“Well, I don’t blame them,” concluded Sam.

“Doctor Pornell now put in an appearance and desired to know if the football team did not wish to march around the oval escorted by his own players.

“Certainly!” cried Sam.  And to show this is a purely friendly match, let us march side by side,” he went on, and this was also arranged.  The Putnam Hall drum-and-fife corps led the march, and each player strode forth with a rival at his side.  The march brought forth a wild round of applause and a veritable shrieking of tin horns and cracking of wooden clappers.

After the march each team was allowed quarter of an hour for practicing.  The Pornellites came out first and tumbled over the leather in lively fashion.  The Putnamites soon followed.

They may be all right, but they haven’t the weight,” said one of the rivals.  And this appeared true, for each Pornellite, man for man, was at least five pounds heavier than his opponent.  But weight does not always count for everything, even in a football match.

“Time for practice is up!” came presently, and the two teams drew away from the gridiron.  Then there was a toss-up for goals, and Pornell won and took the east end, that which was most favored by the slight breeze that was blowing.

And then the great game began.

CHAPTER XVI

THE GREAT FOOTBALL GAME

The halves were to be of twenty minutes each, so no time was lost in putting the leather into the field.  It was Putnam’s kick-off, and on the instant the ball went sailing into the air, to land well into Pornell’s territory.  Then came a grand rush, and before the words can be put down twenty-two lads were at it nip-and-tuck to get possession of the sphere.

“It’s Pornell’s ball!”

“Say, but ain’t this going to be a snappy game!”

“Our fellows have the ball!”

“There she goes up five yards into Putnam ground!”

“Carry that ball back!” yelled Dick excitedly.  “Don’t let them gain an inch!”

“Whoop her up for Pornell!”

And then came a wild blare of tin horns and a waving of the academy colors, brown and white.  The waving of the Hall colors, an American flag set in a border of green, came also, with an equal din from horns and wooden clappers.

“Hurrah! hurrah! hurrah!”

So, the game went on for ten minutes, and the Pornellites had gained exactly twenty-five yards —­ no more.

“Looks like a stand-off,” said several.  “Say, maybe those young soldiers aren’t game!”

“That’s what —­ but we’ll wax ’em!” was the answer, and then of a sudden came another yell, for Pornell had the ball and was pushing it straight ahead for Putnam’s goal.

“Ten yards!”

“Five yards more!”

“Fifteen yards more!”

“Hurrah!  Hurrah!  Hurrah!”

Toot! toot-a-root-toot!  Clack-clack-clack, bang!