epend upon. Well, we must
go in for run making.

"I do not think that we can do better than put on that young trumpeter
till you can play again. I have watched him several times at practice,
and he always keeps his wickets up well, and hits freely whenever he
gets a chance."

"Very well, sir. I will warn him that he will be wanted to-morrow. There
can be no harm in trying him for once anyhow."

There was some little surprise among the men who played cricket at
hearing that Trumpeter Smith was to play in the eleven against the
Rifles, and some little grumbling among those who had hoped to be the
next choice. However, all agreed that he was a very likely youngster.
The Hussars won the toss, and went in first. The bowling of the Rifles
was deadly, and the ten wickets fell for fifty-two runs. Edgar was the
last to go in, and did not receive a single ball, his partner succumbing
to the very first ball bowled after Edgar had gone out to the wicket.
Then the Rifles went in, and the loss of the Hussars' fast bowler soon
made itself felt. Two of the best bats of the Rifles were at the wicket,
and in spite of several changes of bowling, seventy-four runs were
scored without a separation being made. Captain Moffat looked round the
field despairingly. He had tried all the men on whom he had any
dependence. His own bowling had been very severely punished, and he had
retired when thirty runs had been scored and was reluctant to take the
ball again. As he was standing undecided after an over in which twelve
runs had been scored, his eye fell on Edgar as he ran lightly across to
take up his place on the opposite side.

"Smith!" Edgar ran up to him. "Do you bowl at all?"

"I have not bowled this season, sir, but I used to bowl pretty fairly."

"Very well, then, take the ball at this end after the next over. I am
going to try Smith at this end," he said to the young lieutenant who was
long-stop.

He shrugged his shoulders. "Well, there is one thing, he cannot make a
worse mess of it than we are making already."

When the over was concluded, Edgar took the ball. The year that had
elapsed since he had last played, and the gymnastics and hard exercise,
had strengthened his muscles greatly, and as he tossed the ball from
hand to hand while the field took their places he felt that he was more
master of it than he had been before. He had then been a remarkably fast
bowler for his age, and would have been in the eleven had it not
happ