"Will I?" exclaimed Smart, his face brightening. "Not for the world! Oh, no!"
"Wait," said Merry, catching hold of him, and again he whispered in Ted’s ear.
Then Smart was seen to turn and run from the field as if his life depended on reaching a certain point in a very few seconds.
The game went on, Fardale doing her best when driven to extremities, but failing to come out strong in aggressive play. The Fardale crowd continued to cheer, but it was generally admitted that the cadets could win only on a fluke. The fluke, however, did not come, and Fardale began to fag and show signs of exhaustion before the continued sledge-hammer onslaughts of the enemy.
Finally the home team showed signs of giving out entirely. Substitutes were sent out to fill the places of both Kane and Blair; but that did not brace the team up sufficiently to enable it to hold Hudsonville. With things going their way, the visitors smashed a path down the field till they were within five yards of Fardale’s line, and they must have made a touch-down but for a bungling pass by Glennon.
Buckhart came through like a frightened mustang and slammed himself down on the ball.
Less than five minutes would end the game. Although Fardale had gained possession of the ball, her case seemed utterly hopeless. The only good of kicking was to get the ball away from the danger-point, but that would simply give it back to Hudsonville, something that meant absolute and certain defeat.
So Fardale lined up for a final despairing effort, and Kent was sent to try to circle the left end of the enemy. Don did his level best, but was brought down without making a foot.
The line-across was tried on the right wing of the visitors, and Hudsonville showed she was onto that style of playing by ripping wide the formation and downing Nunn without an advance being secured.
A revolving formation struck Hudsonville’s center, only to find that part of the line like a wall of granite.