Bert Wilson on the Gridiron

ing t

tately steamer on which they had embarked at New York that morning swept up to th

the United States Army," replied Tom. "But we're the boys to do i

a husky set of brutes, and we're likely to have our hands full. They've neve

ered Tom. "Let's have it

hey gave up the task of subduing his

mbered over thirty, and there was a small army of rubbers and other attendants. To these were added several hundred of the college boys, and these were further reinforced b

a while gave the "top-liners" a hard struggle to avoid defeat. Only the year before, they had held the Blues to a 6 to 0 score, and on a muddy field had playe

e Blues might find themselves overmatched. The fullback was a new recruit who weighed close to two hundred pounds, and despite his weight was said to be as fast as greased lightning. The two halves were both veterans, and one of them the previous

on. If they were to be "licked," it would have to be by actual speed

suit," philosophized Drake. "The bi

f cheers from the Army supporters who, of course, vastly outnumbered the loyal Blues who had accompanied their team. What the latter lacked in numbers, however, was made up by the enthusi

ily it would have been good for at least fifty yards, but the wind limited it to thirty-five. Caldwell was down under it like a flash, but Birch, o

downs, but were penalized five yards for off-side play. On the next play they gained their distance, but on t

as if for that purpose, either tried a forward pass or made a quick dash around the ends. To complicate the play still further, it was sometimes passed to still another back before the attempt was made. It was a clever "fake," and against a weaker or

ere seemed to be no holding him, and his team backed him up so powerfully that he made his distance easily on the four downs. The ball was still in the Army's possession when the referee's whistle

quarters, there was a hu

oys at home think of us? They've already got the bulletin of this quarter, and they're wondering what on ea

pidly growing. They had really not had much idea of winning at the outset. It would have been almost more than they dared to hope to hold these doughty warriors to a tie. Failing that, they hoped possibly to cross the enemy's goal line for at least one score or perhaps more. B

where in the machinery. Technically, their playing was not open to much adverse criticism. Their passing was acc

rough the field, bowling over Caldwell, eluding Axtell's outstretched arms and bearing down upon the Blue goal. As he neared Bert, who was running in a diagonal line to head him off, he swerved sharply to the right in an a

t desperate trial of strength. The Blues were thoroughly awake now. All their apathy was gone at this mom

d three more. Five yards yet to go and only one chance left! Once more he braced and hurled himself savagely against the right side of the line. But Bert was crouching there in readiness, his six feet of bone and muscle instinct with power and resolution. He went into McAlpin l

he ball rose from his toe like a bird and soared down to the forty yard line. From there the Blues rushed

ere worked up to fighting pitch. Their eyes were blazing, their features grim, and "Bull" Hendricks, who was primed to lash them to the bone with his bitter tongue, wisely forebore. He saw that they were fairly fuming w

onslaught of the Blues. Every man worked as though the outcome of the game depended upon him alone. They plunged into the crumbling lines of the Army like so many wild men. Their opponents fought back nobly, furiously, despera

again like a battering ram for tremendous gains. Tom did some dazzling running back of punts. Drake hit the

eye, and even the hostile stands were stirred at times to involuntary applause. Twice he carried the ball over for a touchdown-once by straight buc

ous course down the field and added two more goals before the game was called, with the ball on the fifteen yard line, and destined, had the play continued two minutes longer, to make a final touchdown. It was a dashing victory, gallantly won after an inauspicious start. The weary players drew the firs

h the smaller colleges had been little more than practice, and in most cases the scrub could have won as certainly if not as overwhelmingly as the 'Varsity. And the victory to-day had been won not by a "fluke," but by clear

team. The injuries to Ellis and Caldwell were only trivial and in a week they would be as well as ever. Of course t

eam. No individual brilliancy, however great, can atone for the lack of team work. To-day they had tested each other, supported each other, played into each other's hands, forgotten that they were anyt

regathered in the dressing rooms and tumbled into their clot

ld top," chuckled Tom, as

I been punched enough to-day without you

ammed into you was a crime. He piled on me in one of the s

at last down in the second quarter. I never saw anything prettier than the way Bert flung him back as though he had been

ing scored on," said Martin. "It's the tight

ping on his coat. "But hurry up, you fellows, and le

ey were on their way to the mess hall of the cadets, who

s earlier in the season. To Bert and Tom and Dick it brought back the memory of the great game they had played there two years before-

at game, Tom

mber. A man who has made a triple play

Drake. "Look at him, fellow

e a pas

he countered. "You f

d of his bat and sent it whistling toward third about two feet over Tom's head. He made a tremendous leap, reaching up his gloved hand, and the ball stuck there. The batter was out, but the man on third, thinking it was a sure hit, was racing like mad to the plate. As Tom came down he landed squarely on the bag, thus putting out the runner, who had by this time realized his mistake and was trying desperately to get back. In the meantime, the man o

l and football," commented Dick, in discussing the incident, "but

fellowship. But the demands of training were not to be set aside, and all too soon they were forced to tear themselves away and repair to their hotel.

ad escaped their keen eyes during that crowded hour, when conditions and formations changed with the swiftness of a kaleidoscope. And now that it was all over, they could re

faults to be corrected, of raw edges to be polished off, of plays to be developed. But, on the whole, the boys had done surprisingly well. The dogged way in which they had held the enemy when their goal was threatened was worthy of the best "bulldog

one point, in the early part of the game, they had feared this might be necessary, but the quick recovery later on had enabled them to depend upon straight football. The sco

empty bag from this day

his faithful cob. "And I'm thinking 'tis a little bit shaky

h from his cigar. "I haven't seen such plunging and line bucking since the da

en some crack fullbacks in my time, but none to top him. He's got the weight, he's got the spe

Trent and Henderson. They worked together at quarter and center like a pair of shears. Axtell tackled like a tiger, and if he keeps it up, we can count on him a

s there's nothing bette

game. He's too slow in starting, and he doesn't tackle as hard and fast as he ought to. Then, too, he's a little bit thick when it comes to the signals. He go

is finger in the beginning of the game and nobody knew it until twenty minutes later. Plucky of the youngster, but he ought to have told us. Ellis is all right, but that's the second time his bum ankle h

ay, when McAlpin piled

f. But he's trying all the time, and never lets up till the whistle blows. Perhaps I'll let him change places with Martin and see how it wo

cking at the way we're going along, so early in the season. As a matter of fact, I wouldn't let them know for a farm how good I really feel over their showing. I'd like

mouthed as a clam. I ran across a reporter though, who's been down

quarter. We're heavier and I think we're faster than the 'Maroons' this year. But from al

dy; and with Hendricks' grunted indorsement of this pious wish, the