Page:The secret play (1915).djvu/322

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

and, Lanny leading, trotted out to warm up. Mr. Newman, the Blue's coach, crossed the gridiron and shook hands with Dick, and the two talked for a minute. Then Mr. Cochran appeared, and, presently the referee, Mr. Lothrop, joined the group. At each end of the field balls were arching over and under the cross-bars, Nelson Beaton and George Tupper trying their kicking feet for Clearfield and Sawtell and Norton for Springdale. Morris Brent, although he had trotted about for a minute with the first squad, had returned to the bench. At two minutes before the half-hour the teams returned to the side lines and Mr. Lothrop walked into the center of the gridiron with Lanny, while from across the field came Captain Torrey, of Springdale. The two leaders shook hands with each other and Torrey with the referee. Then a silver coin gleamed for a moment in the sunlight which since noon had been shining half-heartedly through the sullen clouds, three heads bent over it as it fell, Torrey's hand waved toward the east goal and the little group broke up.

"All right, fellows!" called Lanny cheerfully as he came back to the bench. "We kick off from the west goal. On the run now!"

Blankets and sweaters were dropped and eleven