MON CHER MONSIEUR PUNCH,--That you have been the victim of "a 'oax," crafty, ingenious, and abominable, there is now no shadow of a doubt. That letter palmed off on to your good and trustful nature the week before last, with the signature of "LE HEADS MASTERRE," professing to deal with the subject of the International athleticism, I should unfailingly pronounce, after cursory investigation, to be a forgery, impudent and profound. For survey the facts: while it proposed, in a set of regulations _bizarre_ and fantastic, to abolish "Le 'Arf-back," as a superfluous officer in the French game, a contest took place in the very centre of this Paris, in which not only the "'Arf-back," but the "Three-quarterre-back" was referred to as having been _changed four times in the progress of one game_! Nor was this all. So highly and efficiently trained by the indefatigable Principal had been the French "'Ome-team," that,--glorious announcement to make,--they succeeded in carrying off the victory, not merely from one of your Public School Clubs, representing only one country, but from a united "_Onze_," that might have been regarded with a natural and excusable patriotic pride, as the combined force of all the whole civilised world. Yes, the force opposed to our courageous youths of the _Lycée Janson de Sailly_ comprised not only Englishmen, but other nationalities, including sons of the American United States and Holland. Against this formidable combination the active and sportsmanlike youth of our re-awakened athletic France scored a victory, easy, swift, and complete, of two tries to nothing. For further particulars, I refer you to the newspapers of the period, that furnish the details of the affair. In them you will see that, so far from "_Le Scrimmage_" being abandoned, on the contrary, several, of a character hotly contested, and severe, appear to have arisen in the efforts necessary to secure _les deux "tries"_; for though no mention is made of the Hospital ambulance, yet it is hinted that much sticking-plasterre must have been used in fastening up and healing the many contusions, grave, startling, and various, resulting from the furious kicking of legs, and struggling of bodies, inevitable in the progress of "_Un Scrimmage_" in which _Three-quarters-back_, _'Arf-backs_, _Forwards_, and _even Goal-keeperes_ were often mingled in confusion, bewildering and prolonged, and only saved from being deadly and prostrating by the admirable _élan_ and courageous spirit with which it was encountered.