t you playing? Afraid of the cold?"

"No, we scratched because--"

"Have you got that big man down who was so hot in the scrimmages? I
forget his name. _He's_ not one of the delicate ones, I fancy."

"No more are we; we're not playing because--"

"Hullo! they're waiting," said the player, and went off, leaving the
explanation still unfinished.

One of the last to run out was Corder.

"You young cad," growled Clapperton as he passed; "take my advice and
don't play, unless--"

"Come on, Corder--waiting," shouted Yorke.

Corder obeyed like lightning.

The match began disastrously for Fellsgarth. Within five minutes of the
kick-off, a run up by one of the Rendlesham quarter-backs carried the
ball right into the School lines, and a touch-down resulted. On a fine
day like last Saturday a goal would have been certain, but on the wet
grass, the try did not come off. But five minutes later, a drop-kick
from the middle of the field by the Rendlesham captain secured a
magnificent goal for the home team.

Clapperton sneered.

"What I expected," said he. "They'll be lucky if they don't lose a
dozen."

Yorke, on the contrary, was cheering up. Bad as these opening ten
minutes had been, he fancied his team was not going to do so badly after
all. The new players were working like mad in the scrimmage. Ranger
was as quick on his feet in the wet as in the dry; and Corder at half-
back had been surprisingly steady.

Before kicking off again he made one or two changes. He moved Ridgway,
who was a heavy weight, up into the forwards. Corder, greatly to his
delight, was entrusted with the goal, and Fisher major moved up to half-
back. The forwards were ordered on no account to break loose, but if
necessary to keep the ball among them till time was called.

Then, with his well-known "On you go!" he lacked off.

The ball was almost immediately locked up in a tight, fierce scrimmage.
The boys took the captain's advice with a vengeance, and held the ball
among their feet doggedly, neither letting it through on their side, nor
forcing it out on the side of the enemy.

At length, however, it could be seen filtering out sideways, just where
the captain was hovering outside the scrimmage.

"Let it come!" he whispered. "Look out, Ranger!"

Next moment the ball was under his arm, and before any one realised that
the scrimmage was up, he was off with it and among the enemy's half-
backs. The half-backs knew Yorke of