River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1899-07-06

ing, to find the ball. "Camden's ball.
he called out.
Armstrong ran back up the field to
the fullback's position on the defensive,
wishing at every step that the earth
would open and swallow him up.
Twice the Camden backs smashed in
to the Hilton line and then the full
back, with strong kick. sent the ball
so yards up the field and the goal was
out of danger.
Up and down the field the battle was
waged the rest of the first half, with no
perceptible advantage to either team,
and the half closed with the ball in Hill
toms possession on their own 40-yard
line.
The captain came up to Armstrong in
the dressipg-room, where the players
were resting and regaining their
strength. THAT was bad tumble you
made, old man, but don't let it worry
you. I've seen older heads than yours
get ratified for less cause than you
had, and sou may have chance to re-
deem yourself in the next half"
The Is minutes of resting soon
passed, and as the players filed out the
captain turned to Armstrong and said,
with a look half quizzical and half Sc
rious: IF you tumble again in this
half, young fellow, I'll be hanged if
don't make you walk home"
In the second half the superior
weight and strength of the Camden
| players began to tell, and, in spite of
brave defense, the play was forced into
the Hilton territory. Nothing but re-
peated punts saved the Hilton goal line
from being crossed, and each successive
onslaught carried the ball little
nearer.
All hope of scoring on the Camden
team had disappeared, and the exhaust
ed team longed only for the call of
! time to save them from defeat. The
Hilton line was going to pieces. and, in
spite of the captains desperate efforts
| to rally his men, they were being
forced back and back, until the ball
lay on the ten-yard line, and it was
Camden's first down. Nothing short of
a miracle could save them now.
Bucking the line had Melted all the
gains in this half, as the Hilton ends
were too sure tacklers to allow any end
runs. The play had drifted over to one
side of the field, and the ends had been
drawn in by the repeated attacks on
the line.
Seeing this. and wishing to score the
touchdown where goal would be easy,
the Camden quarterback gave the sig
| I'll f,,ll II
charged into the line, his head down
as though he carried the ball. The Hill
ton PLAYERS threw themselves into the
center to stop the rush, and even the
ends, forgetting all caution, rushed in
to the thick of the fight.
But the ball was not there. Instead
of passing it to the fullback, the quar-
terback had held it for moment and
then tossed it to the left half, kenne-
DIV. In an instant Kennedy was off
like a shot for the Hilton goal. Arm
strong was the only man between the
flying halfback and touchdown.
Cutting well across the field TO shake
off all possible pursuers, Kennedy was
running almost parallel to his oppo-
nent.
As the latter gathered himself for
the final spring for the tackle the run
ner stopped short and lodged quickly
back. Armstrong whirled and threw
out his arms in last desperate effort
to make the tackle. His outflung arm
struck the ball squarely and knocked 1t
from kennedy's too-confident grasp.
He turned to seize it again, but it was
too late The ball bounded up almost
into Armstrong; arms, and he
clutched it half involuntarily. 1t was
a hundred yards to the other goal, but
he had clear field.
The whole Camden team was in hot
pursuit Armstrong; comrades were
following in the general ruck, shouting
words of encouragement which he
never heard, and blocking off the lag
| CARDS on the other team.
| Kennedy was close behind the boy
and gaining every yard, but the gap
was too wide to be closed easily.
Armstrong heard the flying feet and
painting breath behind him, and
strained every nerve. As he gave one
last leap to throw himself across the
line Kennedy sprang at him like a
hawk and nailed him in the air, and
pursuer and pursued came down with a
thump-across the goal line.
A fluke? OF course it was, but it won
the game, and what else do we play for !
Armstrong felt more than repaid when
the captain wrung his hand and ex-
claimed: Good boy! I'm proud to
know you. There won't be thing too
good for you when we get back to the
old town tonight
And there wasn't.-Boston Globe.