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About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 30, 1908)
JTHI5 OREGON SUNDAY JOURNAL. PORTLAND, SUNDAY MORNING, ' AUGUST 30 r.l l."l"T"'?''1 ""!''?"'.; 1 'II!"" "'W"H 'H'miipw. mm .p.. mi... y i 'm-i"i"-t f, , a -to-;' ; i II',.': -I- ;,.((. BBBB , - v ' I .. ' - - . 1 i ii ft 1 H "BABY" ELTON, QUARTERBACK BY LESLIE W. QUIRK 1 ABY" ELTON limped .lowly -way from the gymnasium in the fast-gathering dark nesa. He was proud of the limp, for it was an injury of tb football-field, a sym bol of the pluck with which he had launched his one hundred and thirty poinds of muscle against some one hundred and eighty pounds of brawn in a successful "tackle" , which laid to the ground a padded giant of the ! "gridiron." Moreover It had been no common llayer whp wa thqs stopped with unerring skill, but :ibjc captain pi the vamlty team, j Ifr was all la a practice game, to b,e sure, and ffiltoo had been playing on the "scrub" or second eleven. But, for all that, the fact remained that he had stopped the burly full-back captain after half m dozen others had failed. And, to add to the glory fpf it all, the big player had slowly arisen, wiped off some dirt, gingerly sttoked an arm, and had finally eaki, "Good work, old manl" which is as enthusiastic praise as a really good football-captain ever gives. It left such a pleasant taste that Elton never once noticed ft great bruise on his leg till he was taking his shower-bath a Utile later. Even then it failed to worry hhiL lie knew bruises were no handicaps when once the turmoil and zest of a game ran through one's veinsalways provided there was (thick on the part of tb injured person. ' As he walked slowly along the street be was con scious of but one trouble in all the wide world, That particular cause for worry was his one hun dred and thirty pounds of weight For football, It must be understood, is a game where weight well nigh outclssses science; and when weigh! and sci ence are combined in one man that person is a fit subject for the football-field, axed, as readily follows, Is given preference over a lighter man who may poa sess equal skill So it had been with Elton. He bad donned1 a football-suit at the beginning of his junior year at college, and in one season had thoroughly mastered all the principles of the game. When his last year in college tfegan, he came forth as a candidate again, with a few pounds more weight and a wonderful knowledge of football. But a new man, twenty pounds heavier, also tried for the- same position, that . of quarter-back, and found no difficulty In securing a place on the team. This left Elton substitute quarter-back. He was thinkinyof it all now as he trudged pain fully along. Theft wa po bitterness against Saund ers, the player who had won the coveted position, for he knew the heavier man possessed a decided advantage. Nevertheless it seemed wrong, some how; he had been one of the few faithful who had never missed practice through all the weary days of rain and sunshine and snow ana mud And now, with the season about to terminate in the great championship game, it looked as if all his hard work were to go for nothing. Certainly there was in justice somewhere. "Oh, Baby Eltonl" Far back along the walk Saunders himself was striding forward with the ease of a man who boards at a training-table and does not get hurt In prac tice. Elton was glad of the opportunity for a brief rest, and waited till the other had reached his sifle. Together the. two walked, and recalled victories? of ' the glorious eleven that bade fair, to claim cham pionship honors in the West. "It has been a good season all around," declared Saunders, at last "For you it has," said Elton, before his brain fairly formed the words. Once spoken, he would have given much to recall them. r They walked on in silence for a few minutes; then Saunders suddenly stopped. "Look here, Baby," he said: "I understand just what you mean. Had it not been for me, and for the fact that I am heavier than you, the position of quarter would of course have been played by you. I'm sorry the way it is, and I 'd give a lot if things were different. But I don't see how you "an blame me." "I don't," said Elton, decisively. " am just sorry for myself." And he tried to laugh. There was a long silence. "You see," he went on, "I graduate next spring. The game Saturday is the last of my college days, the last I shall ever see from the side lines, the last time, in all probability, I shall ever wear a football suit It comes hard, old man, to think I shall have no part in it I believe I would willingly give almost anything just for ten min utes in the midst of tha broiling scrimmages, with men piling on top of me, and with the ball ij my arms. It means more to me than you can imagine; and yet there is do possibility of ray playing unless" here he hesitated "well, to be frank, unless you get hurt; and I know I should rather remain" on the side-lines than see you laid up." Saunders smiled. "Do yon know. Baby, it Is pretty nearly a esse where I wish I might get hurt. Sort of snicidal view, is It not?" "Verily it is," mIJ Elton, lightly, in an endeavor to assume his natortl jolly nature before entering tha dining-halL , There was a great mass-meeting the Friday even ing before the game. It seemed that every stwdent in the whole university attended, and relied and unintelligible were fitted to popular airs and repeated again and again. Then the members of the foof bail team were called upon one by one, and stood Upon the platform with great hulking figures and crimson cheeks, and chokingly told how on the mor row they would play the game as they had never played before. Finally the crowd called for "Baby ( Baby Elton, the orator"; and he marched up the .steps of the platform and grinned pleasantly at the cheering mob of students. And when the crowd had at last quieted, he told tales of other football games; and through it all ran his peculiar vein of happy humor, just as if he had never experienced a dis appointment Next the professors, ignorant of foot ball, rose and told how the game should be won. And then, promptly at nine o'clock, the trainer bunched the great pink-cheekad babies of his and took them off to bed, and the meeting broke up amid the din of the varsity yell. Saturday dawned bright and clear, with a crisp coldness in the air that foreboded snappy football. Early in the morning special trains began to arrive, each car crowded to its limits, until the staid little University city became a giddy metropolis, fairly swarming with people. And still they came on every train. to the goal-line; he only grunted cheerfully when he saw Venders, the fast little end, bring down the opponent who caught the ball before that person had shifted it under his srm. His enthusiasm did not exceed the habitual grin even when the full back who wore the opposing colors hit the line with a dull thud, and fell back for a loss. Elton knew each man on the ream, and good plays were no more than he had a right to expect. It was a championship game, and to this day men who know all the arts and guiles of football speak of it with awe. Minute after minute the two teams struggle for supremacy. Neither could advance the ball appreciably, and both wort forced to resort to kicking tactics. Back and fi rth sailed jhc ball with monotonous regularity. Where it was caught, there it was downed. Not a fumble marred the per fect playing; not a hint of undue roughness called the spectators' attention. Eacli of the teams was backed by traditions of college lore and that loy alty which is the inspiration of great universities. So all through the first half they fought with dogged hopelessness. N'either side scored; neither team, in fact, was once within striking-distance of the taunting white goal posts and the coveted line beneath. Up in the grand stand, between halves, But at last he saw something tbjit made him quiver from head to foot. It was a mass play -a con fused tanghr of suit i and legs and arms; and when the different mm had finally disengaged them ic-K ei, he saw, stretched full length on the ground, a foini he St once rrrnKI .e,i lt was that of Saunders. Before the .a; ton I. ad a chance to beckon, Elton had stripped ..If bis great woollen sweater anJ wa trotting out upon (he field. "Where are you hurt, Saunders?"' lie asked, anxiously. Saunders smi'-rd as if tt were a huge joke. But the J... t r who r.m'f running up to exam ine his wrenched ankle .'aid decidedly: "Young man, if - are not careful of that ankle, I won't be reip'ir.s f"r l!ic i- i iiumuiM. j "i jjj ' " ' , i J TOGETHER WITH TWO TACKXXRS HE SLID OVER ASM SCORED TEE TOUCHDOWN, x L : I oiseque noes Saunders looked at the d t..r, and srni'cd uu.ttn, as he began: "Football and n-ks go together, doc tor." But just then he caught sight of the caircr face of Elton the substitute, and. with a h-avy sih, he went on: "Still, if yu order tne off, why. 'ff I must go, I suppose! Conn- ,s Lit .n." Then, I . i f . r . til -doctor could speak, t!.. trainer walked !n:u I : i : i ; i n off the field. Elton writ. Led the trio till tlv f-a;.ta:u called him to his side and spoke a few cnoiuragin-r words that did much to quiet the nerve.-, of the plucky little quarter -back. Then the shrill hlat of a whistle announced that time was up, and a second later the two learns were in position, ready fur play. Elton crouched back of the line, with his heart doing queer antics. He knew the importance of the game, and realized only too well the consequence of a single error. But when the ball was snapped to him, hard and true, it brought back his confidence, and he passed it to the runner with deft precision. And when the signal for the next play was called, his head was as clear and his hand as steady as though he were a veteran. But still neither team was able to score, and the announcement, "Fie minutes more to play," came when the ball was almost in the center of the field. Just how it happened not one of the spectators cquld say. But there was a fumble somewhere, and the ball shot high in the air and far to one side, where it rolled lazily along. For an instant it seemed no one of the players had seen it; then there was a sudden rush. But Elton had spied it first, and it was hp who reached it in advance of the others. With a quick dive he hinged, head first, straight at the wriggling leather; then, as he gath ered it in his arms, lie turned a complete somersault, and shot down the field with the ball clutched tightly under his arm. With thousands of voices urging, him on, and counter-thousands praying for him to fall, he ran self, arstlj lived and straight for the lu uning goal-posts. Tlio chaf4 lines shot beneath his feet till they Jjokcd like; ( i..rks in a sidewalk. Twenty yards ahead he coojdf1 see a determined ldaver wnitina to tackle him. To' the rear lie could hor the breathing and footsteps t ti e horde which w.n pursuing htm, eager to once K--t its lipids upon him. L'p in the grand stand tad; bleachers banners waved back and forth in a great, blur of color, and staid men and women, some witll gray hair, jumped up and down in the frenzy their excitement I h- game was in the balance. , Now he was alir.t.-t upon the tackier, ami it seemed' liewas to be brought down. He ran straight fori the man, dodged suddenly, recovered himself, swung past on the other side. The tackier di dutched Elton's m leskiu trousers, but his fingers; slipped slowly down as he sought desperately to, gain a hold. Elton plunged his open hand against' the man, and managed to shake himself free. Then' -I,.. ..-1 C I . L. I LI. I ' it luwat u u,c lo-at wnn reuouuieu specu. .' They caught him ist as he- reached the goal-line,! and, together with two t icklers, he slid over and scored the u nob-down. Then he was allowed by the captain to tr;. P-r r,.e poal, and dropped the ball neatly ocr the white bar. The- score was 6 to O. rl Time was called a minute later, and the game was,: ... ,.,rr..ll,..r ...Ol, , V,.,.:rl,. -i There was a sudden roar. Elton looked Up' quickly, Tind blushed with dismay as; he' found thfl' whole crowd shouting his name. Soon the oeoole! began to pour out upon the field, and Elton was' hois'ted u willing shoulders and carried toward thel gymnaMiuii. As a body-guard the university 'band. closed about him, playing a strange mixture of ra'g-j time and national airs. Elton looked hopelessly at his captors. Then he. gasped with astonishment. One of the persons j cairy inK him was Saunders, who had been forced to' go out of the game because of injuries. "I say!" he exclaimed in Saunder's ear. Saunders smiled broadly, but made no reply. "Did n't you get hurt?" demanded the perplexed' Elton. "Get hurt?" said Saundera, vaguely. "Do you mean me?"' "Why but of course you did." ' "My ankle was turned a littles but I am not an in: valid, am I?" persisted Saunders. "Drop it, Babyj' it is all over now." ', An inspiration came to Elton. "Did you," h; asked solemnly, "consent to leave the game that-I might have a chance to play?" But Saunders only smiled vaguely again, aad1 yelled reprovingly: ' SV' "Oh, Baby Elton!" chilli When Elton, near the rear of the little squad of athletes, trotted clumsily out upon the ficid a feuT minutes before the game was called, be emerged into a chaos of noise a-nd people. On every side of the white-ribbed parallelogram great tiers of seats, cir cus Style, slanted skyward. It reminded Elton of a huge funnel, with the broad expanse of blue sky above and the waving banners "on the sides that narrowed down to the ridiculous h'ttle patch of saw dust cut into curious slkes by the glaring white lines. Over it all hung the holiday air of unreality. The rival university bands now woke to the occa sion, and tried to outdo each other with their rollick ing, mspiriog music. The bleacher crowds fitted words to the tunes, and howled them forth with deep-lunged vigor. Wordy duels between the owners of megaphones added to the spectators' en joyment And last and by far the most pleasing were the varsity yells, one, snappy and shrt; the other, cadrnt and long drawn out. Thumds cf voices in perfect unison made the yells reverbersre and echo far over the little city. The gama started at last Squatted near the side lines with a llaaket thrown carelessly about Ms shoulders, Elton sat passive and immovable, as I e- came hit stolid Indian appearance- He on:y granted with high glee when he saw the captain of ?&ag himself houaa, Fooa3 aocga of j&rgoa half Lis Itxzx jKod the tall ia Jocgwts JJckjslaost men talked of the Harvard-Yale games which had ended with scores of 6 too. The rival bands struck up gaily as the players retired for their rest of ten minutes. The bleacher crowd broke forth with its wild medley of yells and songs again, with an occa sional new rhyme pertinent to the game. But, for all the noise, the suspense was almost unendurable. In the dressing-room Elton busied himself rub bing soothing liniment on sore arms and legs, al ways with a happy bit of encouragement and a cheerful grin. The men were not disheartened over their failure to score, but despaired of doing mors than presenting a touch-down on either side during the second half. The coach spoke very briefly; he knew his players and knew how to influence them. "Boys," be said, "you have been playing a per fect game. Try to play a better. Remember, it ta to bring the championship to your university." It seemed the second half was to go the way of the firat. For twenty long minutes the two teams strained and tugged, neither winning, neither losing. The play was not as snappyand fast now, for tho terrible strain was beginning to tell. Fresh men were substituted in a few of the, minor positions, and Elton, each time he saw the captain glance toward the row cf blanketed players,' felt his heart thump ing vicdent'y, Eut his summons failed to coems. Saunders, he knew, would play till he dropped frota sheer exhaustipa. Sir Lionel Stuyvesant Peter von Toots llad one hundred and ten pairs of beautiful boots: Bliichers and Wellingtons, Hessians and Jacks, Round toes and pointed toes russets and blacks, High-lows and busknw, of each a full store, Tops-boots and sandals and gaiters galore, Balmorals and Congress "strapped, buttoned, and laced; With the finest of Mik they re tasseled and faced; Bathing, golf, tennis, and t;cs'.c ;hoes, Worsted-worked slipfurs-cf-'man-elous hues, Dancing-pumps, too, of bright patent leather In sruVrt, he had foot-gear for all sorts of weather, ; For all sorts of places and all sorts cf times, Fcr all sorts of ventures in .di sorts of climes. Yet Sir Lionel Stuyvesant IVter von Toots Was that kind of a person whom nothing quite SUitSf And lav be would sit in his lare easy-chair. Uncertain which cues 't would bo proper to wear. gjlf 0m
