And through it all the cheers went on, the college songs were sung, and the hearts of youth and age were happy and glad together.
Then the cry of "Here they come!" traveled along the field, and the blue-clad warriors leaped into the arena at the far end, and the east stand went delirious, and flags waved, and a tempest shook the bank of violets.
"Rah-rah-rah, Rah-rah-rah, Rah-rah-rah, Yates!" And almost simultaneously the west stand arose and its voice arose to the sky in wild, frenzied shouts of: "Har-well, Har-well, Har-well, Rah-rah-rah, Rah-rah-rah, Rah-rah-rah, Har-well! Har-well! Har-well!" For over the fence came the head coach, and big Chesney, and Captain Dutton, Story, the little quarter-back, and all the others, a long line of crimson-stockinged warriors, with Joel March, Briscom, Bedford, and the other substitutes flocking along in the tag end of the procession.
Over the field the two Elevens spread, while cheer after cheer met in mid-field, clashed, and rolled upward to the blue.

Then came a bare five minutes of punting, dropping, passing, snapping, ere the officials appeared from somewhere and gathered the opposing captains to them.

A coin flashed in the sunlight, spun aloft, descended, and was caught in the referee's palm.

"Heads!" cried Ferguson, the Yates captain.

"Heads it is!" announced the referee.
The substitutes retreated unwillingly to the side lines, the Harwell men spread themselves over the north end of the gridiron, Elton, the Yates full-back, ground his heel into the turf and pointed the ball, the cheering ceased, the whistle piped merrily, the bright new ball soared aloft on its arching flight, and the game of the year was on..