The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, November 12, 1905, Page 3

THE SAN FRANCISCO SUNDAY CALL. . o th mmen hing struggle was Before a £ er vy house sat and some or seven of tat ter in Bristol 1 e worked his way thr for you if you 1 can't work to Before you commit such & rash act think of your aking ev better. ur father's know ause ¥ last re- get a college educa- It m: s me sick risk everything on law. see you this one game nk for a minute whet it means. Should Hampton win, it means that quit college, for you t possibly afford to go on. That early Idll your poor mother. better of what I have sald, old rchie, and one could plain- young Ferbert was having a keeping k the tears, “I me know that only th ghest motives ou to say what you have. I kno ere my strongest and best You have been to Rosamond and t kind to my And I Ir I honestly thank you for it really g re was a possibility of Bris- s losing I might hesitate no such exists, Stub. W man,” and began to warm to his subj inch, and if I could bor- d put it up without tion. But, say, Stub, questfon truthfully— Do you expect to bet ent Stub did not reply. He counting the seams In the Then he muttered some- :t that being different, and that es were not parallel. Archie essing the matter, until Stub ed that he had determined money. Stub tried t he had no mother support, and that it made stol at ev: flerence “to the people at home whetler he continued in college or not. Hov T was all to no purpose. r when he heard the head siring for him. He told Stub d his money for him Iliawkins or Jerry task. This brought 1 the Stub added; “but aviest kind of a protest. s made up, but those two not handle your , with its coaches, with over forty r k ached New York ¥ s e next morning they o New England. The Hampton ed quarters at the Ven- » Harding pushed his through the doorway Each form a big demonstration. ve Hampton team was cheered e into view. even §500 on Hampton,” shouied a &s he “aAs e man with a big diamond stud, and ng did not even try to suppress a laken,” came the quick response. Immediately there was a big rush. The betting was on in earnest. “Got any more?’ asked Stub. The two entered a small room and took seats at a ta Simpson knew his friend to be an old Hampton “grad” who was dealing in Wall street stock for a livellhood. Stub knew he was up against a real live , but he never quailed. He had he told McPherson, which he to put up. He did not tell the at $500 of it belonged to the and 3500 to himself. her did he tell his companion that the day before he had received & from home telling him of his flure in business. What good e done? It was finally agreed ece should be wagered. Stub rge roll of bills from his pocket counted out §500. The other his pocket. McPherson had e with his money done up in packets of $00. In his business he had adopted such time-saving devices. So the broker was not forced to count. The two men eft the table and gought out the clerk at the office desk.'. The money was ed agaln by theclerk, who placed the bills in an envelope. Then the en- velope was carefully marked and stowed n the safe of the Vendome. As McPherson, Johnny Bristol crew, s0 eaving oke oar of the .d up. me $500, Stub. seven for you.” “Where?” asked Stub excltedly. t's a snap and I can’t give it away,™ Johnny hurriedly. sure of your man, Johnny® Stub, fumbling in his pockets. ¥ And off trotted the bold with Simpson's other $500. stened to a writing table and e hurried lines: 0 up. Now go in and STUB.” a messenger boy, Stub dis- , with instructions to deliver to Captain Archie Ferbert with- Then Stub got ready to report I can get odds of Stub has scratched the: “Archie, your y 2 o'clock. For the last e hours big crowds had been passing gates. Fully 20,000 people had , and more were still coming. side of the field were massed the of the Purple, with colors wav- eamers flying. Just opposite ere located the strong cohorts who from Hampton to cheer eir warriors on. Pretty girls in tailor- jackets, wearing the colors of old vied with the smart Southern set, ho were decked out from head to foot in flaming cardinal. Men prominent in all walks of life studded the stands. From ton came Cabinet officers ‘with their wives; Judges of the highest courts i found time to once more rally d the flag they loved so well; An- olis and West Point were represented; men whose faces are familiar in the halls of Congress shouted their old college bat- Hampton delegation sat an ex-President of the United States. From one of the Middle States came a noted r to lead the cheering for his alma mater. Across the field came float- ing the notes to “A hot time in Hampton to-night.” Bristol answered vociferously with her sharp, stubborn “U-rah-rah!” It was a grand sight, and one that would stir the most sluggish blood. Every one was anx- fous for the fray to begin. Already the officials were on the side lines. In the press box sat Stub Simpson with his hand on the ticker. It was just 2.02 when the Bristol eleven jumped the ropes and bounded into the field. A mighty roar arose. One might have thought that the dogs of war had been let loose, so terrific was the din. The noise had just started to subside when McPherson shouted through his mega- phone: “Here comes Hampton!” Like a flash every Hampton man was on his feet, frantically waving his arms and shouting madly. Out trotted a long file of warriors belonging to that *dys- peptic ice water drinking nation.” Striped stockings marked each mdn. After a preliminary skirmish the ref- eree’s whistle brought the two teams to- gether and the crowd to their senses. The ball was in position and Archie Ferbert stepped back to kick off. As he did so Stub Simpson turned in his seat and caught sight of Archie’s mother and sis- ter. He was ready to swear that he had never seen the girl look prettier. Rosa- mond’s black, wavy hair and dark eyes were muffled somewhat%by the upturned collar of her jacket. The brisk, cutting alr had brought a bright, healthy color to her gheeks. Stub took time to notice that she wore the flowers which he had sent her that morning. B “Are you ready, Eristol?” called out the official. “We are,” sponse. “Hampton, are you ready?” Ve are ready, sir,”” and In that reply there was much of the tenacity of the bulldog displayed. Bristol braced herself on the 65-yard line ready for the whistle. On each man's face was written some- thing indescribable. You may call it what you will. Men are at their best when they can fight on “nerve.” It was “nerve” that was to pull these two teams through to-day! A shrill sound~and the whistle has blown. 2 “They’re off!" excitedly shouted a Bris- tol man who had horses on the track. “Just watch that pole horse kick,” he continued. by way of explanation to his companion. As the old war horse finished speaking Ferbert started forward. There was a slight thud. Down the field flew the ball, right into the arms of Hamp- ton's star halfback. Wright started for- ward and by splendid docgwmg ran the oval back twenty-five yards. How those Hampton rooters cleared their lungs! The game was on in earnest. “9.42.3-8!" shouted Hampton's quarter. Smack-biff-bang and Wright was pushed and pulled through left guard and center. Eleven men got into that play. them w ca Gove came the determined re- little - “First down!” called the referes, and the Hampton faction let out an awful roar. Hampton used her close formation and kept hammering the Bristol line. Her revolving wedge was sure to net something. Teddy Wright skirted the Purple’s right end for a big gain, and things looked “blue” for Bristol. “Hold them, Bristol, hold them!” chor- used many. \ “Get down on your knees and play low!” shouted a Bristol partisan. “Grab their legs!” chimed in another. “Smash that interference!” Interposed 2 knowing one. “—or get smashed,” blurted out a Hampton follower. “Watch Wright!” added a man in the press box, nudging Stub. “Yes, 2.22,” answered Stub, looking at his watch. Stub had missed calculations. Hampton had worked the ball down in- to Bristol's territory, when the Purple, urged on by Ferbert's brilliant defensive game, braced and held the Cardinal for “dowiis.” Hampton was playing the bet- ter ball, and Bristol knew it. Both elevens kicked freely, Ferbert getting the best of it on every exchange of punts. It was Hampton's ball on Bristol's forty- vard line. “15-18-3-91" signaled the quarter. “That's Wtight!” explained the man next to Stub. “Now watch!” 4Around the ¢nd shot the stocky half- “But' back. Bristol's end was completely boxed. Behind perfect Interference he escaped the savage lunges of the Bristol back- fleld, and breaking away from his inter- ference he-dashed down the field. “Go it, old man, go it,” cried a Hamp- ton man, “‘Catch him, do catch him and bring him back!” screamed a pretty ' Bristol girl, who was probably seeing her first big game. Then she colored and subsided completely when she saw how every one stared at her. » But already Wright was beyond recall. Bverybody was on his own, or some one else’s feet, shouting like a madman. On sped the runner toward the 1 ts. Suddenly out from the bunch !::: s% tol guard. Wright had a circular course, 80 the big, stalwart guard gained on him. ‘Wright heard him come lumbering .on, but dared not look back. He imagined he heard the big fellow's heavy breathing. Over the white chalk marks flew the two pairs of legs. The purple pair was cer- tainly gaining. Every one held his breath. three more chalk lines must be crossed—now two. On the five-yard line big Stanley made a desperate lunge for- ward, and down came Wright on Bris- tol's one-yard line. It was a beautiful tackle. No signal could be heard above that awful wave of sound. Two times ampton battered away at that stone ‘wall of a line, and twice it refused to yleld. “Third down, five yards to gain!” shout- ed the referee 5 It Bristol could but hold this time their goal would be saved. Every man braced himself for the final effort. +27-2-9-4" came the signal. ‘Wright was given the ball, and slipping by just outside of tackle, he rolled over . the Bristol goal line. In the turmoil hats were smashed, canes broken and heads cracked, but nobody cared. If they did, it would do them little good to protest. But the game did not stop here. It went on. Bristol was now playing madly. Fer- bert was in every scrimmage and showed reckless abandon. He smashed into the Cardinal line and broke up their interfer- ente repeatedly. *He bucked the center or hurdled the line for good, substantial gains. He and Stanley were the main- stays of the Purple team. Bristol had worked the ball down to Hampton's 25- yard line, when the sons of old John Hampton held. Then the Cardinal got ready to kick. “Break through and block the kick,” shouted hundreds of Bristol men. “Tear 'em up, Bristol, tear ’em up,” was heard on all sides. Back went the ball. Stanley was through like a shot, and right behind him thundered Ferbert. Up went Stan- ley’s arms, and as the ball rose under the mighty kick, ‘Stanley pushed his hands squarely in/ front of the pigskin, and down fell the ball, rolling toward the Hampton goal. Like a‘flash, Fer- bert was after it, and as the plece of leather bounded behind the ragged white goal line Ferbert threw his cum- bersome form upon it, and now it was Bristol's turn to cheer. Bristol missed her try for goal, and, when the noise subsided, the score stood, Hampton, 6; Bristol 5. Only a few minutes were left in this half. Bristol got the ball on Hamp- ton's forty-yard Ilne, and Ferbert de- termined to try for a goal from the field. True as a dart, the sturdy Shorty King put the oval squarely be- tween the uprights. That kick brought the Bristol men to their feet, and right lustily did they cheer old Shorty. Hampton, with desperation, got back into the play. They employed all kinds of tactics, such as are used In actual military warfare to-day. They as- saulted the Bristol center, but were always repulsed. They massed their columns on tackle, ‘but Bristol's re- serve force was always hurried up. Then Hampton attempted to turn their enemy's flank, but Bristol ends refused to be boxed. Hampton next tried to “guard-back formation,” but these heavy field pleces were too siow in starting. The whistle blew and the first half closed with the score stand- ing, Bristol, 10; Hampton, 6. The two elevens were hurried off to their . dressing rooms, where the coaches began their perfunctory Sys- tem of chastisement. The men sweated and steamed under the hard names ap- plied to them. All this time the train- ers and rubbers were giving the men a hard massage treatment. No wonder - those big, powerful frames glowed and glistened. Stub Simpson sat in the press box throughout the ten minutes' intermis- ston. He was madly excited. If Hamp- ~ton could enly be kept from further scoring the game would belong to Bris: 37 FEEENCE HE ZAMIE VOWN THE FIELD e tol. One thousand dollars was no small sum for two boys to divide. Just then a messenger boy rushed up. “Is Ralph B. Simpson here?” he shouted. “Here,” quickly answered the ever active Stub, reaching forward and grasping the envelope which was thrust at him. Stub hastily tore open the envelope, and this is what it said: “Stub—I could not get 10 to 7 for you. Have tried in vain to find you. Have left your 500 at the Vendome. Phil Kennedy will bet you even. The Cardinal is weak- ening. JOHNNY.” The seriousness, of the s..uation dawned upon Stub in an instant. Whose 3500 had McPherson covered—Archie’s or his own? Whose $500 was lying dormant in the vaulls of the Vendome—Archie's or his own? Stub was about to curse that bold stroke oar, but thought better of it and quit. He looked at the note and saw that it was written at 12:30. Look, these lines had been scribbled more than two hours ago! ’ nen Stub thought of curs- ing the messenger boy, but that lad had disappearéd. Already the two elevens were appearing in the fleld. He must make his decision at once. No time was to be lost. Whose $00 had McPherson covered? Stub knew that Archie must have received his note, telling him of his money being covered. Stub thought he might divide the $500, regarding $250 of it as Archie’s and the other $250 as his own. ‘That certainly would be the square tning. Then the awful thought came to him that this would never do, as his honesty might be questioned. The boy was in a terrible predicament. ‘Well, something must be done. A de- cision must be reached, and that decision abided by come what might. Stub turned in his seat and stole another glance at Rosamond. Rosamond must have been looking his way, for Stub gallantly raised his hat. No longer did he hesitate. “Archie neceds.the money more than I do. My money is at the Vendome and Archie’s Is with McPherson's.” Thus muttering to himself, he turned again to his ticker and began sending off dis- patches to his paper: Click, click, click—3:05. ly favors the Purple.” Click, click, click. “Bristol is cheering madly.” Click, click, click. “Hampton’ slightly changed; Sristol's intact. Football teams never fought more des- perately than did Bristol and Hampton during thisg second half. From the kick- off spectators went mad. They cheered their favorites until some got rea.ly hoarse. The megaphone man was using his lungs with telling effect. The Cardi- nal still showed superior form, and the Purple the better endurance. Hampton was continually tarowing in substitutes. Her star ‘gla had to be forcibly car- ried from fleld. Next the quarter- back had to go. In came Biake with bandaged ankle and twisted shoulder. “Now they have that rotten quarter- back in,”” sald Stanley. “Just watch us run up a big score.” Blake only bit his* 1ip and bided his time. Hampton was certainly putting a lot of fresh men into the game, and for a team of substitutes they ‘were playing wonder- ful football. The Cardinal would force the pigskin into Bristol territory, then , Bristol would brace wonderfully and take the- ball away on downs. Then Bristol would begin to cheer as Ferbert booted the ball down the fleld. It was Hampton's ball near the center of the field. Hampton went at the Bristol lne hammer and tongs. They were using thelr tandem play with telling effect. Down the fleld they marched. Big holes were opened in the Purple line through which Hampton shoved and jammed her heavy men. Something must be done to _save that terrible onslaught. Would Bris- tol run up the white flag? Never. Hamp- ton next made a mass play on Bristol's tight tackle. It was bravely met. Twen- “Betting slight- line-up ty-two forms were heaped high, and at the bottom of the fearful pile lay ,the right tackle. When the players were pulled off he lay there perfectly still. Out from the side lines bounded the Bristol doctor. The players gathered around the apparently lifeless form, waiting the return of consciousness. The crowd was grimly silent and awaited tidings from the battlefleld. It is sur- prising how silent a big crowd some- times becomes. “What's the matter, Stanley?” shouted Simpson from the press box. “Nothing much.,” came back the an- swer. “Dillon has broken his collar-bone, but he will be all right just as soon as we get this harness on him." Bristol men heaved a big sigh of relfef as they heard this comfortable assur- ance. Three minutes were given to re- pairs, and at the expiration of the al- lotted time the two elevens were at it again. Time was rapidly drawing to & close. Only a few minutes were left to play. On the side lines, wrapped in a blanket, lay Teddy Wright, crying. Long before he had been removed from the game on account of Injuries. He fought when the coaches carried him off the fleld, and he had a lot of fight in him yet It was Bristol's game, so everybody said. Bris- tol held the ball on her own 2%-yard line. A kick—and her goal would be out of danger. But, no! Captain Ferbert de- termined to keep possession of the ball Just one year before, Bonny Kerr, King- ston’s doughty right end, had picked the oval up and sprinted the entire length of the field for a touchdown. Ferbert did not intend that any Hampton man should repeat the trick, so he determined to hold on to the ball. Bristol made three flerce assaults on the Cardinal line, and then wds forced to hand the pigskin over to Hampton on her 28-yard line. But one minute was left to play. “Good God! Can't something be done?” wailed a Hampton coach. But four of Hampton's regular men were in the line-up. Captain Harding called his men back for a comference. Stub could not help admiring the splendid nerve of the men as he saw them fle Dack. “Look out for a fake play,” warned one. Captain Harding saw that, with but one minute left, something must be done. “A goal from the fleld,” and as he gave the order he locked nervously at the men grouped around him clamoring for recog- nition. Camp claimed the right, as being the only kicker left after the regulars had been retired. “Camp will—" But he got no farther, for by that time little Blake had pushed himself through and, reaching hold of Harding, hotly ex- claimed: “Camp will do nothing of the sort. I'm the only senior left on this battered up team. It's my last year in college, and you've just got to let me kick this goal.” Captain Harding looked at the lad, wav- ered a minute and then, remembering the nerve of the youngster and his previous record, replied: “Blake will kick the goal™ The men jumped back into the line with the alacrity which carries a battery into action. Their faces were pale, but their legs were steady. This kick would de- cide the game. That Hampton line had one more duty to perform. That line must hold and not a Bristol man must get through. When the crowd saw Blake drop back some one started to cheer. Then as Blake held out his hands for the ball the stillness was something awful Back came the ball true as could be. A step forward, a swing, a tensien in the line, a snap as when a string on a banjo breaks—ah, that Bristol line was through—but just a second too late. Up rose the ball in its mad flight. and with it the crowd. It twisted and turned and made somersaults in the air, and it never swerved from its true pathl In a’second it was fiying between the coveted up- rights, and the game was won. The score stood: Bristol, 10; Hampton, 11, and Blake knew that his time had come. Stub Simpson sat in the press box alone. After everybody had left the grounds he roused himself. Buttoning up his long ulster, with his collar turned up and his hands deep in his pockets, he stalked out of the grounds. Stub was intensely absorbed in thought. “Why afdn't Archie kick?' he kept say- ing to himself. He reached the Vendome, held a brief conversdtion with the clerk, then sat down and wrote these hurried lines: *“Dear Archie—I have been called home suddenly. Will not be back again this year: Through some misunderstanding your money was never up. You can get it from the clerk at the Vendome. Yours STUB." in haste, Then Stub_had barely time to catch the first train e. Query: tub do right?