The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1901-04-02
THE day of the great football game

THE day of the great football game
was approaching, and all Kensing-
ton was wrought up to fever pitch. On
the campus, at the eating clubs, and in
the town the talk was of but n
thing. How are the men to-day?"
rs Travers' leg any better?" viii he
be able to play?" ANY signs of over
training?" do you know what
tricks they are working up?" And SO
on-generally, be it observed, in the
form of questions-for at this season
of the year the inside is very secre-
tive, and outside gossip varies in de-
tail almost with the number Of speak
ers. In the absence of definite knowl-
edge the suspense was terrific. A spir-
it Of nervous unrest pervaded the uni
versity, and serious work was we'll
nigh impossible. Moreover, this spirit
affected not only the studen body, but
many faculty circles as we'll. Instruct
ors and younger professors were I'M
der its sway, perhaps quite as much as
any under-c.assmen.
At The Cloister," where four of us,
trainers OF youth, live in contented
ba~chelorhood, the electric tension of
the atmosphere was obvious. Our
conversation al meals and after was
always about football; lectures were
prepared without the usual care and
thought; and | fear we all spent much
time in reading the athletic columns
of the daily papers which ought right
ly 10 have been devoted to original re-
search.
Il don't know why it is. fellows
said Milford, one day at dinner; ""I
don't care a rap about the smaller
games; l don't take interest enough in
them, even, to go down to the field
when they are played in Kensington
But when il comes to the big ones, ]
get so nervous it breaks me all up;
can't work and can't sleep for think
ing about them. The strain is fearful
Prof. Milford has a highly strung
temperament, but we all felt that his
particular words applied TO our own
cases, too. But this particular year
Milford had an added source of anxiety
in connection with the game. Guild
the great half-back, whom everyone
looked to to secure the needed touch
down, was conditioned in Mitford'i
subject, and that condition must be re
moved before he could play in the
championship game. Milford had sen
him notice after notice, with no effect
and he knew the students might at
tempt to take advantage of the facul
ties sympathy with their cause, anC
get around the condition in some way
Now Milford was a most conscientious
holy that Guild must pass his exam
ination regularly if he were to play il
the game; and yet his heart was will
the team, and he knew besides the un
popularity he must expect to incur, i
anything he did should contribute t
the defeat of Kensington in the grea
event of the year.
What about Guild, Mit?" we aske
him one day at table. Nit looked u
with an expression of disgust, an
what he said in reply is best repre-
sented by dashes and asterisks. Afte
that the subject was dropped, as ia
as we were concerned. But ~certai
things became palmer as the day
passed by and the date of the gam
drew near. 1t was evident that tn
|, Pembroke team were improving wor
derfully, and would give our men
tremendous fight. And it was ais
evident that our men relied on GUILD
! practically, to win the game for then
! He was champion kicker, and rur
ner, and tackler, all in one.
/ "If Guild is knocked out during tn
! game we are lost" said some one a
| the Cloister once, We all agreed wit
J the speaker in our inmost hearts, bu
/ as Nit was present we expressed n
! opinion, and the subject was deftl
I changed.
J 1t was the second day before tn
I game, and the team were to leave fo
{ Pembroke the mex morning. Gu
J anxiety could not longer be SUI
pressed.