s fall our chances sank rapidly to
zero, wicket after wicket being taken without a run being scored, until
the whole of us were out for a total still under sixty.

It was maddening! But what annoyed John Hardy even more than that ass
Tom Atkins having run him out was that the captain had never given young
James Black any opportunity of showing his batting skill, as, being
persuaded by Charley Bates, who pooh-poohed the youngster's abilities
_in toto_, he had only sent him in as "last-man," and Black hadn't, of
course, the chance of playing a ball. Sidney, however, promised to
right the matter in our second innings, should our opponents give us
time to play one, and not occupy the wickets, as seemed very probable,
for the two days over which the match could only extend: and with this
promise Prester John and his protege, young Jemmy Black, were fain to be
content.

The three recruits we had engaged from amongst the visitors to join our
scratch eleven had, up to the present, done nothing to warrant our
captain's encomiums on their skill--at least in the batting line, which
they had only essayed as yet; it remained to be proved whether they were
worth anything in the field; if not, then our chances of receiving a
hollow licking were uncommonly bright, as Charley Bates pointed out with
his customary cheerful irony.

Well, after luncheon, when we entertained them in the most hospitable
manner, as if we loved them instead of feeling sentiments the reverse of
amicable towards them, the Inimitables went in for their first innings;
and the way they set to work scoring from the moment they commenced to
handle the bat, prognosticated that Charley Bates' evil surmise as to
our defeat would be speedily realised.

I think I have already hinted that I somewhat prided myself on my
bowling, being celebrated amongst the members of the Little Peddlington
Cricket Club for sending in slows of such a judicious pitch that they
generally got the man caught out who attempted to drive them, while,
should he contemptuously block them, they had such an underhand twist
that they would invariably run into the wickets, although they mightn't
seem to have strength to go the distance? From this speciality of mine
I was looked upon as a tower of strength in the bowling line to the
club; and, consequently, I and one of our visitor recruits, Tomkins by
name, were intrusted with the ball at the first start.

Tomkins bowled swift with a pretty fair