an to think the House
less likely to win. He had watched the outhouses play, and knew how good
they were. One afternoon the Buller's captain challenged the House to a
friendly game. A very hard game resulted in a draw. There was nothing to
choose between the sides. And in the Three Cock Buller's would have
Claremont's and Rogers's to help them.

There were discussions in the House as to whether the score would be
kept under twenty. Someone suggested it would have been a much better
game if they had accepted "the Bull's" offer of playing two houses
instead of three. When the day came the outhouse bloods were confidently
laying three to one on their chances of running up a score of over
thirty.

As Gordon sat in his study after lunch, before going down to change, he
found it hard to believe that this was actually the day that he and his
friends had looked forward to for so long. It was to have marked the
start of a new era of School House greatness. It was to have been the
beginning of the new epoch. With a slightly cynical smile he compared it
with the way in which the Germans had toasted "Der Tag!" Both results
would be much the same. Lethargically he got up, put a coal or two on
the fire, and went down to change.

The game followed much the same course that other Three Cocks had
followed during the last four years. For the first half the House did
fairly well, and kept the score down to thirteen to nil. Collins played
magnificently; Morgan was in form; Gordon himself was not conspicuous.
Then came the second half, when the light School House pack grew tired,
and was pushed about all over the field. The cheering of tries grew
desultory, and unenthusiastic. The final score was forty-seven to nil.

"You know, Caruthers," said Collins on the way up from the field, "we
should have done better to have only taken on two houses."

"Yes," said Gordon shortly.

As soon as he had changed, he went over to "the Bull's" study. He had
already decided that it would be better to alter the condition of the
match once and for all. It meant to him the complete failure of all his
plans. He had set out to lead the House to victory. In the end not only
had he retired, he had actually surrendered.

"The Bull" received him kindly.

"Ah, come round about the match, Caruthers?"

"Yes, sir. I think we had better play a Two Cock in future. Three houses
are a good deal more than we can take on."

"Well, of course, I had seen that all al