sooner had
the game begun than the big defense men advanced with the centers to the
attack, and when Hughie followed up his plan of sticking closely to Dan
Munro and hampering him, he found Jimmie Ben upon him, swiping furiously
with his club at his shins, with evident intention of intimidating
him, as well as of relieving Dan from his attentions. But if Jimmie Ben
thought by his noisy shouting and furious swiping to strike terror to
the heart of the Twentieth captain, he entirely misjudged his man; for
without seeking to give him back what he received in kind, Hughie played
his game with such skill and pluck, that although he was considerably
battered about the shins, he was nevertheless able to prevent Dan from
making any of his dangerous rushes.

Craven, meantime, if he noticed Hughie's hard case, was so fully
occupied with the defense of the goal that he could give no thought to
anything else. Shot after shot came in upon Thomas at close range,
and so savage and reckless was the charge of the Front that their big
defense men, Hec Ross and Jimmie Ben, abandoning their own positions,
were foremost in the melee before the Twentieth goal.

For fully fifteen minutes the ball was kept in the Twentieth territory,
and only the steady coolness of Craven and Johnnie Big Duncan, backed
by Hughie's persistent checking of the Front captain and the magnificent
steadiness of Thomas in goal, saved the game.

At length, as the fury of the charge began to expend itself a little,
Craven got his chance. The ball had been passed out to Dan upon the left
wing of the Front forward line. At once Hughie was upon him, but Jimmie
Ben following hard, with a cruel swipe at Hughie's skates, laid him
flat, but not until he had succeeded in hindering to some degree Dan's
escape with the ball. Before the Front captain could make use of his
advantage and get clear away, the master bore down upon him like a
whirlwind, hurled him clear off his feet, secured the ball, dashed up
the open field, and eluding the two centers, who had been instructed to
cover the goal, easily shot between the balsam-trees.

For a few moments the Twentieth men went mad, for they all felt that a
crisis had been passed. The failure of the Front in what had evidently
been a preconcerted and very general attack was accepted as an omen of
victory.

The Front men, on the other hand, were bitterly chagrined. They had come
so near it, and yet had failed. Jimmie Ben was especia