really the moving spirits of
the improvement which has taken place here out of reach of temptation."

"Your idea is excellent," Mr. Brook said. "I will get the band of the
regiment at Birmingham over, and we will wind up with a display of
fireworks, and any other attraction which, after thinking the matter
over, you can suggest, shall be adopted. I have greatly at heart the
interests of my pitmen, and the fact that last year they were led away
to play me a scurvy trick is all forgotten now. A good work has been set
on foot here, and if we can foster it and keep it going, Stokebridge
will in future years be a very different place to what it has been."

Mr. Dodgson consulted Jack Simpson the next day as to the amusements
likely to be most popular; but Jack suggested that Fred Wood and Bill
Cummings should be called into consultation, for, as he said, he knew
nothing of girls' ways, and his opinions were worth nothing. His two
friends were sent for and soon arrived. They agreed that a cricket-match
would be the greatest attraction, and that the band of the soldiers
would delight the girls. It was arranged that a challenge should be sent
to Batterbury, which lay thirteen miles off, and would therefore know
nothing of the feast. The Stokebridge team had visited them the summer
before and beaten them, therefore they would no doubt come to
Stokebridge. They thought that a good conjuror would be an immense
attraction, as such a thing had never been seen in Stokebridge, and that
the fireworks would be a splendid wind up. Mr. Brook had proposed that a
dinner for the contending cricket teams should be served in a marquee,
but to this the lads objected, as not only would the girls be left out,
but also the lads not engaged in the match. It would be better, they
thought, for there to be a table with sandwiches, buns, lemonade, and
tea, from which all could help themselves.

The arrangements were all made privately, as it was possible that the
publicans might, were they aware of the intended counter attraction,
change the day of the feast, although this was unlikely, seeing that it
had from time immemorial taken place on the 3rd of September except only
when that day fell on a Sunday; still it was better to run no risk. A
meeting of the "Bull-dogs" was called for the 27th of August, and at
this Jack announced the invitation which had been received from Mr.
Brook. A few were inclined to demur at giving up the jollity of the
feast,