on everyone sat down to two
hours' extra school. There was much swearing at tea. But in a day or two
it was all forgotten.

To this day no one at Fernhurst knows who the two boys were. The secret
was well kept.

* * * * *

As the term drew to its close, with the Fifteen filled up and all the
big matches over, interest was centred mainly in House football and
House affairs. Mansell, it is true, was still worrying whether he would
get his Seconds. But Lovelace and Gordon talked of nothing but the
Thirds. The Colts' matches were over, and on House games one of the two
House sides was always a trial Thirds. Edwards, a heavy, clumsy
scrum-half, was captain of the side; Gordon led the scrum.

"If only we had Armour back as House captain," Hunter used to complain,
"that side couldn't lose."

"And we sha'n't lose either," said Gordon; "we are going to sweep the
field next term, and we are going to drive the ball over the line
somehow, and God save anyone who gets in the light."

No House side ever imagines it is going to be beaten. Three Cocks have
been lost by over fifty points; yet on the morning of the match half the
"grovel" would be quite ready to lay heavy odds on their chance of
winning, and whenever there is a good chance of victory, the House is
absolutely cocksure. The result of this is that the House is magnificent
in an uphill fight, but is rather liable to fling away a victory by
carelessness.

But this side was certainly "pretty hot stuff." It took a lot to stop
Stewart when once he got the ball, and Lovelace was brilliant in attack.
The grovel was light, and was a little inclined to wing, but in the
loose it was a big scoring combination. In the last week of the term
there was a House game on, the Lower _v._ Buller's. Simonds turned out
the Thirds side. It was a terrific fight. Buller's had two Seconds
playing and a House cap; but the House had had the advantage of having
played together. There was, at this time, a good deal of bad blood
between the House and Buller's, and the play was not always quite clean.
There was a good deal of fisting in the scrum. Gordon was in great form;
he scored the first try with a long dribble, and led the pack well.
Lovelace dropped a goal from a mark nearly midway between the
twenty-five and the half-way line. Collins scrambled over the corner
from a line out. Buller's only scored once, when Aspinall, their wing
three, who had his Seconds, g