Gale and the St.Eustace player went down together, and in another moment Fletcher was lying, faint but happy, over the line and back of the goal! The stands emptied themselves on the instant of their triumphant burden of shouting, cheering, singing Hilltonians, and the crimson banners waved and fluttered on to the field.

Hillton had escaped defeat! But Fortune, now that she had turned her face toward the wearers of the Crimson, had further gifts to bestow.

And presently, when the wearied and crestfallen opponents had lined themselves along the goal-line, Decker held the ball amid a breathless silence, and Hillton's right end sent it fair and true between the uprights: Hillton, 6; Opponents, 5.
The game, so far as scoring went, ended there.

Four minutes later the whistle shrilled for the last time, and the horde of frantic Hilltonians flooded the field and, led by the band, bore their heroes in triumph back to the school.

And, side by side, at the head of the procession, perched on the shoulders of cheering friends, swayed the two half-backs, Neil Fletcher and Paul Gale..