ed
the pigskin.

"Barely two minutes!" groaned the Gridley spectators, watches
in hand.

Dick was seen glancing at Wadleigh and shaking his head almost
imperceptibly. But a hundred people on the grand stand saw that
tiny shake, and, most of all, Pike took it in.

Wadleigh, before bending low over the ball held up thumb and forefinger
of his right hand, formed in a circle, for a brief instant. That
sign meant:

"Emergency signal code!"

Then he bent over to snap the ball back, and the figures that
shot from quarter-back's chest carried different values from those
that any enemy could guess.

"Eight---eleven---four---ten!"

Then the ball went back to quarter, who started from a crouch
without straightening up.

Gridley's whole attack seemed to swing to the right. Wadleigh,
himself, from half-facing to right, took a long step toward right
wing; then wheeled like a flash, and went plowing, onward, to the
left.

Quarter, after the start, and ere Filmore could break through,
had passed the ball to half, who, on a wild sprint, had passed
it to Dick Prescott.

And now Dick was racing out around Filmore's right end, backed by
a crushing interference of which Wadleigh was the center. Darrin,
with head high, was watching for every chance at legitimate
interference. Behind them all, quarter and left half pounded and
pushed.

An instant and Dick was free and around Filmore's end. Now, he
dashed into the race of his life!

Wadleigh sent a man sprawling. Dave's elbow did something to
Filmore's right tackle. Just what it was none of the spectators
could see. But none of the field officials interfered so it must
have been legitimate.

After a fight and a short, brilliant run, Dick was tackled by
Filmore's fullback.

One quivering instant---then Wadleigh and Hudson bumped that fullback
so hard that he went down, Dick wriggling safely away and bounding
toward Filmore's goal.

With fire in their eyes, Gridley's center and left wing swept on.

Dick Prescott was over the goal line, bending and holding the
ball down! Then, indeed, the crowd broke loose all except the
few hundreds from Filmore.

Was it a touchdown? That was the question that all asked themselves.
It was so close to the line that many onlookers were in doubt,
and stood staring with all their eyes.

But the ball went back for the kick, and that settled all doubts.

Dave made the kick, and lost it---but who cared?

A moment later and the