“Well, I guess I’ll go over and see if I can hurry those chumps up some.”  West swung his bag over his shoulder and turned away.  “When the game’s done, hurry over, March.  You’ll find us somewhere on the course.”  Joel nodded, and West sauntered away toward the links.  The second half of the game was similar to the first, save in that Remsen’s scolding had accomplished an awakening, and the first put more snap into its playing.  Six more points were scored from a touch-down by the Hillton right end, after a thirty-yard run, followed by a difficult goal by Blair.  But the Westvale rooters kept up their cheering bravely to the end, and took defeat with smiling faces and upraised voices; and long after the coach containing them had passed from sight their cheers could still be heard in the distance toward the station.

The bulk of the spectators turned at the conclusion of the match toward the links, and Joel followed in his football togs.  At Home Hole he found Whipple and West preparing for the deciding round of the tournament, and the latter greeted him with a shout, and put his clubs into his keeping.  Then Whipple went to the tee and led off with a long drive for the first hole, and the round began.  West followed with a shorter shot and the march was taken up.

The links at Hilton consists of nine holes, five out and four in.  The entire length of the course is a trifle over one and a half mile, and although the land is upland meadow and given to growing long grass, yet the course is generally conceded to be excellent.  The holes are short, allowing the round to be accomplished by a capable player in thirty-two strokes.  The course has thirteen bunkers of varying sizes, besides two water hazards at the inlet and outlet of the lake.  The lake itself is spoiled as a hazard by the thick grove of trees on the side nearest the Academy.  Sometimes a poor drive lands a ball in that same grove, and there is much trial and tribulation ere the player has succeeded in dislodging it from the underbrush.

While generally level, the course is diversified by slight elevations, upon which are the putting greens, their red and white flags visible from all parts of the links.  As has been said, the holes are short, the longest, Lake Hole, being four hundred and ninety-six yards, and the shortest, the first, but one hundred and thirty-three.  Outfield West once spent the better part of two weeks, at great cost to his class standing, in making a plan of the links, and, while it is not warranted accurate as to distances, it is reproduced here with his permission as giving a clearer idea of the ground than any verbal description.

Play had begun this morning at nine o’clock, and by noon only Somers, Whipple, and West had been left in the match.  Blair had encountered defeat most unexpectedly at the hands of Greene, a junior, of whose prowess but little had been known by the handicapper; for, although Blair had done the round in three strokes less than his adversary’s gross score, the latter’s allowance of six strokes had placed him an easy winner.  But Blair had been avenged later by West, who had defeated the youngster by three strokes in the net.  In the afternoon Somers and Whipple had met, and, as West had predicted, the latter won by two strokes.