their well-known slogan:

"Rockville!
Rockville!
You'll get your fill
Of Rockville!"

And immediately Oak Hall replied with its own well-known cry:

"Baseball!
Football!
Oak Hall
Has the call!
Biff! Boom! Bang! Whoop!"

And then from both sides arose a great din of horns and rattles. In the
rear of the field were several automobiles and they, too, let off their
horns and screech whistles, adding to the noise.

The practice at an end, the toss-up followed, and this was won by
Rockville, and they elected to take the ball. Out on the gridiron spread
the two elevens, each player eager to do his best. Then the whistle
blew, there came a kicking of the pigskin, and the great game was on.

The play was fast and furious from the start, and in a very few minutes
Dave and his chums understood that to gain a victory was going to be no
easy thing. Rockville had the advantage in weight, and long practice had
put every man in the pink of condition.

But the trick that Nat Poole had tried to play bore unexpected results.
The kick-off was a good one, but the pigskin was caught by Phil and he
brought it back almost to the center of the gridiron, being aided by
clever interference on the part of Roger and Plum. Then the signal was
given to carry the ball through the center. The Rockville players
thought it was a signal to run around the left end, and moved
accordingly. Up the field came the pigskin, and before Rockville could
recover from the error made, Plum had the ball within four yards of the
goal line. Here, however, he was downed so heavily that the wind was
knocked completely out of him.

"That's the way to do it! Hurrah for Oak Hall!"

"Now, shove it over, fellows!"

"They didn't follow their signals at all!" whispered one player to the
Rockville captain.

"I know it," was the low answer. "Don't depend on the signals after
this."

But the damage had been done, and two minutes later Oak Hall obtained a
touchdown, Roger carrying the ball over the line. Dave made the kick,
and the pigskin sailed neatly between the posts. Then what a cheering
went up, and what a noise from the horns and rattles!

"That's the way to do it!"

"First blood for Oak Hall! Now keep up the good work!"

As quickly as possible the ball was brought once more into play, and now
the contest waged fast and furious. Back and forth went the pigskin,
first in the possession