JTHI5 OREGON SUNDAY JOURNAL. PORTLAND, SUNDAY MORNING, ' AUGUST 30
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"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
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TOGETHER WITH TWO TACKXXRS HE SLID OVER ASM SCORED TEE TOUCHDOWN, x
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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'
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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,:
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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.
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