It was part of his discipline that his team should never shirk a day's work for the game except on the rare occasions when they went on tour.

Hence the management in the various mills and factories, at first hostile and suspicious, came to regard these athletic activities on the part of their employees with approval and finally came to give encouragement and support to the games.
To-day was a half holiday for the Maitland Mills and the streets were noticeably full of the men and their sweethearts and wives in their Sunday clothes.

Not the team, however.

Maitland knew better than that.
He took his men for a run in the country before noon, bringing them home in rich warm glow.

Then after a bath and a hard rubdown they dined together at the mill and then their Captain ordered them home to sleep, forbidding them the streets till they were on their way to the game.
On his way home Captain Jack was waylaid by his admirer and champion, Patricia.