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second to try to figure it out, he kicked the ball hard up the field, where it glanced off the thigh
     of a Saber. He bolted after it, a sinking feeling coming over him as he saw that the ball was flying directly at another Saber.
     It was another one of those thoughtless, way-off shots, he reflected dismally.
    The Saber stopped it with his chest and deflected it back down the field, a gentle tap that put it into position for another
     Saber. This second player was Nick Anders, that tough center half. Without waiting for the ball to slow down, Nick charged
     it and gave it a vicious boot.
    It was an angle shot, heading for the right side corner of the Nuggets’ goal.
    “Get it, Tommy! Get it!” yelled the Nuggets.
    Tommy sprang after it, leaping out almost horizontally after the ball at the last instant.
    He missed it, and the kick scored.
    Sabers 2, Nuggets 1.
    “They double-teamed you, Jabber,” said Mike, as they returned to their positions.
    “They sure did something,” admitted Jabber, wiping the sweat off his forehead.
    There was a lot of running and passing during the rest of the quarter, but no goals.
    Two minutes into the fourth quarter Jabber saw the field open before him. They were in Saber territory, and Stork had possession
     of the ball. He was dribbling it up the field, cleverly keeping it away from his defenseman with short, gentle pushes of his
     feet.
    Look at me! Look at me! Jabber wanted to yell.
    Suddenly Stork kicked the ball, a perfect pass directly to Jabber! Jabber almost grinned as he stopped the pass with his right
     leg and jockeyed it into position for a kick.
    At once he saw two Sabers converging upon him, the same two who had charged him before. PerhapsMike was right. Perhaps he was being purposely double-teamed.
    Glancing out of the corner of his eye he spotted Butch down near the right side of the Sabers’ goal. Quickly he kicked the
     ball, a gentle tap that sent it across the ground in a direct line toward Butch.
    Butch stopped it. Without missing a step he positioned the ball and booted it.
    Smack into the net!
    “Nice move, Butch!” yelled Pat, jumping on him happily.
    Butch grinned as he looked with a surprised expression at Jabber. “Hey, man! I never expected that!”
    “You’ve got to keep your eyes open every minute in this game,” said Jabber happily.
    “Well, it’s two up,” reminded Stork. “At least we’re proving that we’re an even match with those guys. They’re not shellacking
     us as they had expected to do.”
    As the game deepened into its final quarter, Jabber could see a change in the players. None was running as much as he had
     during the early quarters.Each player was tired, feeling the aches and pains in every part of his body.
    I’m getting tired, he thought. But I’d hate to leave here without winning. They’re a cocky bunch. We’ve
got
to win.
    Two and a half minutes to go. Mel Jones had the ball in control deep in Nugget territory, dribbling it rapidly toward the
     goal with short, accurate taps.
    Al and Nick converged on him. Quickly, as if he had expected the move from them, Mel kicked it to the right. Nick Anders was
     there, waiting for it.
    But so was Jabber. He had anticipated the strategy when he saw Nick running to the spot and stopping there.
    Running as fast as he could, Jabber intercepted the ball, booted it back up the field, and pursued it into Saber territory.
    He saw Jerry running toward the left side of the goal and kicked the ball to him.
    “Back to me, Jerry!” he yelled.
    Jerry kicked the ball back to Jabber. But now theSabers’ two fullbacks were ganging up on him, and he was feeling more tired than ever before. Sharp pains in his calves felt
     like needles. Sweat was dripping into his eyes, and the ball was a big round blur before him.
    The two fullbacks were almost upon him now. He could hear their stomping feet, could almost hear their breathing.
    Quickly he kicked the ball, aiming it between the goalie and the