."

"Well, say," chuckled the other, "we had a good time, didn't we?"

"Great!" assented Clint.

And, he reflected as he went on, now that it was all over so they had!

CHAPTER XXI

THE LETTER THAT WASN'T WRITTEN

The Cherry Valley game came off the next afternoon, and the school
turned out with songs and cheers and marched across to the gridiron to
watch the last contest before the final and supreme test. It was a cold,
cloudy day, with a biting northeast wind sweeping down the field. Most
of the assisting coaches had gone away over the week-end, Mr. Robey and
Andy Miller had journeyed to Claflin to see the game there and Mr.
Detweiler was left in charge at home. Cherry Valley had been defeated
27-6 last year and was not looked on as at all dangerous. Her team was
light in weight and looked even less competent than it proved, since
whatever might have been said in criticism of it, it was fast. Brimfield
started the game with her best foot forward. With the exception of Clint
at left tackle, the line-up consisted of first-string players. Tyler
played in his old place at right tackle. Brimfield was not to show
anything in the way of new plays, in case Claflin had thought it worth
while to send scouts, and to that extent the Maroon-and-Grey was
handicapped.

The first period ran along without a score on either side. Brimfield
couldn't seem to get started. There was more fumbling on both sides than
was necessary, even when the wind was taken into consideration, and each
team lost the ball twice at critical moments. Brimfield worked down to
the Cherry-Red twenty-two yards, lost a couple of yards by a fumble,
tried the left end for no gain and essayed a goal from the field. But
distance and wind were too much for Harris. After that there was much
punting on Cherry Valley's part, evidently in the hope that a Brimfield
back would fumble. And Brimfield backs did fumble, for the wind made
certain judgment of kicks impossible, but fortunately the ball was
recovered each time without much loss. The first period ended with the
ball in midfield in Cherry Valley's possession.

Carmine went in for Marvin, since, with the wind against her, Cherry
Valley would not be likely to do much punting and Carmine's backfield
unsteadiness would not count. He managed to get more speed into the
Maroon-and-Grey and toward the end of the period two long punts, poorly
returned, put her within scoring distance. On the thirty yards
Brimfie