Morgan scooped at the puck as he had done before, but to his surprise he found his quickest movement too slow. The puck was moved by Merriwell’s stick and shot across the ice.
Packard stopped it and sent it flying back, where it was caught by the stick of Jack Ready, who dribbled it forward, skating easily and gracefully; then, seeing it was in danger of being taken from him, he managed to pass it to Merriwell. Starbright was in a better position than Merriwell to receive it, but to have sent it to Starbright would have put Merriwell off-side, and Ready believed that Merriwell could handle it better than any one else.
The result justified his judgment, for Merriwell promptly drove the puck between Beckwith’s goal-posts, and another score was added to his side.
“Second blood for Merriwell!” shrieked Bink, throwing up his cap and catching it on his head. “I’m betting my little wad on Merriwell!”
“’Rah for Merriwell!” Danny squealed.
The play was on again, and Merriwell’s team was working for another drive. Frank had selected and disposed his men to the best advantage, as was shown by their playing. But it was quickly seen that Beckwith had been equally clever, and that he had in his team some of the very best hockey timber in the college. Morgan was a veritable wonder on skates.
Though Starbright on a previous occasion had beaten Morgan in a race on skates, thus proving himself the faster skater, he was not as nimble and sinuous as Morgan, who seemed to have the twisting powers of an eel and the quickness of a wildcat.
And Morgan was playing for all that was in him. He was playing fair, too, for he knew that Merriwell was watching him. He had greatly feared that Frank would object to his continuance on Beckwith’s team. Now he was setting himself to do two things: To prove his superiority as a hockey-player and thus endeavor to recover whatever ground he had lost in the estimation of the freshmen, and to show Merriwell that he had entered on a course of square dealing.
Morgan was the real leader of the Beckwith team, even though Beckwith had made up the team and was nominally its captain. Every one soon saw this, even Beckwith himself. But Beckwith was a big, generous fellow, who did not care where the honor went so long as his team made a good showing, and possibly managed to win the game.
Now, getting possession of the puck, Morgan, assisted by the other forwards, pushed it down the ice, and, in spite of the exertions of Merriwell’s men, shot it safely for goal.