two sides have fairly sundered, and each occupies its
own ground, and we get a good look at them what absurdity is this? You
don't mean to say that those fifty or sixty boys in white trousers, many
of them quite small, are going to play that huge mass opposite? Indeed I
do, gentlemen; they're going to try at any rate, and won't make such a
bad fight of it either, mark my word; for hasn't old Brooke won the
toss, with his lucky halfpenny, and got choice of goals and kick-off?
The new ball you may see lie there quite by itself, in the middle,
pointing towards the school or island goal; in another minute it will be
well on its way there. Use that minute in remarking how the
School-house side is drilled. You will see in the first place, that the
sixth-form boy, who has the charge of goal, has spread his force (the
goal-keepers) so as to occupy the whole space behind the goal-posts, at
distances of about five yards apart; a safe and well-kept goal is the
foundation of all good play. Old Brooke is talking to the captain of
quarters; and now he moves away; see how that youngster spreads his men
(the light brigade) carefully over the ground, half-way between their
own goal and the body of their own players-up (the heavy brigade). These
again play in several bodies; there is young Brooke and the
bull-dogs--mark them well--they are the "fighting brigade," the
"die-hards," larking about at leap-frog to keep themselves warm, and
playing tricks on one another. And on each side of old Brooke, who is
now standing in the middle of the ground and just going to kick off, you
see a separate wing of players-up, each with a boy of acknowledged
prowess to look to--here Warner, and there Hedge; but over all is old
Brooke, absolute as he of Russia, but wisely and bravely ruling over
willing and worshipping subjects, a true football king. His face is
earnest and careful as he glances a last time over his array, but full
of pluck and hope, the sort of look I hope to see in my general when I
go out to fight.

The School side is not organized in the same way. The goal-keepers are
all in lumps, anyhow and nohow; you can't distinguish between the
players-up and the boys in quarters, and there is divided leadership;
but with such odds in strength and weight it must take more than that to
hinder them from winning; and so their leaders seem to think, for they
let the players-up manage themselves.

But now look, there is a slight move forward of the Sc