ties about his
place, played what he always said was his best game; so much so, in
fact, that Buller after the match, said:

"Rotten, absolutely rotten, with the exception of Caruthers, who played
magnificently."

There was only one blot on his performance, and that, though everyone
laughed about it, caused Gordon some regretful moments afterwards.
Rightly or wrongly Gordon thought the opposite scrum half was not
putting the ball in straight. Gordon told him what he thought of him.
The scrum half called him "a bloody interfering bastard," and told him
to go to hell. The next time the scrum half got the ball Gordon flung
him with unnecessary force, when he was already in touch, right into the
ropes. And from then onwards the relations between Gordon and the scrum
half were those of a scrapping match. Gordon came off best. He got a
bruise on the left thigh, but no one could notice that, while his
opponent had a bleeding nose and a cut lip. The school was amused, but
Gordon overheard a Milton man say: "I don't think much of the way these
Fernhurst men play the game. Look at that tick of a forward there. Dirty
swine!"

After the game Gordon apologised to the half, and exchanged the usual
compliments; but he could see that the rest of the Milton side were not
at all pleased.

He spoke to Mansell about it.

"My dear man, don't you worry. You played a jolly fine game this
afternoon, and if you go on like that you are a cert. for your Firsts
next year. You played a damned hard game."

"Yes; but it is rather a bad thing for the school, isn't it, if we get a
reputation for playing rough?"

"But you weren't playing foul, and Buller always tells us to go hard and
play as rough as we like."

"Yes; but still----"

He was not quite reassured, though everyone told him it was all right.
However, if "the Bull" made no comment, it looked as if nothing could be
wrong. As a matter of fact, "the Bull" had not noticed; and though
Christy, in a fit of righteous indignation, poured out a long story to
him, he only smiled.

"Oh, well, I expect he got a bit excited. First time he had played
footer for a school side.... I was a bit fierce my first game for
England. Don't blame him. He's a keen kid, and I am sure the other side
did not mind."

Christy mumbled indistinctly. No one ever seemed to take much notice of
what he said. That evening, however, he and Rogers, over a glass of
port, agreed that Caruthers was a thoroughly objecti