dear old W. G. always stood with his left toe cocked
up in the air."

"On one leg?"

"No, no, Dimples. With his heel down and his toe up."

"Did you know W. G., Daddy?"

"Oh, yes, I knew him quite well."

"Was he nice?"

"Yes, he was splendid. He was always like a great jolly schoolboy who
was hiding behind a huge black beard."

"Whose beard?"

"I meant that he had a great bushy beard. He looked like the pirate
chief in your picture-books, but he had as kind a heart as a child. I
have been told that it was the terrible things in this war that really
killed him. Grand old W. G.!"

"Was he the best bat in the world, Daddy?"

"Of course he was," said Daddy, beginning to enthuse to the delight of
the clever little plotter in the bed. "There never was such a bat--never
in the world--and I don't believe there ever could be again. He didn't
play on smooth wickets, as they do now. He played where the wickets were
all patchy, and you had to watch the ball right on to the bat. You
couldn't look at it before it hit the ground and think, 'That's all
right. I know where that one will be!' My word, that was cricket. What
you got you earned."

"Did you ever see W. G. make a hundred, Daddy?"

"See him! I've fielded out for him and melted on a hot August day while
he made a hundred and fifty. There's a pound or two of your Daddy
somewhere on that field yet. But I loved to see it, and I was always
sorry when he got out for nothing, even if I were playing against him."

"Did he ever get out for nothing?"

"Yes, dear; the first time I ever played in his company he was given out
leg-before-wicket before he made a run. And all the way to the
pavilion--that's where people go when they are out--he was walking
forward, but his big black beard was backward over his shoulder as he
told the umpire what he thought."

"And what _did_ he think?"

"More than I can tell you, Dimples. But I dare say he was right to be
annoyed, for it was a left-handed bowler, bowling round the wicket, and
it is very hard to get leg-before to that. However, that's all Greek to
you."

"What's Gweek?"

"Well, I mean you can't understand that. Now I am going."

"No, no, Daddy; wait a moment! Tell us about Bonner and the big catch."

"Oh, you know about that!"

Two little coaxing voices came out of the darkness.

"Oh, please! Please!"

"I don't know what your mother will say! What was it you asked?"

"Bonner!"

"Ah, B