of the game。 And I think it was awfully clever of Captain Jack。
You know； next time； Mamma； when they came downI mean our men
they pretended to be playing the same game； but they weren't。 For
Captain Jack and Snoopy went back to their old specialty； and
before the Cornwalls knew where they were at； they ran in three
goalsone…two…three； just like that！ Oh！ you ought to have seen
that rink； Mamma； and you ought to have heard the yelling！ I wish
you had been there！ And then； just at that last goal didn't that
horrid Jumbo make a terrible and cruel swing at Snoopy's ankle；
just as he passed。 Knocked him clean off his feet so that poor
Snoopy lay on the ice quite still！ He was really nearly killed。
They had to carry him off！〃
〃Well； I wouldn't say that exactly；〃 said Hugh。 〃The fact of the
matter is； Snoopy is a clever little beggar and I happened to catch
his wink as Maitland was bending over him。 I was helping him off
the ice； you know； and I heard him whisper； 'Don't worry； Captain；
I'm all right。 Get me another pair of skates。 It will take a
little time。'〃
〃Do you mean he wasn't hurt？〃 exclaimed Patricia indignantly。
〃Indeed he was； he was almost killed； I am sure he was。〃
〃Oh； he was hurt right enough；〃 said Hugh； 〃but he wasn't killed by
any means！〃
〃And then；〃 continued Patricia； 〃there was the most terrible riot
and uproar。 Everybody seemed to be on the ice and fighting。 Hugh
ran in； and VicI should loved to have gone myselfHugh was
perfectly splendidand all the Eagles were there and〃
Then Mrs。 Templeton said： 〃What do you meana fight； a riot？〃
〃A real riot； Mother；〃 said Adrien； 〃the whole crowd demanding
Jumbo's removal from the ice。〃
〃Yes；〃 continued Patricia impatiently； pushing her sister aside；
〃Hugh went straight to the umpire and it looked almost as though he
was going to fight； the way he tore in。 But he didn't。 He just
spoke quietly to the umpire。 What did you say； Hugh？〃
〃Oh；〃 cried Vic； 〃Hugh was perfectly calm and superior。 He knows
the umpire well。 Indeed； I think the umpire owes his life to Hugh
and his protecting band of Eagles。〃
〃What did he say；〃 cried Patricia。 〃I wish I could have heard
that。〃
〃Oh；〃 said Vic； 〃there was an interesting conversation。 'Keep out
of this； Maynard。 You ought to know better；' the umpire said；
'keep out。' 'Baker； that man Larson must go off。' 'Rubbish；' said
the umpire； 'they were both roughing it。' 'Look here； Baker；
that's rot and you know it。 It was a deliberate and beastly trick。
Put him off！' 'He stays on！' said the umpire； and he stuck to it；
I'll give him credit for that。 It was old Maitland that saved the
day。 He came up smiling。 'I hope you are taking off the time；
umpire；' he said； with that little laugh of his。 'I am not going
to put Larson off；' shouted the umpire to him。 'Who asked you to？'
said Maitland。 'Go on with the game。' That saved the day。 They
all started cheering。 The ice was cleared and the game went on。〃
〃Oh； that was it。 I couldn't understand。 They were so savage
first； and then suddenly they all seemed to quiet down。 It was
Captain Jack。 Well； Mamma； on they came again！ But when poor
Snoopy came out； all bandaged round the head and the blood showing
through〃
〃Quite a clever little beggar；〃 murmured Vic。
〃Clever？ What do you mean？〃 cried Patricia。
〃Oh； well； good psychology； I meanthat's all。 Bloody bandages
demanding vengeance； Jack's team； you knowMacnamara； for
instance； entreating his captain for the love of heaven to put him
opposite Jumboshaking the morale of the enemy and so forth
mighty good psychology。〃
〃I don't know exactly what you mean；〃 said Patricia； 〃but the
Cornwall defence was certainly rattled。 They pulled their men back
and played defence like perfect demons； with the Mill men on to
them like tigers。〃
〃But Patricia； my dear；〃 said her mother； 〃those are terrible
words。〃
〃But； Mamma； not half so terrible as the real thing。 Oh； it was
perfectly splendid！ And then how did it finish； Hugh？ I didn't
quite see how that play came about。〃
〃I didn't see； either；〃 said Hugh。
〃Didn't you？〃 cried Adrien； 〃I did。 Jack and Geordie Ross were
going down the centre at a perfectly terrific speed； big Macnamara
backing them up。 Out came Macnab and Jumbo Larson following him。
Macnab checked Geordie； who passed to Jack； who slipped it back to
Macnamara。 Down came Jumbo like a perfect thunderbolt and fairly
hurled himself upon Macnamara。 I don't know what happened then；
but〃
〃Oh； I do！〃 cried Vic。 〃When old Jumbo came hurtling down upon
Macnamara； this was evidently what Macnamara was waiting for。
Indeed； what he had been praying for all through the game。 I saw
him gather himself； crouch low； lurch forward with shoulder well
down； a wrestler's trickyou know Macnamara was the champion
wrestler of his division in Francehe caught Jumbo low。 Result； a
terrific catapult； and the big Swede lay on his back some twenty
feet away。 Everybody thought he was dead。〃
〃Oh； it was perfectly lovely！〃 exclaimed Patricia； rapturously。
〃But； my dear；〃 said her mother； 〃lovely； and they thought the man
was dead！〃
〃Oh； but he wasn't dead。 He came to。 I will say he was very
plucky。 Then just as they faced off； time was called。 Six to six！
Think of it； Mamma； six to six！ And we had been five to two at
half time！〃
〃Six to six？〃 said Mrs。 Templeton。 〃But I thought you said we
won？〃
〃Oh； listen； Mamma； this is the most wonderful thing of the whole
match；〃 said Adrien； trying to break in on the tornado of words
from her younger sister。
〃No； let me； Adrien！ I know exactly how it was done。 Captain Jack
explained it to me before。 It was Captain Jack's specialty。 It
was what they call the double…circle。 Here is the way it was
worked。〃 Patricia sprang to her feet； arranged two chairs for goal
and proceeded to demonstrate。 〃You see； Mamma； in the single
circle play； Captain Jack and Snoopy come downsay Snoopy has the
puck。 Just as they get near the goal Snoopy fools the back； rushes
round the goal and passes to Jack； who is standing in front ready
to slip it in。 But of course the Cornwalls were prepared for the
play。 But that is where the double…circle comes in。 This time
Geordie had the puck； with Captain Jack immediately at his left and
Snoopy further out。 Well； Geordie had the puck； you see。 He
rushes down and pretends to make the circle of the goal。 But this
time he doesn't。 He tears like mad around the goal with the puck；
Snoopy tears like mad around the goal from the other side； the
defence all rush over to the left to check them； leaving the right
wide open。 Snoopy takes the ball from Geordie； rushes around the
goal the other way； Mamma； do you see？passes back to Reddy； his
partner； who slips it in！ And poor Jumbo was unable to do
anything。 I believe he was still dazed from his terrible fall！〃
Then Hugh breaks in： 〃It really was beautifully done。〃
〃It certainly was；〃 said Vic。
〃Seven to six； Mamma； think of it！ Seven to six； and two minutes
of the first overtime to play。 Two minutes！ It just seemed that
our men could do as they liked。 The last time the whole forward
lines came down； with Macnamara and 'Jack' Johnson roaring and
yelling likelikeI don't know what。 And they did the double…
circle again！ Think of it！ And then time was called。 Oh； I am
perfectly exhausted with this excitement！〃 said Patricia； sinking
back into her chair。 〃I don't believe I could go down to that
rink； not even for another game。 It is terribly trying！〃
At this moment Rupert Stillwell came in； full of enthusiasm for the
Cornwalls' scientific hockey； and with grudging praise for the
local team； deploring their roughhouse tactics。 But he met a sharp
and unexpected check； for Adrien took him in hand； in her quiet；
cool； efficient manner。
〃Roughhouse！〃 she said。 〃What do you mean exactly by that？〃
〃Well；〃 said Rupert； somewhat taken aback； 〃for instance that
charge of Macnamara on Jumbo Larson at the last。〃
〃I saw that quite clearly；〃 said Adrien； 〃and it appeared to me
quite all right。 It was Larson who made the most furious charge
upon Macnamara。〃
〃Of course it was；〃 cried Patricia； indignantly。 〃Jumbo deserved
all he got。 Why； the way he mauled little Snoopy and Geordie Ross
in the first part of the game was perfectly horrid。 Don't you
think so； Hugh？〃
〃Oh； well； hockey is not tiddly…winks； you know； Patricia； and〃
〃As if I didn't know that！〃 broke in the girl indignantly。
〃And Jumbo and Macnab；〃 continued Hugh； 〃really had to break up the
dangerous combination there。 Of course that was a rotten assault
on Snoopy。 It wasn't Jumbo's fault that he didn't break an ankle。
As it was； he gave him a very bad fall。〃
At this Rupert laughed scornfully。 〃Rot；〃 he said； 〃the whole town
is laughing at all that bloody bandage business。 It was a bit of
stage play。 Very clever； I confess； but no hockey。 I happen to
know that Maitland was quite hot about it。〃
But Hugh and Vic only laughed at him。
〃He is a clever little beggar； is Snoopy；〃 said Vic。
〃But； meantime；〃 said Mrs。 Templeton； 〃where is Jack！