CHAPTER IX.
THE FOOTBALL GAME At first the playing was rather tame, but inside of a few minutes both elevens warmed up, and from that moment the work became fast and furious.
The Dauntless team had the advantage of weight, but the eleven had not played together as much as had the majority of the Putnam Hall cadets, consequently some of their combination efforts were decidedly ragged.
One move resulted in a bad fumble on the part of the left end.

The ball was captured by Jack, and he carried it forward fifteen yards before downed.
"Oh, my, isn't it rough!" screamed Laura Ford, as the young major hit the grass with great force, two of the Dauntless men being on top of him.
"Oh, that's all in the game," was Pepper's comment.

"But I shouldn't want to see anybody get his ribs stove in," he added.
Putnam Hall got the pigskin to within ten yards of the Dauntless goal line, and then came an unexpected turn of affairs.

The leather was lost by the Putnam Hall center, and carried around the right end and up the field for thirty yards.
"Hurrah! that's the way to do it, Dauntless!" "Keep it up!" "Dauntless to the front!" yelled Roy Bock.

"Everybody in the game!" and then, in the midst of the excitement, he drew back with a soft apple in his hand and threw the half-decayed fruit at Jack.