Page:Lacrosse- The National Game of Canada (New Edition).djvu/64

fox hunters in the world, and the most adventurous travellers. The Alps have been climbed by more Britains than all the other nationalities put together; a Briton penetrated to the North Pole, too far to survive; another, despite of peremptory mandates, ventured into African mazes and Chinese sanctums, and had his bowels let out for reward. A Frenchman, looking on at a game of cricket, said he would rather fight than play it; and some nations cannot understand the spirit of adventure of the Anglo-Saxon race. In Canada the same love of adventure and hard work is evinced in snow-shoeing, toboganing, and Lacrosse, as well as those imported sports which are not indigenous to the soil. The Montreal fox hunt has a stiffer country to ride over than any in Europe. Canadians gave the All-England Eleven the hardest tug this side of the Atlantic; Canadian oarsmen are probably equal to any in the world. It is this love of hard work which helps to make Lacrosse popular. Labor ipse voluptas. There is somewhat of an illusion, however, among spectators at a Lacrosse match. They see an excitable wavering game; the real play is not confined to any limit—it is far from Quakerish. They see twenty-four men