Fifteen minutes later there was a loud popping sound.  Then a tire flattened out, so that it became necessary for the young men to get out and busy themselves with putting on another tire.  At this task they did not succeed very well until, finally, another automobilist came along and gave the boys effective help.

So it was that, by the time the pair reached Tottenville, housed the car at a garage, and reached Tottenville’s High School athletic field, the game was well on.

As the two young men reached the grand stand the Gridley contingent were on their feet, breathless.

Gridley had the ball down to the ten-yard line from Tottenville’s goal.  Captain Wadleigh’s signals were ringing out, crisp and clear.  A whistle sounded.

Then the ball was put swiftly into play.  Tottenville put up a sturdy resistance against Gridley’s left end.

Dave Darrin had the ball, and appeared to be trying to break through the Tottenville line, well backed by Gridley’s interference.

Of a sudden there was a subtle, swift pass, and Gridley’s left end darted along, almost parallel with the ten-yard line, then made a dashing cut around and past Tottenville.

Two of the home team tackled that left end, but he shook them
off.   In another instant-----

“Touchdown!” yelled the frantic Gridley boosters.

“Touchdown!  Oh, you Darrin!  Oh, you Prescott!”

Bert Dodge rubbed his eyes.

“Prescott?” he muttered.

“Blazes, but that is Prescott!” faltered Bayliss, with a sickly grin.

“How did he ever get over here in time to play?” demanded Bert Dodge.

Herr Schimmelpodt could have told.  The stout, sport-loving old contractor had parted with some of his greenbacks to a chauffeur who had put Dick and himself over the long road to Tottenville.  And the young left end was playing, today, in his finest form!

CHAPTER XVI

“THE CATTLE CAR FOR YOURS”

It was Dave Darrin who kicked the goal.  This ran the score up to six to nothing in Gridley’s favor.

It was the first scoring in a game that had begun by looking all bad for Gridley.

The Tottenville High School boys were bigger than the visitors and fully as speedy.

In fact, even now, to impartial observers, it looked as though these six points on the score had been won by what was little better than a fluke.

“Gridley can’t keep this up,” remarked the Tottenville boosters confidently.  “They’ll lose their wind and nerve against our fine line before the game is much older.”

The first half went out with score unchanged.  But Captain Wadleigh did heave a sigh of relief when the time keeper cut in on that first half.

“Fellows, look out for the fine points,” he warned his fellows, after they had trotted into quarters.  “It’ll be craft, not strong rush, that wins for us today, if anything does.”