Owen Johnson

The Eternal Boy Owen Johnson

Book Excerpt: ... With each succeeding week Hungry Smeed comprehended more fully theenormity of his offence in doing nothing and weighing one hundred and sixpounds. He saw the new boys arrive, pass through the fire of christening, giverespectable weights and go forth to the gridiron to be whipped into shape byTurkey and the Butcher, who played on the school eleven. Smeed humbly andthankfully went down each afternoon to the practice, carrying the sweaters andshin-guards, like the grateful little beast of burden that he was. He watched hisjuniors, Spider and Red Dog, rolling in the mud or flung gloriously under anavalanche of bodies; but then, they weighed over one hundred and thirty, whilehe was still at one hundred and six-a dead loss! The fever of house loyaltyinvaded him; he even came to look with resentment on the Faculty and to repeatsecretly to himself that they never would have unloaded him on the Dickinson ifthey hadn't been willing to stoop to any methods to prevent the House againsecuring the championship...