DUTIES OF No. i. 49 



goal posts, he should be able to prevent the man who 

 hits off from making a short dribble, before he hits 

 out hard. (Fig. 27.) 



As I have already explained, No. i must watch the 

 Back and not look behind for the ball. He should 

 therefore rely on his No. 2 to give him instructions, 

 and be always listening and ready to at once do what he 

 is told. If the ball is near enough to his adversaries' 

 goal for his own side to have a shot, he must try and 

 clear the Back away from the goal, so as to leave it 

 open. In any case, he should get himself out of 

 the way, so that he may not interfere with the shot ; 

 because goals are often stopped by the ball hitting a 

 pony. 



If No. I gets a chance of hitting the ball and 

 receives no instructions from his own side to leave 

 it, he should always take his chance and hit it. 



If No. I finds himself temporarily in No. 2's place, 

 he should do No. 2's work for the time being, and 

 take the first favourable opportunity of changing back 

 into his proper position. 



When one of his own side is hitting out from 

 behind. No. i should place himself close to the 

 opposing Back, with his pony's head turned in the 

 direction of the adversaries' goal. When the ball 

 is being hit out, all the players should have their 

 ponies in hand and collected, as if they were going 

 to start for a five-furlong scurry, so that they may 

 get off at the gallop with the least possible delay. 



Finally, I would point out to young players that it 

 is easier to become good enough to play No. i in 

 first-class matches, than to play No. 2, No. 3 or Back ; 

 and that there are so few who are really clever in this 



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