Inquiring eyes met Ted’s with interest. He nodded. “Do as I said,” he said jokingly, as he, too, turned to give his full attention to the field.
Betty wondered. The “Don” was noted for his good interference. Were they going to let him do something else? Anyhow she would watch him, as Ted directed. How nice it was of Ted to tell her! But Carolyn had given her an amused glance just after Ted had turned away. She must be careful or those ridiculous girls would keep on teasing her. Not that she cared.
Very conservative, indeed, were the plays of the third quarter. Very watchful were both teams. But the Eagles must score if possible, of course, since the only score had been made by the Lions. Hard they fought. Alas–the Lions were penalized for some breach of the rules by Don, nothing serious, Ted said, just some little regulation about “time”!
“That old heathen!” exclaimed Ted, looking back at Betty, who wanted to ask Ted if this were what she was to watch Don for. “But just wait. We’ll show them!”
Next in excitement came a fifteen-yard holding penalty imposed on the Eagles. But as if in desperation, toward the last part of the quarter, a forward pass by the Eagles was successful, and Jim Pickett, clearing all interference, made a seventy-five-yard run and a touchdown.
“Now hear the Eagle scream!” exclaimed Ted. “What’s the matter with our team that they let Jim get away with that? But it was a pretty run. Jehoshaphat, we’re even now! No–they’ve lost the kick! Hooray, we’re one ahead!”
Ted was either talking to himself or to the boys around him, but the girls followed his boyish discourse with interest. And the next calamity was even worse. In the next play one of the fiercest Lions was hurt. They walked him off, but one arm hung limp and Ted, who again rushed away to find out the damage, returned with the information that “Skimp’s arm was broken!”
“Oh, will that let them beat us, do you think?” asked Betty, leaning forward.
“Not necessarily,” replied Ted, “but it’s a big loss,” and Ted looked a little grim. “Besides that, Freddy’s twisted his ankle, mind you!”
“But we mustn’t give up, Betty,” urged Carolyn. “We have to root all the harder to encourage the team!”