And we’ve liked it very much, Maple Hill.
“You have entertained us finely, Maple Hill,
And, though we’d love to linger with you, still,
While we do not want to grieve you,
It is time for us to leave you
And to take the football home, Maple Hill!”
Maple Hill greeted the song with laughter and derisive applause, promptly bursting into song herself and proclaiming loudly that “No matter what you do you can’t break through the line of Green-and-Gray!” To this challenge Bursley responded flippantly as follows: “Who are we? We’re the team that put the ‘ill’ in Maple Hill!”
Tad and Tom Trainor went visiting during the intermission and wormed their way up a neighboring section of the south stand to where the twins were seated with sparkling eyes and flushed and excited faces. Everyone talked at once without waiting for replies, criticising the playing of the two teams, predicting victory for Maple Hill, praising the efforts of the Westcott representatives on the eleven and commenting on the size of the assemblage, which, according to the twins, was easily the largest that had ever attended a Maple Hill-Bursley contest. May wanted to know if Tad didn’t think that Jack Billings led the cheering better than any of the other leaders and if Tom didn’t think he looked awfully handsome. Neither youth paid the slightest attention to the inquiries and May seemed not to expect any. Besides, just at that instant Matty was tragically explaining what she would do if by any unthought of, not-to-be-considered possibility Maple Hill didn’t win! And the fate she mapped out for herself was so breath-taking that Tom found himself almost hoping for a Bursley victory. Then the teams trotted back to the field and the boys scampered.
Gordon was back when the third period commenced and it was Gordon who, five minutes later, got away around the Bursley left and reeled off thirty-eight yards and planted the pigskin almost under the Red-and-Blue’s goal. Cotting had improved his time between halves, it seemed, for the Bursley tackle and end had been as nicely boxed as you please, leaving a two-yard opening for the nimble Gordon. On Bursley’s twenty-two yards Maple Hill tried the opposing line twice for a total gain of four yards and then sent Tyson plunging at the right end. But this time there was no gain and a try for goal was ordered. Stacey fell back, the ball was passed nicely and the two lines crashed together. The quarter back dropped the pigskin, met it with his toe as it bounded from the turf and then, staggering aside under the impact of a Red-and-Blue player, watched it arch slowly over the bar.
Maple Hill went wild over that first score and cheered and shouted crazily until the ball was again in flight. Bursley came back hard and for the next ten minutes almost rushed Maple Hill off her feet. When the whistle blew the ball was well down in Maple Hill territory, between the thirty and thirty-five yard lines, in Bursley’s possession.