On the Saturday following this episode, the first fifteen travelled toRipton to play the return match with that school on its own ground. Ofthe two Ripton matches, the one played at Wrykyn was always the bigevent of the football year; but the other came next in importance, andthe telegram which was despatched to the school shop at the close ofthe game was always awaited with anxiety. This year Wrykyn lookedforward to the return match with a certain amount of apathy, due partlyto the fact that the school was in a slack, unpatriotic state, andpartly to the hammering the team had received in the previous term,when the Ripton centre three-quarters had run through and scored withmonotonous regularity. "We're bound to get sat on," was the generalverdict of the school.

　　Allardyce, while thoroughly agreeing with this opinion, did his best toconceal the fact from the rest of the team. He had certainly done hisduty by them. Every day for the past fortnight the forwards andoutsides had turned out to run and pass, and on the Saturdays there hadbeen matches with Corpus, Oxford, and the Cambridge Old Wrykinians. Inboth games the school had been beaten. In fact, it seemed as if theycould only perform really well when they had no opponents. To see thethree-quarters racing down the field (at practice) and scoringinnumerable (imaginary) tries, one was apt to be misled intoconsidering them a fine quartette. But when there was a match, all thebeautiful dash and precision of the passing faded away, and the lastthing they did was to run straight. Barry was the only one of the fourwho played the game properly.

　　But, as regarded condition, there was nothing wrong with the team. EvenTrevor could not have made them train harder; and Allardyce in his moresanguine moments had a shadowy hope that the Ripton score might, withcare, be kept in the teens.

　　Barry had bought a _Sportsman_ at the station, and he unfolded itas the train began to move. Searching the left-hand column of the middlepage, as we all do when we buy the _Sportsman_ on Saturday--tosee how our names look in print, and what sort of a team the enemy hasgot--he made a remarkable discovery. At the same moment Drummond, onthe other side of the carriage, did the same.

　　"I say," he said, "they must have had a big clear-out at Ripton. Haveyou seen the team they've got out today?""I was just looking at it," said Barry.

　　"What's up with it?" inquired Allardyce. "Let's have a look.""They've only got about half their proper team. They've got a differentback--Grey isn't playing.""Both their centres are, though," said Drummond.

　　"More fun for us, Drum., old chap," said Attell. "I'm going home again.

　　Stop the train."Drummond said nothing. He hated Attell most when he tried to befacetious.

　　"Dunn isn't playing, nor is Waite," said Barry, "so they haven't goteither of their proper halves. I say, we might have a chance of doingsomething today.""Of course we shall," said Allardyce. "You've only got to buck up andwe've got them on toast."The atmosphere in the carriage became charged with optimism. It seemeda simple thing to defeat a side which was practically a Ripton "A"team. The centre three-quarters were there still, it was true, butAllardyce and Drummond ought to be able to prevent the halves evergetting the ball out to them. The team looked on those two unknownhalves as timid novices, who would lose their heads at the kick-off. Asa matter of fact, the system of football teaching at Ripton was soperfect, and the keenness so great, that the second fifteen was nearlyas good as the first every year. But the Wrykyn team did not know this,with the exception of Allardyce, who kept his knowledge to himself; andthey arrived at Ripton jaunty and confident.