy morning, and he thought pleasantly of the cup of coffee that awaited him, and hoped that he would not be too late to get his full share of Mother Morris’s hot biscuits or muffins. That affair of the keys dwindled into insignificance beside the far more important matter of breakfasting.
That afternoon there was a lay-off for the first team men, and, in consequence, the substitutes held the middle of the stage. Monty ought to have been so depressed and anxious as to have no heart for football, but just the opposite was true. After Williams had played against the second team for one twelve-minute period, Monty was summoned to take his place at right guard, and proved the nearest thing to a sensation that the afternoon developed.
It wasn’t that Monty played a dazzling game, exactly, for he didn’t. But he showed such an improvement over his previous efforts that even Coach Bonner was surprised. Monty was still lacking the finer points of the position, but today he went on a regular rampage, and inside of two minutes from the blowing of the whistle had Luderus, playing opposite him on the second, putting in the hardest afternoon of his experience. Luderus was a big, beetle-browed, tow-haired youth of eighteen, as strong as an ox, and much better natured. He was very generally known as “Old Ludicrous,” and today Monty nearly succeeded in making the nickname fit him! The day was an ideal football day, windless, gray and cold, and Monty felt particularly good. As a result, Coach Crowley was forever hovering around Luderus and berating him.
“Get into him, Luderus! He’s making you look like a fool! Get the jump on him, man! Watch his arms! Don’t let him swing you like that! Now, then, hold!”
On the other side of the line, Coach Bonner frequently called commendation to Monty. “Good work, Crail! That’s the stuff! Put him out and keep him out! Go on, you’re doing well!”
After the first five or six minutes, Luderus evened matters better, but more than once when the substitutes had the ball, Monty dug a clear hole for the runner through the left side of the enemy’s line. It was a fine contest while it lasted, with each boy fighting hard for supremacy, giving and receiving hard knocks, but keeping his temper through it all. The fourth period witnessed the vanquishment of both Monty and Luderus, for they literally played themselves out, and were sent off together to make way for fresh material. They walked side by side to the field house, still panting from their exertions, and talked the conflict over in a wonderfully detached manner. Luderus was inclined to acknowledge defeat, but Monty wouldn’t hear of it.
“Snakes, Luderus, I don’t know half what you know about playing guard. The only reason we had such an even thing of it was because I felt like a two-year-old today, and managed to get the jump on you. I dare say tomorrow you’d run rings around me. Why, I’m no football player! I’d like to be, but I guess I don’t quite savvy it.”
“Keep on the way you’re going,” chuckled “Old Ludicrous,” “and you will find yourself holding down a job on the first next year. You’re coming back, aren’t you?”
“Yes. That is, I am, if they’ll let me.”
“This is my last,” said the other, rather solemnly. “I’ve played three years here, and the best I’ve done is make the second two years. Suppose it doesn’t much matter, though. A fellow has a pretty good time on the second. Football’s football, no matter where you play it. Well, hope we’ll have another go at it, Crail, some day. You’re a good fellow to play against.” Luderus went off to his locker, leaving Monty suddenly aware that he was extremely tired, and very sore in many places!
Grafton went off the next day to play Middleton School, and Monty found himself one of the party that set out by barge, after an early dinner, for the railway station. There was no especial honor to be claimed because of the fact, for Coach Bonner was taking pretty much the entire squad. But Monty was glad, and hoped he would have a chance to work off some of the stiffness that was his portion today. Half the school made the trip with the team, and supplied enough enthusiasm to have won a dozen contests.
Middleton was only forty-four miles distant, but, what with a delay at Needham Junction, and a consequent late arrival at their destination, the Grafton team and supporters reached the scene of battle a scant four minutes before the time set for the start of the game.
Practice was necessarily short for the visitors, and at five minutes past the scheduled time, Pete Gowen kicked off for Grafton. The latter began the game with her strongest line-up, for her adversary was reputed to be a very clever team. Derry was at left end, and Tray at right, the tackles were Spalding and Hanrihan, the guards Kinley and Gowen, and Musgrave was at center. Behind the line, Captain Winslow was in his place at left half, with Ordway beside him, and Nick Blake at quarter. The only second-choice player was Caner, playing fullback in place of Manson, who had hurt his knee in practice three days before. As the game progressed many substitutions were made, but with the single exception noted, Grafton started out at her best.
Middleton had a particularly puzzling, and successful protection for the runner at the kick-off, and swept the ball back into the middle of the field in spite of her opponent’s efforts to penetrate the interference. After that, Middleton apparently set out to capture the game then and there, and came measurably near doing it. From their forty-five yards to Grafton’s twenty-three they took the pigskin, using bewildering runs outside tackles that, for the time at least, the Scarlet-and-Gray could neither solve nor stop. Only once was the home team in danger of losing the ball during that advance, and that was when, on the thirty-yard-line, a runner tripped over his own feet, and the tape had to be brought in to determine the distance. The matter of an inch or so gave Middleton her first down, however. After that, she plugged the line, and reached the twelve yards in six downs. There, after two attempts with no gain, she tried a field-goal, and, although the kicker stood well inside the twenty-yard-line, made a horrible mess of the attempt, the ball being blocked and captured by Hanrihan on his nineteen yards. Winslow kicked on second down, and the battle surged back to midfield.
Middleton again tried her running plays, but made shorter gains now. Grafton got the ball on downs near her thirty-yard-line and started toward the distant goal. Plugging brought her past the center of the field and two wide runs by Caner put the pigskin down on the enemy’s thirty-four. Then an attempted forward-pass went into the wrong hands and Middleton punted, and the quarter ended.
The second period was Grafton’s all the way, but although she got to within fifteen yards of the goal a fumble by Caner just when things looked brightest and the Grafton contingent was shouting loudest saved the home team. The second quarter ended in a punting duel in which neither side showed any superiority, although Middleton’s skill in running the ball back gave her the best of the argument. Middleton had caught on her thirty-five yards when the whistle blew.
When the second half began it was seen that Bellows had taken Derry’s place at left end and James was substituting Spalding at left tackle. Middleton had favored that end of the Grafton line in her runs, and with good results. The change worked well, James proving much harder to fool than Spalding had been. Grafton got the ball on her ten yards at the kick off and Ordway took it back seven before he was spilled. The same back made four through tackle on a delayed play and Caner was stopped in his tracks. Winslow punted to the enemy’s forty-five yards. Middleton tried the Grafton right end and made three, but was stopped for a loss on the next attempt at the same place. She got through left guard for four and then faked a kick and made her distance on a double pass that caught Grafton’s right side napping. Two more gains gave her another six yards and then she punted over the line.
From the twenty yards, Winslow got clean away for twelve and followed it up with four more. Caner tried the center and made no gain. Bellows pulled in three on an end-around play. Caner again failed and Winslow punted. Middleton misjudged the ball and Ordway fell on it on the enemy’s twenty-seven. Grafton’s supporters implored a touchdown and the Scarlet-and-Gray team set out to give them what they asked for. Two delayed-passes put the pigskin on the twenty, Blake gaining four and Winslow three. Ordway was stopped for a short gain near the side line, but Winslow made the distance on a short-side plunge. Time was called for a Middleton player and the home team made two alterations in her line. Ordway carried the ball on a wide end run to a point opposite the goal but without much gain. Caner faked a forward-pass and tossed the ball to Winslow for a try at center. Winslow got through for seven and put the pigskin just back of the ten-yard-line. Caner got two off right tackle, Ordway failed to gain and Winslow dropped back to kicking distance. But with only eight to go on the third down, the kick didn’t materialize, nor did Middleton expect it to. Winslow threw forward to Tray and the latter fell across the line for the first score. Caner failed at goal.
Grafton’s second score came three minutes later. Ordway made thirty-two yards on the run back after the kick-off and put the ball on his own forty-four yards. Longley went in for Musgrave at center and Brunswick took Captain Winslow’s place at left halfback for Grafton. On the next play Brunswick got clear through the right of the Middleton line and romped to her thirty-six before he was pulled down. A forward-pass paved the way for the next touchdown and Ordway took the ball across from the twelve yards in three plunges. Brunswick kicked an easy goal.
The period ended a minute later and the teams changed places.