第 25 节
作者:别克陆上公务舱      更新:2021-02-20 17:13      字数:9321
  of the game。  And I think it was awfully clever of Captain Jack。
  You know; next time; Mamma; when they came downI mean our men
  they pretended to be playing the same game; but they weren't。  For
  Captain Jack and Snoopy went back to their old specialty; and
  before the Cornwalls knew where they were at; they ran in three
  goalsone…two…three; just like that!  Oh! you ought to have seen
  that rink; Mamma; and you ought to have heard the yelling!  I wish
  you had been there!  And then; just at that last goal didn't that
  horrid Jumbo make a terrible and cruel swing at Snoopy's ankle;
  just as he passed。  Knocked him clean off his feet so that poor
  Snoopy lay on the ice quite still!  He was really nearly killed。
  They had to carry him off!〃
  〃Well; I wouldn't say that exactly;〃 said Hugh。  〃The fact of the
  matter is; Snoopy is a clever little beggar and I happened to catch
  his wink as Maitland was bending over him。  I was helping him off
  the ice; you know; and I heard him whisper; 'Don't worry; Captain;
  I'm all right。  Get me another pair of skates。  It will take a
  little time。'〃
  〃Do you mean he wasn't hurt?〃 exclaimed Patricia indignantly。
  〃Indeed he was; he was almost killed; I am sure he was。〃
  〃Oh; he was hurt right enough;〃 said Hugh; 〃but he wasn't killed by
  any means!〃
  〃And then;〃 continued Patricia; 〃there was the most terrible riot
  and uproar。  Everybody seemed to be on the ice and fighting。  Hugh
  ran in; and VicI should loved to have gone myselfHugh was
  perfectly splendidand all the Eagles were there and〃
  Then Mrs。 Templeton said:  〃What do you meana fight; a riot?〃
  〃A real riot; Mother;〃 said Adrien; 〃the whole crowd demanding
  Jumbo's removal from the ice。〃
  〃Yes;〃 continued Patricia impatiently; pushing her sister aside;
  〃Hugh went straight to the umpire and it looked almost as though he
  was going to fight; the way he tore in。  But he didn't。  He just
  spoke quietly to the umpire。  What did you say; Hugh?〃
  〃Oh;〃 cried Vic; 〃Hugh was perfectly calm and superior。  He knows
  the umpire well。  Indeed; I think the umpire owes his life to Hugh
  and his protecting band of Eagles。〃
  〃What did he say;〃 cried Patricia。  〃I wish I could have heard
  that。〃
  〃Oh;〃 said Vic; 〃there was an interesting conversation。  'Keep out
  of this; Maynard。  You ought to know better;' the umpire said;
  'keep out。'  'Baker; that man Larson must go off。'  'Rubbish;' said
  the umpire; 'they were both roughing it。'  'Look here; Baker;
  that's rot and you know it。  It was a deliberate and beastly trick。
  Put him off!'  'He stays on!' said the umpire; and he stuck to it;
  I'll give him credit for that。  It was old Maitland that saved the
  day。  He came up smiling。  'I hope you are taking off the time;
  umpire;' he said; with that little laugh of his。  'I am not going
  to put Larson off;' shouted the umpire to him。  'Who asked you to?'
  said Maitland。  'Go on with the game。'  That saved the day。  They
  all started cheering。  The ice was cleared and the game went on。〃
  〃Oh; that was it。  I couldn't understand。  They were so savage
  first; and then suddenly they all seemed to quiet down。  It was
  Captain Jack。  Well; Mamma; on they came again!  But when poor
  Snoopy came out; all bandaged round the head and the blood showing
  through〃
  〃Quite a clever little beggar;〃 murmured Vic。
  〃Clever?  What do you mean?〃 cried Patricia。
  〃Oh; well; good psychology; I meanthat's all。  Bloody bandages
  demanding vengeance; Jack's team; you knowMacnamara; for
  instance; entreating his captain for the love of heaven to put him
  opposite Jumboshaking the morale of the enemy and so forth
  mighty good psychology。〃
  〃I don't know exactly what you mean;〃 said Patricia; 〃but the
  Cornwall defence was certainly rattled。  They pulled their men back
  and played defence like perfect demons; with the Mill men on to
  them like tigers。〃
  〃But Patricia; my dear;〃 said her mother; 〃those are terrible
  words。〃
  〃But; Mamma; not half so terrible as the real thing。  Oh; it was
  perfectly splendid!  And then how did it finish; Hugh?  I didn't
  quite see how that play came about。〃
  〃I didn't see; either;〃 said Hugh。
  〃Didn't you?〃 cried Adrien; 〃I did。  Jack and Geordie Ross were
  going down the centre at a perfectly terrific speed; big Macnamara
  backing them up。  Out came Macnab and Jumbo Larson following him。
  Macnab checked Geordie; who passed to Jack; who slipped it back to
  Macnamara。  Down came Jumbo like a perfect thunderbolt and fairly
  hurled himself upon Macnamara。  I don't know what happened then;
  but〃
  〃Oh; I do!〃 cried Vic。  〃When old Jumbo came hurtling down upon
  Macnamara; this was evidently what Macnamara was waiting for。
  Indeed; what he had been praying for all through the game。  I saw
  him gather himself; crouch low; lurch forward with shoulder well
  down; a wrestler's trickyou know Macnamara was the champion
  wrestler of his division in Francehe caught Jumbo low。  Result; a
  terrific catapult; and the big Swede lay on his back some twenty
  feet away。  Everybody thought he was dead。〃
  〃Oh; it was perfectly lovely!〃 exclaimed Patricia; rapturously。
  〃But; my dear;〃 said her mother; 〃lovely; and they thought the man
  was dead!〃
  〃Oh; but he wasn't dead。  He came to。  I will say he was very
  plucky。  Then just as they faced off; time was called。  Six to six!
  Think of it; Mamma; six to six!  And we had been five to two at
  half time!〃
  〃Six to six?〃 said Mrs。 Templeton。  〃But I thought you said we
  won?〃
  〃Oh; listen; Mamma; this is the most wonderful thing of the whole
  match;〃 said Adrien; trying to break in on the tornado of words
  from her younger sister。
  〃No; let me; Adrien!  I know exactly how it was done。  Captain Jack
  explained it to me before。  It was Captain Jack's specialty。  It
  was what they call the double…circle。  Here is the way it was
  worked。〃  Patricia sprang to her feet; arranged two chairs for goal
  and proceeded to demonstrate。  〃You see; Mamma; in the single
  circle play; Captain Jack and Snoopy come downsay Snoopy has the
  puck。  Just as they get near the goal Snoopy fools the back; rushes
  round the goal and passes to Jack; who is standing in front ready
  to slip it in。  But of course the Cornwalls were prepared for the
  play。  But that is where the double…circle comes in。  This time
  Geordie had the puck; with Captain Jack immediately at his left and
  Snoopy further out。  Well; Geordie had the puck; you see。  He
  rushes down and pretends to make the circle of the goal。  But this
  time he doesn't。  He tears like mad around the goal with the puck;
  Snoopy tears like mad around the goal from the other side; the
  defence all rush over to the left to check them; leaving the right
  wide open。  Snoopy takes the ball from Geordie; rushes around the
  goal the other way; Mamma; do you see?passes back to Reddy; his
  partner; who slips it in!  And poor Jumbo was unable to do
  anything。  I believe he was still dazed from his terrible fall!〃
  Then Hugh breaks in:  〃It really was beautifully done。〃
  〃It certainly was;〃 said Vic。
  〃Seven to six; Mamma; think of it!  Seven to six; and two minutes
  of the first overtime to play。  Two minutes!  It just seemed that
  our men could do as they liked。  The last time the whole forward
  lines came down; with Macnamara and 'Jack' Johnson roaring and
  yelling likelikeI don't know what。  And they did the double…
  circle again!  Think of it!  And then time was called。  Oh; I am
  perfectly exhausted with this excitement!〃 said Patricia; sinking
  back into her chair。  〃I don't believe I could go down to that
  rink; not even for another game。  It is terribly trying!〃
  At this moment Rupert Stillwell came in; full of enthusiasm for the
  Cornwalls' scientific hockey; and with grudging praise for the
  local team; deploring their roughhouse tactics。  But he met a sharp
  and unexpected check; for Adrien took him in hand; in her quiet;
  cool; efficient manner。
  〃Roughhouse!〃 she said。  〃What do you mean exactly by that?〃
  〃Well;〃 said Rupert; somewhat taken aback; 〃for instance that
  charge of Macnamara on Jumbo Larson at the last。〃
  〃I saw that quite clearly;〃 said Adrien; 〃and it appeared to me
  quite all right。  It was Larson who made the most furious charge
  upon Macnamara。〃
  〃Of course it was;〃 cried Patricia; indignantly。  〃Jumbo deserved
  all he got。  Why; the way he mauled little Snoopy and Geordie Ross
  in the first part of the game was perfectly horrid。  Don't you
  think so; Hugh?〃
  〃Oh; well; hockey is not tiddly…winks; you know; Patricia; and〃
  〃As if I didn't know that!〃 broke in the girl indignantly。
  〃And Jumbo and Macnab;〃 continued Hugh; 〃really had to break up the
  dangerous combination there。  Of course that was a rotten assault
  on Snoopy。  It wasn't Jumbo's fault that he didn't break an ankle。
  As it was; he gave him a very bad fall。〃
  At this Rupert laughed scornfully。  〃Rot;〃 he said; 〃the whole town
  is laughing at all that bloody bandage business。  It was a bit of
  stage play。  Very clever; I confess; but no hockey。  I happen to
  know that Maitland was quite hot about it。〃
  But Hugh and Vic only laughed at him。
  〃He is a clever little beggar; is Snoopy;〃 said Vic。
  〃But; meantime;〃 said Mrs。 Templeton; 〃where is Jack!