When he came back I asked him if he had found them, for on the old Yale Field it was something of a job to locate the teams once they had passed through the gates.  Mike said that they were in the Field House on the other side of the baseball field and that he had called in to them.  The Princeton players appeared in a minute or two, but no sign of Yale.  Finally, getting suspicious, Mike asked Bill Roper, who was head coach at Princeton that year, if the Yale team had been in the Field House.  The answer was ‘No,’ and we suddenly woke up to the fact that although time for the intermission had ended three or four minutes before, the Yale team was not notified, and furthermore, no one knew where they were except that they were somewhere under the stands.  There were many gates and to leave by one to search meant running a chance that the Yale team might appear almost immediately through another and then the game be further delayed by the absence of the Referee.  This being the case, Mike had no choice but to do as he did, namely, send messengers through all gates.  One of these messengers met the Yale team coming along under the stands.  The coaches had decided that time must be up, although none of them had kept a record of it, and had started back finally without any notice.  Eight minutes over the legal ten had been taken before they appeared on the field and Bill Roper was raging.  As Yale won in the second half it was only natural that we officials were greatly censored by Princeton, and Yale did not escape criticism.  Yet the whole thing came from the fact that a custom had grown up of depending on the Referee to find and bring the teams back to the field instead of each team either staying on the field, or failing that, taking the responsibility on themselves of getting back in time.  Yale simply followed the usual custom and ‘Mike’ was misled due to being told that both teams had gone to the Field House by one of those ready volunteers who furnish information whether they know anything about the subject in hand or not.”

[Illustration:  CRASH OF CONFLICT

When Charge Meets Charge.]

CHAPTER XXI

CRASH OF CONFLICT

The start of a football game is most exciting; not alone for the players, but for the spectators as well.  Every one is keyed up in anticipation of the contest.  The referee’s whistle blows; the ball is kicked off—­the game has begun.

Opponents now meet face to face on the field of battle.  What happens on the gridiron is plainly seen by the spectators, but it is not possible for them to hear the conversations which take place.  There is much good natured joshing between the players, which brings out the humorous as well as the serious side of the contest.  In a game, and during the hard days of practice, many remarks are made which, if overheard, would give the spectators an insight into the personal, human side of the sport.