Dick Merriwell met him. Dick’s hands fell on him. Sampson gave a wrenching twist and sought to slip away, but he did not slip.
Dick held the fellow fast and flung him backward. Fardale closed in, and the rush was stopped. Still New Era was not satisfied. What had happened that she could not slip through the Fardale line after the same fashion as before?
Another line-up was followed by an attack on the left wing of Fardale’s line. Kinter and Sheehan sought to force Dare and Gardner apart. But Dare and Gardner had rubbed their hands across that magic belt of white on their breasts, and they gripped Kinter and Sheehan with hands that did not slip. The others who sought to aid Kinter and Sheehan were baffled, and when Nelson took the ball through the line he was grabbed and held.
Down! The cadets were roaring. They knew something had happened. They realized that the “greased pigs” were not having a snap, after the way of the first half.
New Era was held for downs. The ball went to Fardale. How the cadets on the seats did cheer!
Fardale had new life. She went into New Era smashingly. The ball was advanced—three yards, five yards, nine yards!
New Era was amazed. They saw the cadets rub their hands across their bosoms and then tackle surely and firmly. What sort of magic was this?
Fardale did not give up the ball. She walked steadily along the muddy field with it, playing hard, swift and handsomely.
Not until Fardale had advanced to within five yards of the goal did she lose the ball. Then it was lost on a fumble by Darrell, Sheehan coming through and falling on it. But now New Era was rattled. The visitors realized now that without the advantage of the greased suits they would not stand much show in the game, and something had happened which seemed to rob those greased suits of their effectiveness.
The muddy hands of the Fardale lads soon destroyed the whiteness of the line across their breasts; but one or two of them seemed to be carrying a white powder, which was passed from hand to hand. Each of the cadet players took a handful of this powder and smeared it across his breast, partly renewing the white line.