A handsome prince recused the Chicago Fire from the evil king last night at Soldier Field.

Just when it seemed the Fire would be consumed by its own mistakes again, the Stormin’ Mormon Virgil Carter came on to help register a 32-29 victory over the Philadelphia Bell and self-proclaimed swinger Jim [King] Corcoran.

Perhaps not a triumph over contrasting lifestyles, but a World Football League win the Fire needed to prove it can conquer other teams, as well as itself.

For a while, it looked like the latter case would prevail, despite the running of Cyril Pinder, completely healthy for the first time, and bullish Mark Kellar. Pinder, the ex-Bear and Philadelphia Eagle, gained 151 yards on 18 carries, and Kellar fought for 112 yards on 23 carries, each scoring a touchdown.

But, another faux pas by a Fire specialty team threatened to waste the best running effort for the Fire this season.

Leading 25-15 early in the fourth period, Chicago’s Barry Ruffner, a safety who played little last night, camped under a Don Warner punt at the 1. “He should have stayed away from it,” said Coach Jim Spavital.

Ruffner touched the ball and dropped it. Philadelphia’s George Chatlos, the former Michigan State linebacker, recovered at the Chicago 1. Two plays later, Corcoran bulled over for the score and it was Chicago 25, the Bell 22.

Corcoran, who passed for 256 yards on 17 of 34, hit Claude Watts over the middle for 45 yards and a touchdown 4 ½ minutes later and now the Bell had the upper hand, 29-25.

Enter Carter, who completed only five passes in the first half – “We were running so well, why pass?” he said later. With 3:09 left in the game, Carter took the Fire on a touchdown drive reminiscent of the home team’s winning series against Jacksonville.

Carter connected with Tight End Don Burchfield for 11 yards, James Scott for 15 and Burchfield again for 26 yards to the Philadelphia 20. An illegal procedure penalty against the Bell brought it to the 14. Two plays later, Carter hit little Jack Dolbin, playing against some of his old mates from the Pottstown Firebirds for an 11 yard score. Soldier Field – containing an announced 27,607 – went up for grabs and owner Tom Origer nearly swallowed his cigar.

“My first worry was,” said Carter afterward, “that we had left too much time on the clock, given Corcoran and the Bell passing attack.

It almost was. Corcoran went to work again, hitting Don Shanklin and Linzy Cole for good gains and setting up a first down at the Fire 45. His bomb for Mike Carten was dropped – “It was right in his hands, he should have caught it,” said a disconsolate Coach Ron Waller – and two plays later, Fire Safety Joe Womack intercepted a toss intended for Carter again, over the middle. It was all over.

“We really didn’t see what we could do passing-wise, until that final drive,” said Carter. “It’s not that I couldn’t throw, I just didn’t throw much, period.”

Both Carter and Dolbin explained that the Bell’s coverage on Dolbin and Scott prevented anything over the middle. “It was a post pattern,” Dolbin said of the winning pass. “I was actually the third receiver. I just got free, and Virg hit me.”

Most heartening was the running of Pinder, who until last night hadn’t played a full game. “I know people have been waiting to put the rap on me,” he said, accepting congratulations. “But, some people ought to try playing with muscle pulls. Then they’d know how I feel. Or felt. I fell great now.”