Morgan’s came back hard in that last quarter and soon had the Maroon-and-Grey on the defensive.  A fumbled punt by Carmine, who had taken Marvin’s place a minute before, was secured by a Morgan’s end and the aspect of the game changed very suddenly.  The Orange-and-Blue was now in possession of the ball on Brimfield’s twenty-six yards, and it was first down.  Coach Robey rushed Hall and Churchill back to the line-up, evidently well weighted down with instructions, and, after a conference with clustered heads, Brimfield faced the enemy again.  Morgan’s adopted old-style football with a vengeance and hurled her backs at the line between tackles.  Twice she was stopped, but on a third attempt Brimfield broke squarely in two where Thursby was substituting Captain Innes and half the visiting team piled through.  First down was secured on another attack at the same place and the ball was on the defender’s sixteen yards.  Two yards more came past right tackle and two through centre—­Morgan’s had discovered the weakness of Thursby’s defence—­and the ten-yard line was almost underfoot.  A conference ensued.  Evidently some of the enemy were favouring a field-goal, but the quarter still held out for all the law would allow and a line-shift was followed by a quick toss of the ball to one side of the field.  Luckily for the home team, however, it was Steve Edwards’ side that was chosen, and Edwards, while he was not quick enough to prevent the catch, stopped the runner for a yard gain.  It was third down then, with the ball out of position for a field-goal and ten yards to a touchdown and the Brimfield supporters, urging their team to “Hold ’em!” breathed easier.

“Fourth down!  Five to go!” announced the referee.

“Stop ’em!” panted Marvin.

Then the Morgan’s drop-kicker moved back to the twenty-yard line and well to the left of centre, and centre stood sidewise as though to make an oblique pass.  It hardly seemed possible that Morgan’s would attempt a goal from such an angle, but still there was but one down left and the Brimfield line, though it had yielded short gains, was not likely to give way to the enemy for the five yards necessary for a first down.  Captain Innes watched the Orange-and-Blue formation doubtfully, striving to guess what was to develop.  In the end he scented a fake-kick and warned his line.

“Fake!” he shouted.  “Fake!  Watch that ball!  Get that end, Steve!  Hold ’em, hold ’em, Brimfield!”

And Brimfield held them.  At least, Brimfield held all but one of them.  It was unfortunate that that one should have been the one who had the ball!  Just what really happened was a matter of discussion for many days.  It occurred so suddenly, with such an intricate mingling of backs and forwards, that Brimfield was unable then or later to fathom the play.  Even from the side line, where Coach Robey and a dozen or more substitutes looked on intently, that play was puzzling.  All that seemed clear