242 Union Bay 



of from three to six. I thought that its being alone might 

 account for its restlessness, for it did not feed and it finally 

 crossed to an exposed piece of land. It would not go far and 

 I could look it up later. 



I paddled into the bay to search for the mallard hen and 

 her ducklings while I watched the incoming people. The 

 floor of the field was not visible, but I was at the open end 

 where I could see all the upper seats and the gay flags of the 

 colleges. The gates were still closed and only a few men, evi- 

 dently in charge of ushers, moved back and forth. Cars were 

 beginning to park, with considerable noise of engines and of 

 brakes which, strangely enough, reminded me of the spring 

 chorus of frogs— their shrill tones softened and blended by 

 the distance. Motorcycle police patrolled the highway and 

 directed traffic. Thirty thousand people must be taken care 

 of before two in the afternoon, so it was necessary to put the 

 first arrivals in places that would set a pattern for, and facili- 

 tate, parking during the rush. 



My canoe had drifted against a log which seemed a good 

 place to tie to. The situation afforded a fine view of the sta- 

 dium, the slope leading up to the campus, and the University 

 buildings. Between the stadium and the campus stretched 

 the road which brought the fans to the game. A thin string 

 of people trickled along the path which crossed over a via- 

 duct to the field. Through my binoculars I noticed that many 

 of the women wore yellow chrysanthemums and that some 

 of the men carried robes, pennants, and pillows. Along the 

 highway the cars turned in, backed and parked under the 

 eyes of attendants, then unloaded their passengers for the 

 walk to the gates. Football is a grand game, but what a com- 

 plex affair it has become: million-dollar stadiums, annual 

 gate receipts that run into big fractions of a million, strings 

 of coaches, assistant coaches, trainers and rubbers, and 

 scores of players— all are an accepted part of the game. A 

 long road had been traveled since the time when two sides 



