So [Cal had his first baptism by fire] in the succeeding two and a half minutes that remained, a time all too short for him to get over his stage-fright. Luckily the enemy didn’t assail his position very strongly and none discovered what a state of nervousness he was in. A few flights of the ball, an end run that was nipped in the bud, a half-dozen hopeless, desperate plunges at the red line and the game was over, and House ran joyously off the field, victory perched on her banners.
[CHAPTER XX]
RUMORS AND EXCITEMENT
The Houses celebrated that night. There was no telling what might happen a week hence and it was well to make the most of the opportunity. There was a bonfire down in the corner of the field, a place sacred to such occasions, and West House and East House cheered themselves hoarse, while Hall, standing apart, jeered and tried to drown the sounds of triumph. Heroes had been made that day and their names were William L. M’Crae and Otto Zoller. Brooks made a speech. He said he didn’t want to throw cold water on the joyous occasion but wanted to remind them that there was another game coming.
“Cheer and shout all you want to, fellows, but while you’re doing it make up your minds to go into the next game and do a whole lot better. If you do we’ll have a celebration here next Saturday night that will make this look like a flash in the pan. Remember that there’s something hanging in the living-room at the Hall that must come down from there. Play for the Silver Shield, fellows, and the Houses!”
Even after West House was home again nobody was able to quiet down, and when bedtime came the boys went down in a body and secured an extension of time from Mrs. Linn. “Just a half-hour more, Marm,” pleaded Sandy. “You know we don’t win every day, and I dare say we won’t again for a while.”
“Well,” said Marm. “But I declare I don’t know what the Doctor would say!”
“If you behave very nicely, Marm, we’ll never tell him,” Spud assured her.
So they went back to the Ice Chest and talked it all over again for the twentieth time and were very excited and jubilant. And Cal, who had played in his first game, was football-mad and couldn’t hear enough of it. And the next day, even had they been ready to talk of something else, which they were not, Molly wouldn’t have let them. The Pippin Club met in the club house on Apple Avenue after dinner and Molly had to hear the personal experiences of each of the players.