at he hoped to give us a
decent game."

"There will only be one fault with the dinner and the tea, Mrs. Kemp."

"And what will that be, sir?" enquired Mrs. Kemp, who happened to be
Convener of the Refreshment Committee.

"They will receive far too much for their money," said Mr. Rhye. "How
about the evening entertainment, Larry?" he continued.

"Everything is all right, I think, sir," said Larry.

"Are the minstrels in good form?" enquired Mrs. Waring-Gaunt. "This
is your last appearance, you know, and you must go out in a blaze of
glory."

"We hope to get through somehow," said Larry.

"And the speakers?" enquired Mr. Rhye.

"Both will be on hand. Mr. Gilchrist promises a patriotic address.
Mr. Alvin P. Jones will represent Wolf Willow in a kind of local
glorification stunt."

"This is all perfectly splendid," said Mr. Rhye, "and I cannot tell
you how grateful I am to you all. We ought to have a memorable day
to-morrow."

And a memorable day it was. The weather proved worthy of Alberta's best
traditions, for it was sunny, with a fine sweeping breeze to temper the
heat and to quicken the pulses with its life-bringing ozone fresh from
the glacier gorges and the pine forests of the Rockies.

The captain of the Wolf Willow football team was awake and afoot soon
after break of day that he might be in readiness for the Eagle Hill team
when they arrived. Sam was in his most optimistic mood. His team, he
knew, were in the finest condition and fit for their finest effort.
Everything promised victory. But alas! for Sam's hopes. At nine o'clock
a staggering blow fell when Vial, his partner on the right wing of
the forward line, rode over with the news that Coleman, their star
goal-keeper, their ultimate reliance on the defence line, had been
stepped on by a horse and rendered useless for the day. It was, indeed,
a crushing calamity. Sam spent an hour trying to dig up a substitute.
The only possible substitutes were Hepworth and Biggs, neither of them
first class men but passable, and Fatty Rose. The two former, however,
had gone for the day to Calgary, and Fatty Rose was hopelessly slow.
Sam discussed the distressing situation with such members of the team as
could be hastily got together.

"Dere's dat new feller," suggested Joe.

"That's so," said Vial, familiarly known as Bottles. "That chap Sykes,
Farwell's friend. He's a dandy dribbler. He could take Cassap's place on
left wing and let Cassap take goal."

W