s present position of proud eminence in the hockey world of Eastern
Ontario had been won by a series of smashing victories over local and
neighbouring rival teams. They had first disposed of that snappy seven
of lightning lightweights, the local High School team, the champions
in their own League. They had smashed their way through the McGinnis
Foundry Seven in three Homeric contests. This victory attracted
the notice of the Blackwater Black Eagles, the gay and dashing
representatives of Blackwater's most highly gilded stratum of society,
a clever, hard-fighting, never-dying group of athletes who, summer and
winter, kept themselves in perfect form, and who had moved rapidly out
of obscurity into the dazzling spotlight of championship over their
district. For the sake of the practice in it and in preparation for
their games in the Eastern Ontario Hockey League, they took on the
Maitland Mill team.

It took the Black Eagles a full week to recover sufficient control to be
able to speak intelligibly as to the "how" and "why" of that match. For
the Mill team with apparent ease passed in thirteen goals under and over
and behind and beside the big broad goal stick of Bell Blackwood, the
goal wonder of the League; and the single register for the Eagles had
been netted by Fatty Findlay's own stick in a moment of aberration.
During the week following the Black Eagle debacle the various Bank
managers, Law Office managers and other financial magnates of the town
were lenient with their clerks. Social functions were abandoned. The
young gentlemen had one continuous permanent and unbreakable engagement
at the rink or in preparation for it. But all was in vain. The result
of the second encounter was defeat for the Eagles, defeat utter,
unmistakable and inexplicable except on the theory that they had met a
superior team. Throughout the hockey season the Maitland Mill maintained
an unbroken record of victory till their fame flew far; and at the close
of the season enthusiasts of the game had arranged a match between the
winners of the Eastern Ontario Hockey League, the renowned Cornwall team
and the Maitland Mill boys. To-day the Cornwalls were in town, and the
town in consequence was quite unfit for the ordinary duties of life.
The Eagles almost to a man were for the local team; for they were sports
true to type. Not so however their friends and following, who resented
defeat of their men at the hands of a working class team.

Of cour