Evening star., 1935-12-04
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guard and even kicked the dirt of his
cleats so as to facilitate the job Of
hooting field goal. The Orange ends
prepared to rush in and block the
ball The backs moved UP closer. The
fullback went up into the Orange line
SO as to be able to tear In and stop
the kick. Block that kick! Block
that kick!" yelled the Orange rooters
fervently.
Chuck called out the signals and
crouched low as though to boot the
ball when he got it from the center.
Minton shot a beautiful pass into
Chuck's waiting hands. Chuck took
step forward, coolly, deliberately, as
though in the act of kicking the ball.
Just when it seemed he would be
buried in an avalanche of Orange
players bearing down on him with
full speed, he sidestepped nimbly,
turned and ran back, fixing the ball
in his passing hand as he ran. In
that brief and hectic moment he
thought of Corbin and the good AL
truda III. He would pass the same
way. Back he raced with the Orange
players in hot pursuit. Suddenly he
stopped, dug his cleats firmly in the
ground, and shot the pass. 1t was
pretty spiral, travelling with just the
right arch and the exact amount of
lift. Bloomgarten sped toward the
uprights. He got there just as the
ball arrived. Gently and firmly he
let it settle in his hands. The score
board flashed points. The stands of
Colburn students were raving with
uncontrolled joy. Coach Bertwell was
sitting on the bench as though petri-
fed. He had never seen that play
He never gave it to the team. He
didn't know whether to be glad or
mad. Slowly he wagged his head.
What nerve that kid Arnold has got"
he finally said aloud.
Nerve hell Coach" said Tubby,
who was bounding up and down the
sidelines in a frenzy of Joy. Brains
is what I call it. But I'd hate to be
in his boots if that play hadn't worked
You'd a tied the old tin can on him,
I bet"
well, it worked" Bartwell smiled
back. And I'm mighty glad it did.
That's the test of a play, after all"
Hoffmeister was standing back to
try the placekick. Chuck knelt on
one knee to hold the ball. His back
ached him from having thrown that
winning pass, but he was so thrilled
with the victory, that he didn't mind
it much. The whistle blew just as
Hoffmeister's kick bounced off the
goal posts and rolled in the end zone.
The scoreboard still read, Colburn, 6;
Malbern, 0.
The Colburn students didn't wait to
catch their breath. They poured out
on the field and surrounded the team.
Fellows who never even bothered to
say hello to Arnold before, now fought
and pushed each other around in an
effort to shake his hand. Time and
again he WINGED as some enthusiastic
fellow slapped him warmly on the
back to congratulate him on the
winning pass.
For days following the game,
Chucks name was on every tongue
And when it spread around the cam
pus that he had made up the play on
the spur of the moment, he was re-
garded in an even more heroic light.
All the old disdain he had caused as
a cocky sophomore who refused to go
out for the team vanished over night.
Arnold was the idol of the campus.
The greatest pilot Colburn ever had.
He was a wonder. No one denied
that.
The game with Coke the following
Saturday was the last step in prep
aration for the Sanford battle All
season the team had been pointed for
these two elevens. The rivalry and
tradition behind the Sanford clash
always made it Colburn's main objec-
tive, but Coke was regarded as a team
every bit as strong as Sanford. Ar
mold, by virtue of his generalship
against Malbern, had piloted the team
in its practice sessions throughout the
week, and it was a foregone conclu-
sion that he would start the Coke
fracas.
The game was to be played at Coke.
More than half the student body
planned to accompany the team to the
distant bailiwick. and help bring back
The spoils of victory. The band was
to be sent at the students expense,
and there was scarcely man at Col
burn who didn't contribute willingly
TO the purse that was collected to pay
The expenses of some of the itinerant
musicians. Repeated triumphs bred
generosity. Colburn hadn't known
the thrill of successive victories in
many years.
Chuck wrote Nancy, asking her to
attend the game. She had replied
that her mother objected to her going
20 far without a chaperon, but that
she would try to make it anyway.
Thursday afternoon just before the
5eam was given a big send of" by
the student body, Chuck called
Nancy on the long distance phone
and begged her to make the game
Under any circumstances. He had al
ready made arrangements for her
ticket. She was to sit with his room
nate Barkley, who would meet her at
The railroad depot when she arrived.
She promised to be there if she pos
;ibly could get away.