ates had
never played the game before and some few of them were none too sure
on their feet, or, rather, skates. But Mr. Cobb was on hand, and Roy
explained and instructed too, and soon some order grew out of chaos.

[Illustration: Roy giving instruction in hockey.]

After that every week day afternoon saw the candidates at work on the
rink, save once or twice when thaws softened the ice. Hockey took hold
of the school with a vim, and those who were not entitled to use the
rink secured sticks and pucks and went at it on the river. At the end of
two weeks of practice a first and a second team had been chosen and
games between them occurred daily. Three candidates dropped out; the
others, not of first choice, were retained as substitutes and always got
into the games for a short while at least. Meanwhile Roy's temporary
captaincy had been made permanent by unanimous vote, Jack had been
elected manager and Chub treasurer. A challenge was drawn up and
delivered to Hammond Academy, was accepted and three games were arranged
to settle the ice hockey supremacy. The first was scheduled for January
20th, and although a thaw had set in the evening before and made the
skating surface far from perfect, the contest came off at three o'clock
on the date set.

The team which started the game for Ferry Hill was made up of Rogers,
right end, Warren, right center, Kirby, left center, Porter, left end,
Eaton, cover-point, Bacon, point, Hadden, goal. But almost all of the
substitutes had their chances before the game was over. Roy, Warren and
Chub played finely, and Hadden, considering the fact that he had never
before played goal in a hockey game, did excellent work and stopped some
difficult shots. But Hammond's players were all experienced and the
result was not long in doubt. Ferry Hill really deserved commendation
for keeping Hammond's score down to eight and for getting two goals
herself, the latter in the last period of play. There were many faults
to correct and that game served an excellent purpose if it did no more
than show up the weak places on the Ferry Hill team. The stick-work was
still pretty ragged, the forwards let their over-eagerness get them into
many an off-side play, they failed to follow up as they should have and
Bacon, at point, continually allowed himself to be drawn out of his
position. But every fellow had played hard and the faults were all such
as could be largely remedied in subsequent practice.

A few d