Home network 10/100 baseT X-over cables

I have 3 Win 98 PC’s hooked together using : UTP X-over cables, and 100 BaseT NIC’s.

One end is hooked to cable internet, and internet shareing is enabled. That all works.

What baffels me is that the computer at the far end of this chain can’tsee the first computer in network neighbourhood, and I don’t know how to ‘ping’ past the input NIC to another NIC installed in the same computer, let alone further down the chain.
I have TCP/IP, and NetBEUI enabled.

… ?? I don’t know what I’m doing wrong ?

TIA Ben.