saw how badly my shin has been scraped."

"Oh! you're in pretty good shape still, 'Just,' and you know it,"
remarked Hugh, smiling at the evident determination of his friend to
sacrifice himself for the general good. "When we start play again
we'll try the last dodge Mr. Leonard taught us, and see if it'll work
for a goal. It's clean sport, and nothing tricky, you know."

So "Just" Smith shrugged his shoulders, and did not seem at all
happy, though he let the matter drop. Hugh wondered, though, what
that grim look on his face meant, and, later on, had a hazy idea that
he had found out.

The game started again. Encouraged by their success, Belleville
again took matters in their own hands and forced the fighting. There
were several weak places in the Scranton High line-up. Many who
diagnosed the play were of the opinion that the game was already as
good as lost.

Then came a most violent scrimmage, into which "Just" Smith plunged
with the utmost recklessness, as though determined to wipe out all
his former mistakes in some brilliant playing. Suddenly the
referee's whistle called the game. Something had happened to bring
about a stoppage of play. A fellow was down on the ice, with half a
dozen others bending over him.

It was "Just" Smith, and he was apparently badly injured in the
bargain. A doctor was speedily called, who pronounced it a fracture
of the leg, and decided that the player would have to be taken home
immediately for a physician's attention.

As "Just" Smith passed his captain, being carried by two husky
players to a waiting car that would convey him home, he actually had
the nerve to grin in Hugh's face. A suspicion came into the latter's
mind to the effect that the player had purposely taken terrible risks
in the hope that he might be disabled, so that a substitute could be
put in his place; though, of course, Hugh tried to banish this
thought as soon as it gripped him.

"Get your substitute, Hugh, or else we'll have to drop a man!" called
the Belleville captain; and Hugh glanced apprehensively around; then
broke through the dense crowd, and seized upon a skater who had been
hovering near.

It was Nick Lang!

"We need another player, Nick!" Hugh exclaimed eagerly; "and I want
you to help get the team out of this nasty hole, for the sake of good
old Scranton High. So don't say you won't, but come along, and do
your level best to bring us out ahead!"

CHAPTER XX

NICK MAKES G