he clawed it for a second, Gordon's feet smashed it from
his hands, and Collins steered it past the back, and kicked it just over
the line and fell on top of it.

From the touch-line there burst a roar that must have been heard five
miles away. "Well done, laddie!" bawled Mansell. Even Ferguson waved his
stick in the air. It was a great moment.

As the School lined up behind their line, "the Bull" strode behind them.
"What are you doing? Put some life into your game. Buck up, all of you;
it is a filthy show. Guts!"

Lovelace took the kick. It was far out: the ball hardly rose from the
ground. In a state of feverish panic Livingstone dropped out. For a
second or two the School pressed. But it was impossible to withstand the
wild attack of the House for long. Collins, elated by his success,
brought off a magnificent dribble, and was forced into touch only a few
yards from the line. Half-time was not far off. And the House struggled
fiercely to get over the line once more. Up and down between the goal
line and the twenty-five the two scrums fought. It seemed only a matter
of time for another try to send the House across with a lead of six
points; but there is as much luck in rugger as in any game. The House
had heeled perfectly, Foster cut past one man, and passed out to
Richards. A roar of "House!" went up. A try was imminent, Richards
passed to Lovelace. But Livingstone was one of those three-quarters who
will miss an easy kick one minute and bring off a superb collar the
next. As Richards passed, he dashed between him and Lovelace,
intercepted the pass, and raced up the field. Collins caught him only a
foot away from the line, and from the line out Grienburg, a heavy Buller
forward, caught the ball and fell over the line by the flag, just as the
whistle was about to blow for half-time. It was very far out, and the
kick failed. The sides crossed over 3-3.

Simonds came on during the interval almost incoherent with excitement.
"Splendid, you fellows! Magnificent! Never saw anything like it. Stick
to it and you're bound to win. Simply putrid luck that last try ... keep
it up!"

On the touch-line there was no doubt as to the final result. "We shall
walk away with the Cup," said Mansell, and in a far corner Jones-Evans
was laying ten to one on the House in muffins. But a bit of good luck is
capable of making a side play in a totally different spirit, and the
combined Buller's and Claremont's side started off like a whi