e.

But Stephen was right. For the first time that afternoon the A's made a
stand. Oliver's partner at the wickets was Callonby, of the Sixth, a
steady, plodding player, who hardly ever hit out, and got all his runs
(if he got any) from the slips. This afternoon he hardly scored at all,
but kept his wicket carefully while Oliver did the hitting.

Things were looking up. The telegraph went up from 2 to 20. Wraysford,
who had hitherto been bowling with Ricketts against his friend, gave up
the ball to Raikes, and the field generally woke up to the importance of
getting rid of this daring player.

Stephen's throat was too hoarse to roar any more, so he resigned that
duty to Bramble, and looked on in delighted silence. The score crept
up, till suddenly Callonby tipped a ball into cover-slip's hand and was
caught, to the great delight of the Z's, who guessed that, once a
separation had been effected, the survivor would soon be disposed of.

The next man in was Loman. He was better as a bowler than a batsman;
but he followed Callonby's tactics and played a steady block, leaving
the boy he had struck yesterday to do the hitting.

Oliver was certainly playing in fine form, and for a moment his
class-fellows forgot their resentment against him in applauding his
play. The score was at 35, and the new coalition promised to be as
formidable as the last, when Oliver cut a ball past point.

"Run! no! yes, run!" he shouted. Loman started, then hesitated, then
started again--but it was too late. Before he could get across, the
ball was up and he was run out. He was furious, and it certainly was
hard lines for him, although there would have been time enough for the
run had he not pulled up in the middle. Forgetful of all the rules of
cricket, he turned round to Oliver and shouted, "You are a fool!" as he
left the wicket.

Stephen luckily was too much engrossed in watching the telegraph to hear
or notice this remark; which, however, was not lost on the Fifth
generally, who experienced a return of their former discontent when they
observed that Oliver (though he must have heard it) took not the
slightest notice of the offensive expression.

The match passed off without further incident. The Z's won in the end
by two wickets, after a closer match than it had promised to be at
first, and Stephen was comforted for the reverse by feeling sure that
his brother at any rate had played his best, and would certainly get his
pl