There was a furious scramble, but Hugh came out of it first-best, for he bore away the little elusive rubber disc, and managed to carry it some distance down toward Keyport's goal before losing control.

Then the fun became fast and furious, indeed.

Those agile skaters whirled back and forth across the smooth ice with every imaginable turn and twist.
Clever plays were continually occurring on either side, and these were greeted with outbursts of enthusiastic cheering.
The crowd really seemed very impartial and sportsmanlike, considering that possibly four-fifths of it represented the local team, and might be supposed to feel prejudiced in their favor.

They shouted themselves fairly hoarse over a brilliant dash on the part of Captain Mossman, whereby he outwitted his opponents, and, despite all Thad's efforts to block the play, shot the puck home in the cage for the first well-won goal of the game.
Later on Owen Dugdale repeated the performance in almost as masterly a manner.

The applause was, if anything, a shade more uproarous.
Now the game went on evenly, with a goal apiece; but Keyport was out for scoring and would not be denied; so, in a hurry, they pushed the fighting down on Scranton territory, and put another goal to their credit, though three times did Thad balk the effort before it was accomplished.
When the first twenty minutes had expired the score was six to five.
Keyport was ahead, but the margin was so small that no one despaired.
After the intermission they went at it once more, "hammer-and-tongs." Thus far no one had been injured seriously enough to more than delay the game a few minutes, and, before the fatal seven had expired, the fellow who had been hurt was able to take his place in the line; so no substitutes were called on.