returned the pigskin to Hillton on the Blue's thirty-three yards, and
once more the advance was taken up. Thrice the distance had been gained
by plunges into the line and short runs about the ends, and once
Fletcher, Hillton's left half, had got away safely for twenty yards. But
on her eight-yard line, under the shadow of her goal, St. Eustace had
held bravely, and, securing the ball on downs, punted it far down the
field into her opponent's territory. Fletcher had run it back ten yards
ere he was downed, and from there it had gone six yards further by one
superb hurdle by the full-back. But St. Eustace had then held finely,
and on the third down, as has been told, Hillton's fake-kick play had
been demolished by the Blue's tackle, and the ball was once more in the
hands of St. Eustace's big center rush.

On the side-line, his hands in his pockets and his short brier pipe
clenched firmly between his teeth, Gardiner, Hillton's head coach,
watched grimly the tide of battle. Things had gone worse than he had
anticipated. He had not hoped for too much--a tie would have satisfied
him; a victory for Hillton had been beyond his expectations. St. Eustace
far outweighed his team; her center was almost invulnerable and her back
field was fast and heavy. But, despite the modesty of his expectations,
Gardiner was disappointed. The plays that he had believed would prove to
be ground-gainers had failed almost invariably. Neil Fletcher, the left
half, on whom the head coach had placed the greatest reliance, had, with
a single exception, failed to circle the ends for any distance. To be
sure, the St. Eustace end rushes had proved more knowing than he had
given them credit for being, and so the fault was, after all, not with
Fletcher; but it was disappointing nevertheless.

And, as is invariably the case, he saw where he had made mistakes in the
handling of his team; realized, now that it was too late, that he had