“That about settles Cloud,” whispered Post to Joel, as they hurried up to take the new position.  “That was his signal to take the leather through right end, and he was fast asleep.  Remsen’s laying for him.”

But the advantage to the second was of short duration, for back went the first’s guards again, and down came the ball to their goal line with short, remorseless gains, and presently, when their quarter knelt on the last white line, the dreaded happened, and Blair lay between the posts with half the second eleven on top of him, but with the ball a yard over the line.  An easy goal resulted, and just as the teams trotted back to mid-field the whistle sounded, and the first twenty-minute half was done.

The players wrapped themselves warmly in blankets and squatted in the protection of the fence, and were immediately surrounded by the spectators.  Remsen and Blair talked with this player and that, explaining his faults or saying a good word for his work.  In the second half many of the second eleven went into the first, the deposed boys retiring to the side-lines, and several substitutes were put into the second.  Joel went back to full, Ned Post taking Clausen’s place at right half on the first eleven and Turner becoming once more a spectator.

It was the second eleven’s ball, and Joel raced down the field after the kick-off as far as their twenty-yard line, and there caught Blair’s return punt very neatly, ran three yards under poor interference, and was then seized by the mighty Greer and hurled to earth with a shock that completely took the breath out of him for a moment.  But he was soon on his feet again, and Whipple gave him an encouraging slap as he trotted back to his place.  The next play was an ordinary formation with the ends back, and the ball passed to left end for a run back of quarter and through the line outside of guard.  It worked like a charm, and left end sped through with Joel bracing him at the turn and the left half going ahead.  Four yards were netted, Meach, the substitute left half, being tackled by Post.  In the mix-up that followed Joel found himself sprawling over the runner, with Cloud sitting astride the small of his back, a very uncomfortable part of the body with which to support a weighty opponent.  But he would not have minded that alone; but when Cloud arose his foot came into violent contact with Joel’s head, which caused that youth to see stars, and left a small cut back of his ear.

“That wasn’t an accident,” muttered Joel, as he picked himself up and eyed Cloud.  But the latter was unconcernedly moving to his position, and Joel gave his head a shake or two and resolved to forgive and forget.  A play similar to the last was next tried with an outlet on the other side, outside tackle.  But it resulted in a loss of a yard, and at the next down the ball was thrown back to Joel, who made a poor catch and followed it with a short high punt to the opponent’s forty yards.