Again and again was this style of play tried, till Harvard got the ball on downs.
Then came Harvard's turn to see what she could do, and the first attempt was a try at the tandem play, made famous by Pennsylvania.
Yale seemed ready enough for that, and the way she cut through and broke Harvard's line showed immediately that the tandem was not likely to prove very effective.
Then Harvard called on Benjamin, her right-half, and a moment later the rush line did a fine piece of work, opening Yale's center and letting the little fellow through.
Benjamin had the speed of the wind. He also had the ball. Away he went with it, and there was a clear field before him.
Harvard admirers roared from all over the field. The crimson flaunted everywhere.
It looked like a sure touchdown for Harvard. Every Yale spectator held his breath in racking suspense.
Benjamin was flying over the ground. It seemed that his feet scarcely touched the turf.
Where is Yale now? What chance has she to stop the little fellow with wings on his feet?
Three seconds of suspense seemed like three hours of torture. It was awful!
A Yale man was after little Benjamin--was gaining! Could he stop the little fellow in time? It must be a tackle from behind, if at all, and the slightest slip would bring failure.
Behind them came all the others on the run, strung out raggedly.
Benjamin would make it--he was sure to make it. His pursuer could not reach him in time.
Then it seemed that the Yale man had springs in his legs, for he sailed over the ground like a frightened rabbit. He closed in on Benjamin and flung himself headlong at the little fellow.
Down slipped the tackler's hands, down from the hips to the knees, to the ankles. Down went Benjamin with a hard thump, stopped within three yards of Yale's line.
Twenty men piled upon tackler and tackled.
Deep down beneath that mass was Frank Merriwell, his hands clinging like hooks to Benjamin's ankles.
He had stopped what seemed to be a sure touchdown for Harvard at that early stage of the game.
Beside Inza Burrage, in a splendid position to watch the game, sat a pretty girl with fluffy hair. She wore Harvard's colors, and seemed greatly excited.
"There he is!" she exclaimed, at various stages of the game--"there is Jack! See him, Inza!"