University of Santa Clara - Redwood Yearbook (Santa Clara, CA)

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THE RKPWOOD. accepted the office with reluctance at first, but when Hargrave re- fused to shake hands after the election, he felt a feeling of glad- ness that such a mean character was defeated. When warned by his friends to be on his guard against Del he only smiled and said, ' The difficulty will soon blow over. When we begin work he ' ll forget it. Jack ' s allusion to this trouble was, without his knowing it, the most triumphant portion of the address. Two of us were candidates for the office which has been giv- en to me, he remarked. I did not seek it. I did not expect it; but it seems to be the wish of the yard and — He was inter- rupted by a violent applause which indicated the truth of his re- mark. — ' ' And as long as I am captain of this team, every one, be he Senior or Freshman, big or small, will have an equal chance for a position. Careful judgment of every man ' s worth will determine the make-up of our eleven. When the shouts and cheers of the enthusiastic students died away, the name of Hargrave was echoed through the yard, but Hargrave could not be found. He was in a distant corner biting his lips and digging his nails into his palms from disappointment. Meanwhile the Freshman, who had attracted the notice of the Inseparables on the opening day, was near the platform and as Jack finished no voice was louder than his, no sentiments truer than those which agitated his heart. Throughout the whole even- ing he had been at the highest pitch of delight. Now under the spell of Jack ' s last words he had resolved that, if honest, conscien- tious endeavor could win him a place on the team, he would win it, or at least labor for the success of the team in the capacity of the unsung heroes, of whom Demerrit spoke, who willingly help to give the team practice though no personal reward ensues. But with all his mighty resolves he felt a sudden feeling of solitude when he reached his room that night. He could not sleep and his thoughts wandered back to scenes of home, so diff ' er- ent from the wild, rough time he had had on the campus, and he walked to and fro in his room sighing deeply. Homesick and tired he heard the first chime of the twelve o ' clock bell before he real ized that the night was passing. He determined therefore to go- to bed and if possible forget his trouble; but hardly had he thrown

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THE REDWOOD. realized what it was to be a boy, for he was once a boy himself, and so entered with earnestness into any and every sport that tended to elevate the youngsters who were under his care. In a few apt words he stated the faculty ' s approval of athletics and in- troduced the manager who had been elected the day previous. Three times three were given and the manager stepped forward to address his fellow students. He urged the boys on to work for the honor of Laguna, reassured the squad that their endeavors would not be unappreciated by the student body and concluded by modest, manly thanks for the honor conferred upon himself. The usual amount of applause was given and Jack Demerrit was called upon to speak in the capacity of captain. As he waited for the cheers to cease, the fire cast its light upon him and sil- houetted him against the sky, where the moon shone silvery through the few fleecy clouds scattered about the heavens. He was in truth a model for the painter ' s brush. His frame well built, his face strong and intellectual, the sparkle in his eye, and the rich flow of blood under his snow-white skin were but mere trifles when compared to the generous unselfish heart that was now throbbing within. Thus Jack stood before the audience waiting his opportunity to begin and every one felt satisfied with the re- sult of yesterday ' s election. Even the followers of Hargrave were led to appreciate the sterling qualities of Jack Demerrit. An opportunity at last arrived and a manly, stirring address he gave which made the blood of the individual members of the squad run riot through their viens and forced a tinge of envy into the hearts of such as did not intend to share in the grid- iron sport. At the end of his speech he alluded modestly and prudently to the clOvSeness of the contest for captain. There had been two candidates for this place of honor, Del Hargrave and himself. Both had factions in the student body and both had supporters in the team. Though Jack had the greater number of student fol- lowers, his popularity with the team, or at least with the nine old members whose preogative it was to vote, was about equally bal- anced with that of his opponent. Hence Hargrave felt confident of winning, and Jack had not given the election a single thought, until the result of the vote had shown five to four in his favor. He

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lo THE REDWOOD. the bedclothes back and knelt down for his night prayers, when a low murmur in the next room attracted his attention and he was on his feet again. The thought flashed through his mind that a plot was being formed to haze him and he hurried noiselessly to his window hoping to catch the gist of the conversation, for the night was so warm that in all probability the next window would be open, as in fact it was. You hold him, and I ' ll do the rest, were the only words he caught, but they were sufficient to excite his fighting nature and he turned to receive the hazers with his whole 175 pounds of flesh and bone filled with a desire to crush something hard and soon. He had the energy of a giant ready to let loose upon the in- truders when he heard the next door close softly and footsteps ap- proach his room. He waited anxiously for the turning of the knob and was disappointed when the footsteps passed his door. Then a new thought rushed in upon him. Perhaps some other Freshman is to be the victim of the night owls. Slipping calmly after them he determined to do what he could to protect his class fellow, whoever he might be. The two villains passed noiselessly along the corridor until at length they reached the door they sought, and opening it, entered. Advancing as quickly as possible the anxious Freshman listened attentively and heard a low murmur within. He entered and for a moment stood speechless and noiseless, gazing at the scene which the faint light of the moon rendered visible. On the bed just as he had awakened lay Jack Demerrit, the football captain, a handkerchief in his mouth, but his eyes flash- ing defiance and helpless fury at the two who had entered the room. One was holding Jack ' s arms tightly to his side; the other was standing over him with his hands raised to beat the unpro- tected face. Both were big men, fully the size of the Freshman, and much heavier than Jack. They wore handkerchief masks over their faces and were fully dressed. Absorbed in their cow- ardly task they did not notice the newcomer, who stood at the door, sick with revolt at the dastardly trick. Once the upraised arm fell on Jack ' s face and then the Fresh- man awakened. The blood rushed back to his heart, one spring carried him across the room and he hurled the coward, who had