Fardale had kicked before when her goal was threatened, and it was thought she would at once kick again. She aided in this belief by a show of preparing to kick. But the ball went back to Nunn, who sought to redeem his record by slipping through the center and making full seven yards. This was encouraging, and it angered Rivermouth. Merriwell was given his opportunity right away, and he beat Nunn’s gain by at least half a yard.
By this time Dick was spotted by the Rivermouth players as dangerous, and word had been passed round to make it hot for him whenever possible. In the next effort Dick found himself held firm for some seconds, and then those behind lifted him and he hurdled Rivermouth’s line for three yards.
These efforts had carried the ball twenty yards from Fardale’s line. But another attempt to hurdle resulted in utter failure.
Then Kent fell back, as if to take the ball and try for an end play. This was an effort to deceive the home team, which resulted in nothing at all, as, when the ball was passed to Nunn, Steve was held and dragged down without a gain.
In this emergency it was decided best to kick, and Big Bob drove the oval to the center of the field. The man who caught it was able to run it back almost ten yards before being downed.
But Fardale had carried and driven the ball away from the danger-line, and the watchers from the military academy were breathing easier. Still the fighting seemed to be almost entirely in Fardale’s territory, and this, with the fact that Rivermouth held the lead, made it seem dark for the visitors.
Rivermouth went into Fardale in the same savage way, but this time, not having been called to account for previous offenses, they were careless in their playing, using their hands to fling the visitors aside, and one fellow struck Dick Merriwell a stinging blow.
Instantly the whistle sounded, and the referee, awakened at last, gave the ball to Fardale on a foul.
Once more Fardale had one of her lively spasms, and she made full ten yards on her very first charge. With the ball close to the center of the field, the cadets succeeded in once more pushing it over into the territory of the enemy.
Now Fardale’s colors fluttered in the wind, and cheer followed cheer. But, as on previous occasions when placed on the defensive, Rivermouth refused to let Fardale gain more than four yards in the required number of efforts, and the visitors lost the ball on downs.