The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-12-09
THE RETIRED BURGLAR.
circumstance Pre- vented Him from Learu-
ing the Result or Football Game.

circumstance Prevented Him from Lenru-
Ing the Result OF Football Game.
AS / started across the ROOM" the retired
burglar said. describing his adventures in .
town up the State, ~ stepped on a creaky board.
The man in the bed threw back the bedclothes
with a snap and sat up. There was light enough
In the room from q turned-down gas jet by the
bureau for him TO see me-. and he tossed the
clothes away and jumped out Of bed. He was q
big fellow, broad shouldered and powerful. and
lie wasn't any more afraid of me than IL I'd
been a baby. There wasn't any use for me
to run. l couldn't have got to the head OF the
stairs before he'd have had his hand on my coll
lar, and l knew 1t. There wasn't anything to do
but to face him and fight him.. He had made q
jump for me as he swung out Of bed and l made
a run for him. lowering my head and throwing
myself at him with my shoulder against his legs
just above his knees. I had won that first
round, for / knocked him over just by sheer
weight and force, and as no went down I fell on
him, and actually l thought then that l was go
ing to best him.
But. though he was down, he wasn't dis
couraged far from It. I had fallen on him kind
o. sideways. over more on the right side OF his
body. 1 had his right arm under me. and his
left hand and forearm; but he pulled that left
arm out from under me easily and flung II over
and grabbed my left arm with a grip that was
like the sudden contraction of q big steel claw;
but what got me most about II was its absolute
confidence. He was quick, ouicker'n lightning.
but was cool as cool could be. 1t was the grip Of
a man who felt In his heart that he could pull q
house down II he wanted to.
HE tried TO pull me over on my back. where
I would have been as helpless as q bug turned
over; and as l felt that grip ! almost laughed
as l thought that half q minute before
I was thinking that possibly I might
best him. What I was doing now was
hanging on to him for all I knew how to keep
him from turning me over. All of . sudden he
shifted that left hand to my throat and choked
the breath out Of me; and the next thing I knew
! was sitting in . chair with my arms tied to ma.
and him looking at me.
(which had you drather do says he; go
TO jail or play footballf'
"'Well,' I said. i think I'd q little rather play
football
Ever play p said the man.
Never says /.
Well, when you came in says the man,
you made one OF the p~rettiest tackles that ever
was Then he went on to tell me that he was the
the left tackle was sick, and that a week from from
the next Thursday they were going to play the
wanted was to have me take the left tackles
place S
training with the team. the captain Introducing
practising every day. i'd been so accustomed
70 night work that Il came pretty hard ON me az
IL two or three days and worked along ali Right.
Ihsy taught me All they eonld In eight days.
saa t ! s% g Rrsat dc all more ! SSu aSS of T. soo, :HPPSss
] do, but II you don't l might say that In tack
ling ySS can do almost anything; you can throw
the Captain at his house or yon 4a cam
throw your arms around him and 'rastls
with him and throw him II you can, but, OF
man that hastk 6aii YOU can't tackle the men
to them TO block 'em when they try to get by YOU.
and you can fall against 'em II you want to. but
We'll, the day came and our town turned Qua
immense, and there was a great lot of folks came
one, and the other team had a lot OF good linen
In II too; the teams looked 10 me To be pretty
msadors. YSa in naS fh So skei 6sIIsys p Sas .F in
general have any idea of the excitement they
get Up sometimes over football games between
os si sos 6rs SiSag .L pretty dbYv well IN, in the he first first half
the ball, and admit do any smuggling; but must
say | had pretty hard work TO Keep from doing
big fellows. did certainly bounce me around In
the most uncomfortable sort Of way, and | had
HS1p I N ! could do 70 K 6sSe 81 from going e EN-;
work for my side sure, First half eight 70 six
the second hall, and had III ne could
$3.50 AA ia
did give a man what I supposed might
be called a gentle little bin, and got warned by
the umpire Then was more careful. but two
or three minutes later the same man that had
seemed to be so particular in following me up
in the nTst half came at me again as though hs
wanted to run me down and trample on me. and
! did plug him, and the next minute heard the
shout out:
"'TankletOn disQualinedp
You understand. that was the name the
captain had given me when he introduced me,
There wasn't anything for me 10 do but 10 70
and SIT down and q substitute took my plac4
aud sat there and looked on. AsI sal tEsEs
watching the game l felt all Of a sudden ire
nendoes dry. There Was a little old barn near
~ that was used as . dressing room. and I
thought there might be water In that, but there
wasn't and 30 l thought I'd look further. say
SomswheTe down around the railroad station.
dldnt have any doubt about the captains
kesptnE bis word. but | didn't know what might
nAhpsh aItsrthe excitement Was over. especially
" the other side got licked. They might have
aAhted 70 know who | vas. and have been very
particular about IT. and - | thought that per-
Aaps might lust a. yell keep slong
Asi struck into the road on the other side OF
ne barn ! heard back In the Held the most ter
,lhe cheering; then syeFythinE got quiet again
they Sere ~ IL In dead earnest; but Il 80 hap
Pened that there WAS = train came along just as
struck the station. and 10 this day / nsgaF
hoH the game came out"