The Chums of Scranton High at Ice HockeyFerguson, Donald
General
The Chums of Scranton High at Ice Hockey
Ferguson, Donald
High school students -- Juvenile fiction; Hockey
Juggins distinguished himself also immediately afterwards by a
lightning play that amazed the Belleville spectators. He dodged all
interference and when finally too hard pressed, managed to send the
rubber disc across to Dugdale, who continued the good work by
shooting it into the charge of Hobson; and, almost before Leonard
could try to stop its flight, it had gone with a crash into the cage
for the second goal on Scranton's side.
Things began to look brighter. If Belleville could play brilliant
hockey through the coaching of an efficient instructor, the visiting
team knew a few things also, which were calculated to surprise their
rivals.
Of course, most, if not all of the Belleville Seven had attended the
game on the preceding Saturday, their own match for that day, which
they had easily won, coming off in the afternoon. Consequently, they
had studied the methods of the Scranton boys, and believed they would
be able to profit by their knowledge later on.
But Hugh had been wise to this fact, and posted Mr. Leonard, the
coach; who, meanwhile, taught them a few new little wrinkles that
were calculated to disturb the calculations of Belleville when the
time came for the meeting. As in football, ice hockey presents a
fruitful field for diplomacy and clever tactics; and the wisest
general usually manages to carry his team to victory over those who
may be much more nimble skaters and even smarter with their sticks,
but not so able in the line of strategy.
Belleville also took a "hunch," as some of the boys called it, and
again forged to the front. Indeed, they scored three times against
one more goal for the visitors; and when the first half of the match
had been finished the game stood at five to three against Scranton.
Hugh was in a dilemma. He knew that to win out he must have an
infusion of new blood, for those husky players of the local school
were too rapid for the Scranton boys. But, according to the rules of
the game, substitutes can only be allowed in case of serious injury.
So, unless one of his player chanced to be hurt in such a way as to
necessitate his withdrawal from the game there could be no changes
made in the line-up.
This is so hedged about with safeguards against fraud that even if a
player is hurt he must be examined by someone competent to say
whether he may be able to commence work again inside of seven
minutes; and if so, the game must proceed. Should he be excused from
further participation in the contest his captain may have the
privilege of putting in another man; or, if he chooses to play with
only six on the ice, the other side must also eliminate a player, so
as to make the line-up equal.
Perhaps some of Hugh's comrades must have guessed what was gripping
their leader around that time. Nothing else could have induced
Smith, for instance, to say, as he did to Hugh, while they were
resting in preparation for the last half of the game to start in:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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