The San Francisco call., 1908-10-25
VI

The bands crashed their maddsst. merriest airs
and the cadets and the mddies shouted Justify as the
the field for the second half and the
From the first it was apparent that the Army had
the advantage over their opponents. discouraged by
showing in the hrstahalf The Army, too' was
buoyed up with a confidence not felt by Navy side
as whole for the word had gotten round that some
thing amiss with the crack fullback and that
there was little chance of the Navy scoring
The Navy team fought doggedly and IT evident
that the commodore was doing better WORK, put
touchdown for the Army. though they missed goal
raised yell OF Joy and left the Navy more hopeless
than before
Suddenly there was play that quite under
stood, and before any knew much about IT the
commodore through the line with the ball The
goal posts. so yards on. stretched out oeIore the
watching throng as immeasurable distance to be
covered. but the commodore with the leather hugsed
close to him. was making straight for IT, Ihe Navy
side as one man stood up TO cheer but their voices
sounded far Off and indistinct to the commodore
and only the thought or MS taher seemed [Sai. .
and the sound OF the behind him. All his facul-
ties were alert now and centered only In MS play
They saw him crouch over ball and low as
he lodged the tackle He could hear two three OF
of speed which they had not counted
Once he stumbled and lost ground. He knew slocum
was close to hm-knew rather than felt him piunse
forward he tackled
He wrenched himself free and left slocum behind
The field stretched before him clear and almost
deserted except for Clarke. the Army halfoack
back his and On he went.
nonring down into his eyesEon. the goal Ioomed up
straight STILL almost the only still thing around
him. The wild cheers Of the Navy side reached him
clearer now mother Vevey-dead; he
could think OF that too, a separate conscious
that affected for good III his work In
hand but it his last gift to the academy and
of his fatherl God knows he would need all
the happiness coming to him nowi He was choked
with dust. his arms ached with their burden ana ne
conscious OF the weight Of his own legs Clarke
almost him, guarding the field directly IN
front Of the goal He veered just as clarke was ABOUT
tackle and the halfback was after him. forcing
him side vanly he tried to regain the center
of the field On the goal line he fell crashing to the
dirt still clnging to the leather the halback on top
of him 1t seemed though he were eating the dust
of the field. Far off at the west end the bulletin
board registered an even score
He the dirt and the dust and the sweat cover
ing him. had carried the ball and made touch
down. The Navy side became a sudden mass OF float
There was a silence commodore sighted the
ball for the goal at the almost impossible angle
He'll kick IT." around the benches.
It's the last chance for TO win" whispered
rl Win purple eyes 10 nerse ron one 4' 40 Tos b
hold frightened on the fragile trihe that she called
Thirty thousand pairs of eyes were riveted on him
now. He conscious Of ons-an elderly man In the
Hell never kick it, said the secretary Bag
ley's the only that kicked goal like that"
The captain did not answer, but he closed his eyes
for a moment
'If it might that I might write Mary
1t seemed hours those minutes to the waiting
throng, and the team wondered afterward how they
had stood the strain OF it. The wind had died down.
Even the and red and blue and gold pennants
drooped from expeetant hands 1t was almost time
for the signal The early afternoon was closing In
and still they waited.
front Of the commodore with the ball Once. twice.
the commodore measured the distance with his
He was cool now-perhaps the only cool there
and he thought OF his father and OF his mother
In Vevey-dead But the thought OF her to him
then, IT later In all supreme OF his
life of something to be attained for her her fair
height.
He stepped back raised his foot and kicked the
ball
1t slowly in the air. for breathless moment
seemed to hestate and then fell quietly between the
goal posts.
There was a wild cheer. Even the Army felt the
beauty Of the play The signal blew and the team
surrounded the commodore He stood $ though cut
ha
Garrett up and waved the aside and
helped him off the field.
The grim shadow that for few brief minutes
lifted enveloped htn again His mother We
vey-dead. would again; hand
would touch his hair. He staggered would
have If Garrett supported him. led him
inner OF the shed and shut the door and
left him there-alone
There a few moments later Nesbitt came to him and
stood by his chairwaiting for the long long
broken.
The commodore leaned head against Nesbitts
knees.
Tell them want my father" he said weariIy.