It was just 2 to 6 as the Bursley left guard stepped forward and, swinging a long leg, sent the yellow pigskin soaring high and far down the field. For Maple Hill Terry Doyle was back at the left of Pounder, and Guy Watson was on the other side of the center. In the backfield Stacey Trowbridge, doubtless secretly resolved to allow no safeties to be made through him on this all-important occasion, was at quarter, Tyson at left half, Fuller at right half and Gordon at full. The other players were the same that had played the positions all season. But the first time the Green-and-Gray ranged themselves for the attack it was seen that Cotting had sprung a new formation. Fuller went into the line between left guard and tackle, leaving only three players in the backfield. To meet this extension of the line Bursley was forced to stretch her own line thinner, with the result that Tyson on the first play got through center without hindrance for twelve yards and brought the cheering section on the south stand to its feet in wild joy. But after that Bursley watched the ball more closely and, while the new formation worked well, it did not result in any more such gains through the center. Bursley made end runs hazardous from the first by playing her tackles well out on defense, with her ends close to her tackles, and these two players, one man taking the interference and the other the runner, upset many Maple Hill attempts to skirt the wings. The first fifteen minutes went by without a score, each team playing desperately but experimentally. Over-eagerness brought four penalties to Bursley and two to Maple Hill. On punting Gordon so far had excelled his opponent, but punts had been called for only in extremities. Neither team had shown anything really new in attack, although the Bursley offense looked as if it might have some deceptive plays up its sleeve.

In the second period Maple Hill tried its first forward pass, made a twenty yard gain and immediately followed it up with another. The second attempt went wrong, however, and Bursley got the ball. It was from there that Bursley began to show its ability. Her attack suddenly became fast and shifty and her backs made gain after gain through the Green-and-Gray line, mostly on the right side. Losing the ball once on downs, she quickly regained it on a fumble by Fuller, who had played back, with Tyson in the line, and again began her advance. But once beyond Maple Hill’s thirty yards it was all she could do to get her distance in four downs and at last she was forced to try a placement kick for goal. Luckily this went wide, and Maple Hill punted to her adversary’s forty-five yard line. Gordon was hurt on the next play and was taken out, Hunter replacing him for the rest of the period. Bursley’s wide run from punt formation lost her five yards and she was presently forced to kick. Stacey, who caught the ball on his thirty-four yards, ran in twenty-odd before he was caught. Tyson and Fuller taking the pigskin, Maple Hill worked her way to the center of the field where she was held with half a yard to go on the fourth down. Bursley began her advance once more but the whistle sounded when the ball was near Maple Hill’s forty-five yards.

It was still anybody’s game. Bursley and Maple Hill were each confident of ultimate victory and so the cheering and singing that began anew when the teams had trotted, blanketed, from sight of the spectators was as loud and hearty as ever. Bursley, with her two hundred supporters massed along the middle of the north stand, put the local cheering section on its merits. Their cheerfully reiterated refrain of “Bursley! Bursley! Hi! Hi! Hi!” sung over and over to an old tune, brought laughter and applause from across the empty gridiron. Maple Hill came back with:

But the honors didn’t rest long on the south side of the field, for Bursley had brought along a new song that captured the gathering at once. It was a tuneful, rollicking effusion that set heels to tapping time against the planks.

Maple Hill greeted the song with laughter and derisive applause, promptly bursting into song herself and proclaiming loudly that “No matter what you do you can’t break through the line of Green-and-Gray!” To this challenge Bursley responded flippantly as follows: “Who are we? We’re the team that put the ‘ill’ in Maple Hill!”

Tad and Tom Trainor went visiting during the intermission and wormed their way up a neighboring section of the south stand to where the twins were seated with sparkling eyes and flushed and excited faces. Everyone talked at once without waiting for replies, criticising the playing of the two teams, predicting victory for Maple Hill, praising the efforts of the Westcott representatives on the eleven and commenting on the size of the assemblage, which, according to the twins, was easily the largest that had ever attended a Maple Hill-Bursley contest. May wanted to know if Tad didn’t think that Jack Billings led the cheering better than any of the other leaders and if Tom didn’t think he looked awfully handsome. Neither youth paid the slightest attention to the inquiries and May seemed not to expect any. Besides, just at that instant Matty was tragically explaining what she would do if by any unthought of, not-to-be-considered possibility Maple Hill didn’t win! And the fate she mapped out for herself was so breath-taking that Tom found himself almost hoping for a Bursley victory. Then the teams trotted back to the field and the boys scampered.

Gordon was back when the third period commenced and it was Gordon who, five minutes later, got away around the Bursley left and reeled off thirty-eight yards and planted the pigskin almost under the Red-and-Blue’s goal. Cotting had improved his time between halves, it seemed, for the Bursley tackle and end had been as nicely boxed as you please, leaving a two-yard opening for the nimble Gordon. On Bursley’s twenty-two yards Maple Hill tried the opposing line twice for a total gain of four yards and then sent Tyson plunging at the right end. But this time there was no gain and a try for goal was ordered. Stacey fell back, the ball was passed nicely and the two lines crashed together. The quarter back dropped the pigskin, met it with his toe as it bounded from the turf and then, staggering aside under the impact of a Red-and-Blue player, watched it arch slowly over the bar.

Maple Hill went wild over that first score and cheered and shouted crazily until the ball was again in flight. Bursley came back hard and for the next ten minutes almost rushed Maple Hill off her feet. When the whistle blew the ball was well down in Maple Hill territory, between the thirty and thirty-five yard lines, in Bursley’s possession.

Bursley made three changes in her line up then and Maple Hill two. For the latter a new left end and a new left tackle were substituted and Hunter again went in at full. Gordon was pretty well played out. When the fourth period began it was very evident that Bursley meant to score. Twice it was only Maple Hill’s secondary defense that kept a Bursley runner from getting clean away, while once the Red-and-Blue captain, with the ball clutched to his breast, made a nine yard gain around Maple Hill’s right wing.

Down near the twelve yard line, with two to go on fourth down, the visitor’s chance of scoring looked slim, and her excited supporters implored a field goal. But a field goal would only tie the score and not win, and Bursley was out for everything or nothing. She didn’t even fake a kick, but concentrated her entire attack on Watson, the fullback carrying the ball. There was one frenzied, doubtful moment and then the Green-and-Gray line yielded, the attack staggered and toppled ahead and the whistle blew. It was necessary to use the tape then, but when the measurement was made Bursley had won her distance and a first down by several inches. The referee waved his hand to the linesmen and Bursley broke into a cheer. Again the two teams faced each other, panting, wearied, desperate. Again a back caught the ball to his stomach, put down his head and plunged forward. Chaos for a moment, and then the whistle and——

“Second! Eight to go!” cried the referee.

A half darted past left tackle but was brought down with only a yard of gain. “Third down; seven to go!” Then Maple Hill blundered. The Bursley quarter took the ball, stepped back and hurled it ten yards to the left. An end caught it and tore straight ahead for the goal line. Tyson tried a tackle, but the end squirmed free, and when Stacey locked his arms desperately about the runner’s body and brought him to earth only a short foot lay between the extended pigskin and that last white line.