e bare
branches dripped incessantly. But for all that the first round of the
Thirds began on the first Saturday.

Buller's drew Rogers's. There was no doubt as to the result. It would be
a walk-over for Buller's, though Burgoyne might get over the line once
or twice.

There was a crowd in front of the pavilion.

"Well, do something, at any rate," said Gordon. "Don't let Buller's get
above themselves. You keep them in order."

"Oh yes, we'll sit on them!" laughed Burgoyne. "By the way, I think it
would be rather a good scheme to lay out Hazlitt minor, don't you?"

Never did any forward in any house match at Fernhurst take the field
without the sworn intention of laying out some hated opponent.
Nevertheless during the whole time Gordon was at school only one boy was
hurt so badly that he had to leave the field. And that was an accident.
He broke his collar-bone, falling over by the goal-posts. It had become
almost a custom to state whom you were going to lay out before the
match. The idea sounds brutal, but it never led to anything. Gordon knew
this as well as anyone.

"Good man! And look here, if you do, I'll give you a bob."

"A bargain?"

"Of course."

"Right, my lad. We will have a good supper to-night in my study."

The match followed the ordinary course. Frenzied juniors rushed up and
down the touch-line inarticulate with excitement; the bloods, strolling
arm in arm, patronised the game mildly. Buller's won very easily.
Hazlitt played quite decently and scored once. Burgoyne went
supperless.

The second and third rounds were played; everywhere Buller's triumphed.
No house was beaten by less than forty points. Not a try was scored
against them. Christy's, who had lost by forty-four points to nil, had,
as the least unsuccessful house, the doubtful honour of joining forces
with Buller's to play the School House in the final.

The betting was fairly even. Buller's thought they would win; the House,
as usual, was certain of victory. The school expected a level game, and
on the whole wanted to see a School House win. Buller's had had too much
success of late years; and envy was inevitably at work.

The selection of the combined outhouse side caused a lot of
consideration. There was once an idea of playing Hazlitt minor, but much
to the annoyance of the House this plan was, from the outhouse point of
view, wisely dropped. And now Jack Whitaker--he was always known as
Jack--enters the story.

Jack was a v