Evening star., 1935-11-18
INSTALLMENT vi.


through two quarters, with
neither able to cross the others
u goal line In the third period,
however, Sanford opened up with a
passing attack that took Colburn COM
pletely by surprise. A series of double
reverse plays caused Colburn to pull
its secondaries up to help stop the ball
carriers. The moment the Sanford
pilot saw Colburn's back out of posi-
ton he whisked a pass over their
heads.
Both stands we're on their toes as
the ball described a beautiful para
bola Sanford's followers must have
felt in their bones that that pass
meant victory, for they were scream
ing at the top of their lungs as 1t
Travelled, and reaching loud cres-
cendo as the ball dropped into the
hands of a f1eet-footed Blue wingman,
who scurried off to a touchdown. And
Colburn's rooterS knew that it meant
defeat, for a pathetic moan went
lip from them when they saw that
their backs had been sucked out OF
position by the astute little Blue pilot,
and that no Crimson defenders were
beyond the range of the pass, to stop
the wingman once he caught 1t.
Just as the Sanford end trotted
tauntily over the Colburn goal line,
Chuck heard in his ears the same
powerful voice he had heard before.
"What kind of coaching do you call
W
body around must have heard him.
that allows a safety man to play up
In that position on third down with 8
10 go? The confounded fool!'
Chuck looked around. He almost
lost his breath. There, on the very
last row of the stadium. silhouetted
against the cloud-f1eCked Autumn
skv was the huge figure OF Nancy's
father, old man Marshall. his gray
hair blowing in the wind. his big face
rubescent with emotion, his soft hat
crumpled hopelessly in his left hand.
and his right arm raised in gesture
OF defiance.
Chuck smiled despite the turn OF
events that had put Colburn behind
badly behind on the scoreboard. There
was something worth while about the
old man, after all, he muSed. He
hates Dan McBrair as much as do.
Peculiar coincidence, he reflected, that
he should dislike him when I do. He
rather wished he had told old man
Marshall why he hadn't gone out for
the team. But no, it was just as we'll
IN
alumni of the college, and Chuck con-
cluded that maybe Brair wouldn't be
back next year after all, since the old
man didn't waste any affection on
him. Marshall was important and
affiuent enough to mold things to his
liking.
Colburn battled hard throughout
the last period, but Sanford, with a
comfortable lead of 10 points, took
things easier, saved its energy for
the critical moments, and kept things
under control. Colburn showed flashes
of power, and a fair share of in
dividual talent, but its attack lacked
the cohesiveness and purposefulness
of a strategically coached and ably
directed team. The Crimson wasted
much of its strength on line drives.
Play after play was directed at the
most formidable section of the rival
forward wall, with little success.
Sanford's backs played smart,
heads-up foot ball, keeping the Sec
ondaries we'll spaced. and playing the
center out of the line until Colburn
got within its 35-yard line. Then
the dynamic and rotund Sanford pivot
man would jump back in line again
and stop everything that came his
way.
Colburn's rooters grew less enthusi-
astic as the end of the game ap-
preached. They realized that San
ford was not only the physical equal
of Colburn, but the strategic su-
perior. Every man played his po-
sltion to perfection. The guards came
out with terrific speed to lead the
interference on the off f-tackle plays.
The backs blocked well, cutting down
the Crimson tacklers with precision.
Chuck spent most of the last period
looking back over his shoulder at old
man. Marshall. He took pleasure in
watching him fuss and fume at the
mistakes he spotted in the line and
in the backfeld with his high-power
field glasses. The loquacious old gent
never noticed Arnold looking back at
him. At a foot ball game, particu-
larly a Colburn-Sanford game, Tad
Marshall. as he was known to the
men of his class and generation, was
oblivious to everything except the two
teams and the score board.
Once in a great while in the past,
when Arnold was calling on Nancy,
he heard the old man reminiscing
with old friends about his days on
the gridiron. Chuck simply smiled
skeptioally at such times, thinking
that Marshall was more loquacious