ket, you might get the wicket-keeper
to take his gloves off and adjust the straps of your pads. This is one
of many subtle ways of demoralising the fielding side and whetting the
interest of the onlookers.

After taking middle with such scrupulous exactitude as to imply that
you suspect the umpire's eyesight, take one of the bails and scratch a
block deep enough to plant something in. Then beckon to the square-leg
umpire to come and replace the bail. In this you will be strictly
within the law, and nobody can suspect you of the surreptitious use of
a little cobbler's wax.

Your next move should be to summon the other batsman to a whispered
conference in the middle of the pitch. It doesn't much matter what you
say to him; a new funny story or the plot of a play you saw last week
will serve to make him assume an air of thoughtful attention.

After a chat of about five minutes, you will return slowly to your
crease, there to scrutinise the slip fieldsmen, and then to gaze all
round the ground as if to make sure that the other side is not playing
more than eleven men.

When taking your stance you will do well to give full effect to some
such mannerism as Mr. WARNER'S trick of hitching up the left side
of the trousers and tapping the ground seven times. And just as the
bowler is about to start his run you can disconcert him by suddenly
whipping round to see if they have moved another man over to the leg
side while your back was turned.

As soon as the bowler has covered half his course to the wicket you
should raise your hand to arrest his career. Then you must stroll
about a third of the way up the pitch and give the ground a good
slapping with the face of your bat.

If you feel so inclined, there is no reason why you should not repeat
this man[oe]uvre. Nothing is more calculated to upset a highly-strung
bowler. And when the ball does come down the chances are that it will
be a wide, in which case you will have earned one run for your side.
If, on the other hand, it should happen to knock your middle stump out
of the ground, there is nothing more to be done, but you will have the
satisfactory feeling that your little turn in the limelight has not
been utterly inglorious.

* * * * *

[Gothic: In Memoriam.]

CECIL CLAY.

Athlete and wit, whose genial tongue
Cheered and refreshed but never stung;
Maker of mirth and wholesome jokes;
Fit mate of dear ROSINA VOKES;
Creator,