last arrived. During that tense moment
wherein the blue-stockinged Briggs had cuddled the ball into position on
the tee Clint had experienced just such a shock. Only yesterday the
Claflin game had been of the future, only this morning he had still
viewed it uneasily as a thing impending, and now--presto!--it was here.
He endured for a long minute more kinds of stage-fright than he had
ever dreamed of! But action was a panacea for his malady, and the
instant he thrust himself in the path of a plunging Claflin man, felt
the impact of the hard-muscled body against him, recovered and fell into
his place in the quickly-formed wedge of interference, the thrill of
battle drove out fear.

Now Marvin was calling his signals, the Brimfield forwards were poising
themselves for the assault, and Clint, hands on the ground, feet apart,
head up, was watching every movement of his opponent. And,
simultaneously with the snapping of the ball, he was lunging upward and
forward with both hands, all the muscles of his tense body behind that
quick thrust, and the Claflin opponent, caught unawares, spun sideways
and crashed into his guard, while Harris, the ball clutched to his
stomach, smashed through and past and, stumbling, twisting, panting,
pushed three yards of turf behind him before the Claflin backs
pulled him down.

And so it went until Brimfield, taking the enemy by surprise, had won
her way to the thirty-seven yards. There someone mistook the signals,
three yards were lost on second down, and, with seven to go, Harris
punted high and far. Clint found his opponents too much for him that
time and was hurled aside. Claflin caught on her thirty-three and
ran back six.

Then Clint had a chance to prove himself on the defence, and prove
himself he did on the second play. The renowned Terrill, striving to
draw Clint out from his guard, suddenly found himself nicely fooled, and
Clint, swinging through inside, smeared the play well behind the Claflin
line. There was a vast feeling of satisfaction when his arms wrapped
themselves around the legs of that blue-stockinged left half and held
like a vise. The fact that a vengeful Claflin forward dropped his
hundred-and-seventy pounds on Clint's neck didn't matter a mite!

It was nip and tuck for the rest of that first period. Claflin regularly
made from four to eight yards on three plays and then punted. Brimfield
made similar gains and punted. Kendall missed a catch and recovered the
ball f