My Strange Rescue — In the Nick of Time

*IN THE NICK OF TIME.

* "Will you be out to practice this evening, Charlie?"

asked Rob M'Kenzie of his friend Kent, as the two, who had been walking home from the high school together, parted at a corner.

"Indeed, that I will," was the reply; "and every evening, too, until the match comes off.

It'll take all the practice we can put in to beat those Riverside chaps, I can tell you."

"Pshaw!

What makes you think they'll be so hard to beat this time?"

returned Rob.

"We've always had our fair share of the games so far."

"So we have; but they didn't have Sam Massie playing with them."

"Sam Massie!

who's Sam Massie?"

exclaimed Rob, in surprise.

"Don't you know who Sam Massie is?

Why, he's one of the first twelve of the Torontos," replied Charlie, looking somewhat astonished at his friend's ignorance.

"Then how on earth can he play with the Riversides?"

asked Rob.

"Can't we protest?"

"Oh, that's all right enough.

His uncle lives in Riverside, and he is staying with him for a while, so we can't object to his playing."

"Humph!"

growled Rob.

"It's a pity we can't. We've got nobody to match him."

"I don't think it's a pity at all," returned Charlie cheerfully.

"I'd a good deal rather see a crack player like Sam Massie, and get some points from him, than object to his playing, even if he gains the match for the other fellows.

We'll do our best to give him a good day's work, any way.

So let's practise hard."

And Charlie went off whistling.

There was an intense rivalry between the villages of Riverside and Heatherton in the matter of lacrosse.

Each village had a good club, in which not only the players but the people also took a hearty interest, and the matches that were played once a month alternately in each village during the season never failed to draw out to see them everybody in the population that could possibly manage to be present.

They were always played on Saturday, because then the farmers from round about came in to the village to do their week's business early in the morning, and by rushing things a little could easily get through by three o'clock, and then they and the shopkeepers and the rest of the village folk would adjourn to the lacrosse-field and have a lively time of it, shouting, and cheering, and laughing as the game went on before them.

Charlie Kent and Rob M'Kenzie were the two youngest members of the Heatherton lacrosse twelve, and they naturally felt very proud of their position, which they had won by proving themselves the best players in the high school, and thereby attracting the attention of the Heatherton captain quite early in the season.

The day when big Tom Brown called them both aside and invited them to play with the first twelve was one of the proudest in their lives; and Tom had had no reason to regret his invitation on any game that summer, for the two "young cubs," as he called them, proved themselves very useful additions, being quick, careful, plucky, and, best of all, thoroughly obedient, always doing exactly what he told them.

The next match with Riverside was of special importance, because it would be the final and decisive one of five which the two clubs were playing for a fine set of silk flags, which had been offered as a trophy by some generous friends of lacrosse in both villages.

Each club had won two matches, and now on the approaching Saturday the fifth and final match would take place, rain or shine.

The rumour of Sam Massie being with the Riversides had reached Heatherton early in the week, and caused no little concern, some of the players being disposed to make a protest if he appeared on the field, and even a refusal to play.

But Tom Brown would not listen to them.

Sam Massie was, for the time being at least, a resident in Riverside, and to object to his playing would be acting in a way he did not approve of, so the dissatisfied ones were fain to hold their tongues.

The eventful Saturday came, and was as fine as heart could wish.

It was Heatherton's turn to have the match, and the home team rejoiced at this, because it would in some measure compensate them for the advantage their opponents undoubtedly possessed in having Sam Massie with them.

Never before had so large a crowd assembled to watch the match.

It really seemed as if half the population of Riverside and three-fourths of the population of Heatherton had turned out.

The whole field was surrounded with a fringe of spectators, ready to applaud every good point in the game.

In due time the Riverside team made their appearance, looking very jaunty in their blue jerseys, caps, and stockings, and white knickerbockers, and all eyes were turned upon them to discover the redoubtable Sam Massie.

It was easy to distinguish him from the others, and he certainly was a dangerous-looking player.

He was not of more than medium size, but the perfection of his condition, the graceful ease and quickness of his movements, and the unfailing accuracy of his catching and throwing, as the team indulged in the usual preliminary exercise, impressed everybody with the idea that he fully merited his reputation.

Charlie Kent's place was centre-field, his quickness and steadiness entitling him to that important position, while Rob M'Kenzie was the next man between him and the opponent's goal.

Charlie was very anxious to see where the Riversides would put Massie, and was not at all sorry when that player took his place at cover-point, for now he would be certain to cross sticks with him more than once during the match, and find out just how strong a man he was.

Amid the breathless suspense of the spectators the two teams lined up, were briefly adjured by the referee to indulge in no rough play or fouls, and then in pairs departed to their places, the white and blue of the Riversides contrasting picturesquely with the white and crimson of the Heathertons as the players strung out from goal to goal.

"Are you all ready?"

cried the referee.

The captains nodded their heads, the two centre-fields kneeled opposite one another for the face, the ball was placed between the lacrosse sticks, and with a shout of "Play" the referee sprang aside, and the struggle began.

There was a second's scuffle between the two centres, and then the Heathertons raised a shout; for Charlie had got the ball away from his opponent, tipped it cleverly to Rob, who, after a short run, had thrown it to "outside home," and the Riverside goal was in danger.

But before outside home could do anything, Massie was down upon him with the swoop of an eagle.

With a sharp check he knocked the ball off his stick, then picked it up at once, and dashed away down the field, dodging in and out between his two opponents like a veritable eel.

Not until he reached the Heatherton cover-point was he obliged to stop, and then he took a shot at goal, which, but for the plucky goalkeeper putting his broad chest squarely in the way, would certainly have scored.

Back the ball went, however, to the other goal, and continued thus to travel up and down for fully fifteen minutes before some skilful passing and sharp dodging on the part of the Heathertons brought it in front of the Riverside goal, when, after a hard tussle, it was swiped through by a lucky stroke from Charlie Kent.

Great was the elation of the Heathertons at scoring the first game.

"Guess they're not invincible, after all, if they have Sam Massie," said Charlie to Captain Brown.

"Mustn't crow too soon, Charlie," replied Brown cautiously.

"We've got the afternoon before us yet."

When the Riversides, thanks to a brilliant run of Massie's, won the next game in five minutes, Charlie felt somewhat less confident; and when, after a severe struggle, they by a pure piece of luck took the third game in twenty minutes, he began to feel a little down in the mouth.

But the winning of the fourth game by the Heathertons braced him up again, and he went into the fifth and final struggle with a brave and determined heart.

The excitement had now become intense.

It had been agreed before play commenced that the game should be called at six o'clock, and if not then finished, played over again at Riverside the following Saturday.

The Heathertons fully appreciated the advantage of playing oh their own ground, and were determined to settle the fate of the flags before six o'clock if at all possible.

The Riversides were equally determined to play out the time if they could do nothing better.

Accordingly they concentrated all their strength upon the defence, and surrounded the redoubtable Sam Massie with the best men in the team.

Once more Charlie Kent won the face, and again tipped to Rob, who did not fail to send it well down towards the goal, but the stone-wall defence quickly sent it back.

Again and again the rubber sphere went flying through the air or bounding along the ground towards the Riverside goal, and again and again it returned, not even being permitted to stay there a moment.

The minutes passed quickly, and six o'clock drew near.

"Charlie, can't you and Rob manage to get that ball down between you?

Never mind your places; just play for the goal," said Captain Brown earnestly to Charlie.

"All right, captain, we'll do our best," replied Charlie, as he passed the word to Rob.

As luck would have it, the Riversides, grown bold by their success, opened out their defence just then, and moved nearer the Heatherton goal.

Charlie's quick eye noted the change of tactics instantly.

"Look sharp now, Rob," he called, and Rob nodded meaningly.

A moment later the ball came flying his way, and springing high he caught it cleverly, amid a howl of applause from the spectators.

Then, signalling Rob to keep parallel with him, he dashed off at full speed towards the Riverside goal.

Charlie was lightly built and long-winded, and constant practice had made him the fastest "sprinter" in Heatherton.

But he had never run before as he had then.

The onlookers held their breath to watch him as he sped on.

One, two, three opponents were safely passed!

by brilliant dodging, and now only Sam Massie stood between him and the goal.

He knew it would be useless to try to dodge Sam.

But there was a better play.

Before Sam could reach him he tipped the rubber over to Rob.

Instantly Sam turned upon Rob, and brought his stick down upon Rob's with a resounding whack.

But the ball was not there.

Already it was rolling towards Charlie, who had continued straight on, and scooping it up from the ground, with a straight, swift overhand throw he sent it flying through the goal-posts just in time to allow the cry of "Goal!

goal!"

to be triumphantly raised ere the six-o'clock whistle sounded the hour for calling the game.

Charlie Kent was, of course, the hero of the day.

Sam Massie, brilliantly as he had played, was quite forgotten.

But he did not forget to come up and clap Charlie warmly on the back, saying,-- "Bravo, my boy!

You'll make a championship player some day.

You must come up to Toronto.

We want your kind up there."