Jack Winters Gridiron Chums | Page 2

determined opponents
several yards. "The ball still belongs to your side. Another yard, my lad,
and you would have made a clean touchdown. A few weeks of hard
practice like this and you boys, unless I miss my guess, ought to be able
to put old Chester on the gridiron map where she belongs. Now let's go
back to the tackle job again, and the dummy. Some of you, I'm sorry to
say, try to hurl yourselves through the air like a catapult, when the rules
of the game say plainly that a tackle is only fair and square so long as
one foot remains in contact with the ground."

So Joe Hooker had been laying down the law to his charges every
decent afternoon, when school was out, for going on two weeks now.
He seemed to feel very much encouraged over the progress made by a
number of the boys.
Already he had weeded out three aspirants for honors on the eleven,
who had shown no genuine aptitude for the exciting game where
headwork and footwork combined go to bring success.
Others feared the coach had his eagle eye fastened on them, being
doubtless conscious-stricken with the knowledge that they were not in
their element. Indeed, it was no unusual thing to hear one of these boys
say to his mates that he hardly knew whether he cared to try for the
squad after all; which admission would serve to let him down
gracefully in case his suspicions were later on confirmed.
But there were others who developed wonderfully under the friendly
instruction of the one-time star player. Among them, besides the tall
chap, Joel Jackman, might be mentioned a number of boys whose
acquaintance the reader of other volumes in this series has already
formed.
There was Jack Winters, looked upon as a leader in all sports, and late
captain of the baseball nine; it seemed to be already taken for granted
that he was bound to be given some position on the gridiron, for Jack
seemed to have a wonderful faculty for getting the best out of those
who played in strenuous games with him.
Jack Winters was really something of a newcomer in Chester, but he
had hardly landed in the old town than something seemed to awaken;
for Jack made up his mind it was a shame that, with so much good
material floating around loose, Chester could not emulate the example
of the neighboring towns of Harmony and Marshall, and do something.
There were those who said Jack's coming was to Chester like the cake
of yeast set in a pan of dough, for things soon began to happen.
Then there was Toby Hopkins, one of Jack's particular chums, a lively
fellow, and a general favorite. Another who bore himself well, and
often elicited a word of praise from the coach, was sturdy Steve
Mullane, also a chum of the Winters boy. Besides these, favorable
mention might also be made of Big Bob Jeffries, who surely would be
chosen to play fullback on account of his tremendous staying qualities;
Fred Badger, the lively third baseman who had helped so much to win

that deciding game from Harmony before a tremendous crowd of
people over in the rival town; and several other boys who may be
recognized as old acquaintances when the time comes to describe their
doings on the gridiron.
It was now well into October.
Already the leaves had begun to turn scarlet and gold on some of the
hedges, and even in the forest, where the boys were beginning to go for
the early nuts. Early in the mornings there was a decided tang to the air
that hinted at frost. Considerable talk was being indulged in whenever a
group of boys came together, concerning the prospects for a regular
old-fashioned winter, and many hopes along this line were indulged in.
There was a good reason for this, Chester being most favorably situated
to afford her young people a chance to enjoy ice sports when the bitter
weather came along. Right at her door lay beautiful Lake Constance,
several miles across; and the intake at the upper end near the
abandoned logging camp was the crooked and picturesque Paradise
River, where wonderful vistas opened up with each hundred yards, did
any one care to skate up its course for miles.
And with this newly aroused spirit for outdoor sports in the air, also a
splendid gymnasium in the course of building where the boys of
Chester could enjoy themselves stormy days, and many nights, during
the winter, it can be easily understood that a glorious prospect loomed
up before them. Why, over in Harmony they were getting decidedly
envious of the good luck that had befallen Chester; and all reports
agreed that their