CHAPTER XXVI.FALSE SUSPICIONS.
Zona greeted Hal with a smile, but he observed that Doris scarcely observed his approach. Her eyes seemed to be fastened on a group of football-players holding a consultation at a distance. Dick Merriwell was in that group.
"Really and truly are you going to try it?" exclaimed Zona. "Oh, I didn’t think you would!"
"Didn’t I say so?" he demanded, forcing a smile, but keeping his eyes on Doris.
"Yes, but we thought you were just piqued then, Doris and I, and that you’d forget it."
"It’s plain neither you nor Doris know me very well."
"And are you going to play on the team?"
"Doubtful."
"Why?"
"Oh, there are reasons. I’m going to try for a chance to show what I can do on the scrub, though; but I may be prevented from having even that opportunity."
"Prevented?"
"Sure."
"How?"
"Oh, by a certain party."
"You mean——"
"Well, Mr. Frank Merriwell is running things here, as I have told you before. His brother is on the eleven, and his brother does not like me."
"Do you really think Dick Merriwell would resort to such a petty thing?"
"Haven’t a doubt of it."
"Well, I don’t believe anything of the sort!" said Doris, suddenly turning toward them. "I am sure he can’t be that kind of a fellow?"
"What makes you so sure?" questioned Hal, with a smile that meant much.
"Why, a fellow who is so splendid—I mean such a splendid player——"
"Don’t change it."
She blushed.
"You’re actually becoming hateful of late, Hal!" she exclaimed. "Haven’t I a right to say he is a splendid player?"
"Oh, of course? Go on."
"Well, I don’t believe he’d resort to anything small and petty, even against a fellow he might not like. So there!"
"We’ll see," said Hal. "Nunn asked me to come out with the squad some time ago. He said I stood a show of making the team. I didn’t come out then,but I’m here now. Let’s see what kind of a chance I have. Keep watch."
He did not confess that he believed he had aroused Nunn against him. Not he! In case he did not get a show, he was willing they should think the Merriwells were entirely to blame.
Captain Nunn was calling out the regular players. He gathered them about Frank Merriwell, who proceeded to talk to them about the new "ends-around" play that had been worked successfully against Viewland on Saturday, and was no longer a secret.
"I want you to put the play into use against the scrub to-day," said Frank. "You must be surer in your formation behind the center and left guard. The ends must come round exactly as if compelled to do so before the charge of the opposing line, while the center must hold fast. Both Kane and Hovey were too much in a hurry to swing back when the play was first tried Saturday. They jumped back so quick once that they cut Burrows off and left him where it was not possible for him to swing round at all, as several of the other team were between him and the formation. Haste is all right, but hurry is not. There is method in haste; confusion in hurry. In football every move should have method. When you make this play let the ends begin to swing back first, so that they may not be cut off when they come round to help shove the ball along."
Frank also spoke to them of several other points, singling out some of the men for special criticism and instruction.
"The team must play together always," he said, in conclusion. "Individual playing, while it serves to attract attention to some particular player, does not win as many games as team playing. I have seen successful teams that did not have a star player. But they had practised until they worked together like machines. I do not mean to discourage brilliant individual playing, but always I want such plays to come from opportunities that do not admit of team plays, or through the aid of a team play behind it, and I want no man to be constantly watching for opportunities to distinguish himself above his fellows."
Dick Merriwell could not keep back the color that surged to his face, for somehow it seemed that Frank’s words were directed especially at him. It touched him, too, for already Dick had learned that the one thing a good football-player should keep in mind is the success of his team in the game, regardless of what happens to himself. At the cost of injury, in the face of danger, at all times, he must be ready to sacrifice himself that somebody else may advance the ball.
Dick was not to blame because his remarkable strength, agility, and skill had enabled him to make plays which plainly elevated him as a star. Yet hecould not help feeling that he was blamed, not only by his enemies, but somehow by his own brother.
When Frank had talked to the team and to certain ones on the team, he took Buckhart aside and showed him how to play low in hitting the opposite line. Then he put several others on the eleven through a "course of sprouts" before he permitted the regular contest with the scrub.
Meantime the scrub was hard at work kicking, tackling, falling on the ball, passing, and getting used to signals. And Hal Darrell, although ready to take part, had not been called on. With one or two others he secured a ball and began passing it and kicking it about. One of the fellows took a position and snapped the ball back to Hal, who kicked it. The second time he did this he made a wonderfully long drive, and, within a few minutes, he had attracted some attention by his kicking, Then he shifted back and caught the ball, permitting another fellow to kick.
Now, Darrell had played football before coming to Fardale, although he had not made an attempt to get onto the eleven at the academy, being satisfied to be regarded as the star pitcher of the nine.
Hal soon showed that he was decidedly clever in capturing punts, and not a few chaps who were watching from the side of the field began to express wonder because he had not appeared on the field before.
And then, having taken the ball, Darrell ran withit dodging two or three fellows who made a bluff at tackling him. When he stopped he found himself within three feet of Frank Merriwell, who was looking at him.
"What’s your name?" asked Frank.
"Darrell, sir."
"I don’t remember seeing you before. Have you been out in practise?"
"This is the first time."
"I thought so."
That was all. Frank turned and walked away without another word. Looking after him, Hal saw Dick Merriwell step out quickly and meet his brother, with whom he began to talk earnestly.
"I thought so!" muttered Darrell grimly. "He saw Frank Merriwell speak to me, and here is where he gets his little knife into my back. I doubt if I’m given any kind of a show."
But Dick was speaking to Frank of quite another matter.
Leaving Dick, Frank walked over to Cogswell, the captain of the scrub.
"Cogswell," said Frank, "I see there is a new man by the name of Darrell out to-day."
"Yes, sir."
"Give him a try."
"Where, sir?"
"Any position at all that happens to be weak. Heseems to punt well, catch the ball in form, and is a fast runner."
"All right," said Cogswell, "I think I can use him."
And, having watched every move, Hal Darrell believed that Frank had notified the captain of the scrub to avoid using him. With his heart full of bitterness, Darrell walked over to Doris and Zona.
"I told you how it would be," he said. "I’m thrown down."
"Thrown down?" said Doris. "What do you mean by that?"
"Wait and you will see. A certain young gentleman here has fixed it all right, and I’m not to play to-day. Frank Merriwell has just notified Cogswell not to use me on the scrub."
"Darrell, Darrell!" called a voice; "come over here. We’re going to play two eight-minute halves, and I want you."
It was Cogswell.
Not a little surprised and taken aback, Hal went over to Cogswell, who said:
"You have played the game before, haven’t you?"
"A little."
"Where?"
"On the high school team at home."
"What position?"
"End, half-back, and full-back."
"You’ll play right end to-day. Billings has a badknee, and we need somebody to fill his place. Dustan will put you onto the signals. Here, Dustan."
Dustan was the quarter-back of the scrub. He came over to Darrell at once and began to explain the code of signals.
Hal asked no questions on the point, but he was wondering how it happened that Cogswell had called him out to play. He was not yet willing to believe that Merriwell had suggested using him, although it looked very much that way.
Soon the teams were called out for practise, and the brush began with the regulars kicking off. There was some good timber in the scrub, and it started off to-day with snap and vim, running the ball back fifteen yards before being stopped.
Then came the first line-up, and Darrell found himself opposite Burrows, who was an energetic player, and he fell on Darrell at the first opportunity with a jump that sent the new player over in a twinkling, and the effort to advance the ball round that end was stopped. Hal rose chagrined by his failure to block Burrow’s, for the end-run might have been successful had he accomplished this.
The next attempt was through the center, but this time Darrell got in swiftly, and had the right end of the regulars out of the play in a twinkling. This provoked Burrows, who growled at Hal, receiving a smile in return.
The scrub was forced to kick, and Dick Merriwell got the ball. Through the field he darted, dodging tackler after tackler. Darrell fancied he saw his opportunity, and he cut through to down Dick. In another moment he would have had the runner, but just then another member of the scrub made a beautiful tackle, and Hal was robbed of the satisfaction.
Now the regulars began an assault on the scrub line, and the very first play tried was the "ends-around." It worked beautifully, fully twelve yards being made.
Hal realized at once that he had been led in a most skilful manner by Burrows to help in advancing the ball by adding his weight to that of the right-end as the ends swung round. Now, Burrows grinned back at him.
Again the same play was tried, but this time, instead of charging against Burrows, Hal made a feint and then cut through the line past Stanton, and hurled himself into the formation that was to send Dick Merriwell forward with the ball. So fierce was his assault that the formation was disturbed, and, before an advance could be made the scrub had shattered the interference and stopped the trick.
When they lined up again Hal gave Burrows a smile of triumph.
As the play continued Darrell showed both strength and skill, soon proving one of the most efficient menon the scrub. His one fault was in playing too high, but his success seemed to anger Burrows, who resorted to rough measures that caused Frank Merriwell to reprimand him repeatedly.
Finally Frank took Burrows out, going in to correct Darrell’s style of playing high by taking a position on the right end himself. He talked to Darrell, giving him instructions on charging, and then he met the assault of the new player in the first scrimmage.
Hal found Merriwell like a rock.
"Lower! lower!" said Frank. "You lose force by playing so high."
Thus Frank Merriwell gave Darrell considerable attention, although he did not forget others or the general play of the regulars.
But Hal’s opportunity came near the middle of the second half, when, by a clever tackle, he prevented Dick Merriwell from getting away and running half the length of the field for a touch-down. Hal slammed Dick down with particular viciousness, his heart full of joy, but when Dick started to roll, which he did at once, the tackler forgot himself and resorted to what looked like slugging methods. Instantly Dick said:
"If that’s what you want, you may have it any time after the game. I shall be pleased to accommodate you."
"Don’t get mad because you were tackled," returned Hal. "You’re not the whole shooting-match, even if you think so."
But on the next attempt young Merriwell was successful, and he scored the only touch-down of the game.
However, with only a brief time to play, Darrell got through for a run and carried the ball to the twenty-yard line, where he was tackled from behind by Merriwell and stopped.
Then Hal asked to try a field-kick for goal, inducing Cogswell to permit it.
This kick might have been successful, although the regulars knew what was going to happen when Darrell was sent back of the line; but Merriwell broke through, leaped into the air, and blocked the kick in a hair-raising manner.
Darrell felt aggrieved. To him it seemed that he had been singled out by Dick Merriwell, who had taken special pains to spoil his efforts. He did not reason that it was all in the game, and that he had first tackled Dick and handled him in a manner that was not to be expected.
So, when the practise was over, he was not feeling in a most agreeable mood as he walked off the field. To add to his displeasure, he saw Zona Desmond intercept Dick Merriwell and call him over to where she was standing with Doris.
Dick smiled on Zona, but bowed with what seemed slight coldness to Doris.
Hal, who had been approaching, stopped. He was seen, however, by Zona, who laughingly called to him.
"Well, sir," she said, as he drew near, "you see you were mistaken, don’t you? You were given a chance."
For a moment the eyes of Dick and Hal met, and in that glance flared the dislike each felt for the other.
"I was given a chance," said Hal, with a slight sneer. "I presume you saw just what it amounted to. Every effort was made to show me up as a dumb one. That’s why I was given a chance. But I’m not so thick as I’m taken for. I can see through some things."
To his further anger, Merriwell seemed to pay no attention at all to these words.
"Why, what do you mean?" asked Zona, surprised. "Frank Merriwell gave you lots of attention, and he wouldn’t have done that if he hadn’t thought——"
"That it was a good way to show how much I didn’t know about the game," cut in Hal. "He was not the only one who did everything possible to make me look like a stiff."
He had intended for Dick to resent this, and he was not disappointed in the result.
"My brother was foolish to give you any attention whatever, Mr. Darrell!" flashed young Merriwell hotly. "He might have known you would not appreciate it!"
"I appreciated it for just what it was worth," saidHal, holding his hot temper in check. "Mr. Frank Merriwell was tipped to show me up, and he did as directed. You do not like me, Merriwell, and for that reason you do not wish me on the eleven. Well, as your brother is the boss, I presume I’ll have to keep off and be satisfied."
"I confess that I do not like you, Mr. Darrell," said Dick, with icy politeness; "but I think so little of you that, had you not made such a ridiculous charge against me, I’d never thought of using my influence in any manner concerning you. Now, however, I am satisfied that you would be a very poor man for the team, and, if I’m asked, I shall not hesitate to say so."
"I understand the whole game! You don’t have to make any bluff with me. You’ll tell your brother to keep me off the team in case there is any hope of my making it, and I’ll be kept off. I call that crooked and low!"
"Call it what you like. You regard yourself of too much importance."
"And I agree with Hal!" flashed Doris, to the surprise and delight of Darrell. "I’m sure he is as good as anybody, and should have a fair show. If he is kept off the eleven, he’ll know just who is to blame. Come, Hal, will you walk over to the drive with me?"
"With pleasure," he said, as he hastened to place himself at her side.