So the time passed and the day of the football-game with Rivermouth came round. This time Fardale was to play away from home, Rivermouth being more than twenty miles away.
The day was gloomy and threatening when the team boarded the train, and few of them were in high spirits.
As it was Saturday and a half-holiday, quite a large number of cadets accompanied the team. However, Captain Nunn had expected the crowd of "rooters" would be larger, and he was somewhat displeased because it was not.
Frank Merriwell, the coach, was with the team, and he did more than anybody else to give it spirit and courage.
Teddy Smart had scraped together enough change to purchase a round-trip ticket to Rivermouth, and he boarded the smoker of the train, with two packages of cigarettes and a determination to enjoy "a genuine debauch."
"What a lovely day!" he chirped, looking out at the cloudy sky. "How bright the sun is!"
Then he sang comic songs and smoked cigarettes at the same time, and did all he could to make things lively, until somebody told him that Professor Gunn was on the train.
"Oh, lud!" he exclaimed, flinging his cigarette aside. "I don’t want to smoke! I haven’t smoked to-day! I never smoke!"
Rivermouth was a small place, but it was said to have a strong football-team. On their arrival the Fardale crowd proceeded directly to the field, which was an open lot about half a mile from the village.
The Rivermouth team was there. Rogers, the captain, came forward and met Steve Nunn.