It was fully expected that Rivermouth would resume bucking Fardale’s line, and the visitors were quite unprepared for what happened.
Hurting was proud of his ability to kick a goal from the field, and he had sought and obtained permission to make a try for such a goal at an early stage in the game, knowing the natural inference would be that such a trial would not be made until every artifice to secure a touch-down had been tried.
Therefore the greater portion of the Fardale team seemed totally unprepared when, after the line-up, the ball was sent back to Hurting, who smashed[smashed] it hard and fair in a drop-kick for a goal.
Fardale had charged the moment the ball was snapped. Blair went through and hurled Captain Rogers of the home team down in the effort to fling him aside, falling with him. Gordan was stopped by Twain, but he managed to make a gap in the line.
Through that gap shot Dick Merriwell, leaping like a panther toward Hurting.
Plunk!—the foot of the Rivermouth full-back struck the ball.
Then something happened that took away the breath of every beholder, for up into the air in a most magnificent leap shot the lithe figure of Dick Merriwell, seeming to stand out clear and distinct far above all the others. The ball struck him fairly on the breast, lodging under his out-held and bent right arm, and remaining there as he dropped back to the ground.
Dick had spoiled what seemed like a probably successful attempt to kick a goal from the field.
CHAPTER VII.
FARDALE’S TURN.
The witnesses of Dick Merriwell’s play gasped for breath. It seemed that he had leaped fully as high as a man’s head.