Page:Lacrosse- The National Game of Canada (New Edition).djvu/224

Rh to weakening one’s side, by too much skirmishing from the vicinity of the man near whom you were originally posted. It is as important to follow a thrown ball which lights on the ground, as to give chase to a man carrying it, and the term “following the ball” includes both.

The Indians do not let our men carry or chase the ball with impunity. They bear down upon them, though there is no chance of checking; they never abandon the pursuit, and pale-face has to run a more literal gauntlet of checkers, than red-skin gene- rally meets with in his progress on the field. The fact that an opponent, seen or unseen, is on your track, is likely to excite and confuse you, and sometimes spoil your throw.

“Following the ball” in Lacrosse is not a general chase after it;—that would be as absurd as an entire “Eleven” chasing a cricket-ball. No man is restrained from following it, in accordance with his own judgment, and that of his captain; but, as we said before, position should never be sacrificed, nor defence weakened, by too much skirmishing. It is well to give three or four men—not more—on a “Twelve” limitless action. They flutter around the