Rock Island Argus., 1902-01-21
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY.
Who Finished
the Game?
IOriGinall

the game was finished. All the men
who were engaged in it have left col
iege long ago. but the matter has been
handed down to the undergraduates
and serves for IL subject of perpetual
wrangling. The trouble was that in
those days they played the game toe
late In the day. and before it could be
finished il was so dark one could
scarcely distinguish one side from the
other
The dispute in question could not
have arisen except for this cause. The
game was played On Thanksgiving
day. very nearly the shortest in the
year. This particular Thanksgiving
was cloudy; consequently the dark
ness came on earlier than usual.
The way of it was this: Barnard
was the center rush for Yale, and il
wasn't known till the game began that
he was suffering from some heart com
plication, probably brought on ut prac-
tice the day before. when he suddenly
tainted after IL hard scrimmage- His
doctor forbade his going into the
Thanksgiving game, but he WAS loyal
to his college, and he knew it would
lose without him. At any rate, there
was consultation on Thanksgiving
.ve, and when the boys appeared from
behind locked doors it was announced
that there had been mistake about
Bannard's heart trouble and he would
take his place in the team next day.
Everything went straight enough till
near the end of the first half. Barnard
shouldered the principal work, as he
had always done. and Yale had scored
more points than Harvard. but toward
the end Of the half Barnard began
to lcok queer and let Sampson of
Harvard right past him with the ball.
thereby losing n touchdown. Sampson
kicked the goal and tied the game.
After the next lineup Barnard during
a scrimmage fell over in a faint. and
that let Harvard in for another touch
down and n goal. Barnard was car
ried off the field.
Well, it began to get dark. but was
not so dark when the men lined up
again but that l could see Barnard in
position. But somehow he looked tall
er than usual, and there was peculiar
motion about him that had never no
ticed before. After half hour of the
second half all one could see of the
plaNeIS WIS Il iOI Ol udIh hEuLtS Oll a
dark ground Bannard's tail frame
loomed up above the rest like the spec
ter of the Brocken. Great guns. how
he did play! He was at the front, 1t
the flank. in every scrimmage. In
short. he was carrying the game far
better than he had ever done before.
Then came that celebrated run in
which he lodged six men and. unguard-
ed, carried the ball over the line twenty
yards I'm front OF his nearest follower
for n touchdown. / watched to see him
kick his goal. and what was my sur
prise to see another man do it for him.
l asked what it meant and was told
that he had gone under again.
The game now was tied. When the
men lined up again. l watched for
Barnard. Sure enough. he was there,
and after the kickoff did the same as
work as before. lie scored
two touchdowns. but 10y this time it
was so dark that l could not see who
kicked them. However. they both fail
ed. on account of the darkness, | sup
pose. leaving Yale ahead in the game.
Before any more points could he
scored Barnard suddenly disappeared
from the field, and n substitute appear
ed in his place. u slow, bungling fellow,
who lost for his college enough points
to put Harvard again even with Yale
There remained but five minutes of
the three-quarters OF an hour allowed
for the half. At the kickoff Barnard,
who was in his place. jumped fully ten
feet, caught the ball and ran with il
straight through the Harvard lines.
Tf hoo hoE haf
could have got through that line as it
was placed. Every gap was closed.
One Harvard man swears that Ban
lard passed him and as he seized the
giant around the waist he seized air.
Another declares that the man wasn't
at all. though he was enough
ike him to deceive his own mother.
Be this as it may. the game was won
'or Yale. / waited to see Barnard kick
'or goal. but waited in vain. Somebody
old me that it was so dark he couldn't
see the posts and that the game was
won anyway for Yale. There was n
lubbub among the players of both
Iides, who were huddled in two groups |
rear the center of the gridirOn. One of |
hem. n Harvard man, shouted "Foulp' |
Ind 1 saw. the Yale captain go to him |
Ind shake his fist in his face. but 1 |
,ould not hear what he said for the |
What do you suppose 1 saw in the
leath notices of the newspapers the
next day-"Died. on Thursday, the
9th of November, Archibald Theodore
Barnard. in the twentieth year Of his
Ige."
At what time a day did he die? No
me knows; at least no one will tell.
hough it is generally conceded that
when he was carried off the field at
he end of the first half he never went
IN it again. IL so. who was in his
,lace? One report said that he had
win brother-the black sheep of the
amily, never spoken of-who returned
ust before the game, and it was agreed
beforehand that if Archie Barnard