ad made a great score. It was two hours
before Jack had sorely lamed him in the hip, and the umpire had given
it leg-before-wicket. Indeed it was leg-before-wicket, as the poor
man felt when he was assisted back to his tent. However, he had
scored 150. Sir Lords Longstop, too, had run up a good score before
he was caught out by the middle long-off,--a marvellous catch they
all said it was,--and our trumpets were blown for fully five minutes.
But the big gun was only fired when a ball was hurled from the
machine directly into the wicket.

At the end of three days the Britishers were all out, and the runs
were numbered in four figures. I had my doubts, as I looked at the
contest, whether any of them would be left to play out the match. I
was informed that I was expected to take the President's seat every
day; but when I heard that there were to be two innings for each set,
I positively declined. But Crasweller took my place; and I was told
that a gleam of joy shot across his worn, sorrowful face when Sir
Kennington began the second innings with ten runs. Could he really
wish, in his condition, to send his daughter away to England simply
that she might be a baronet's wife?

When the Britannulists went in for the second time, they had 1500
runs to get; and it was said afterwards that Grundle had bet four to
one against his own side. This was thought to be very shabby on his
part, though if such was the betting, I don't see why he should lose
his money by backing his friends. Jack declared in my hearing that
he would not put a shilling on. He did not wish either to lose his
money or to bet against himself. But he was considerably disheartened
when he told me that he was not going in on the first day of their
second innings. He had not done much when the Britannulists were in
before,--had only made some thirty or forty runs; and, worse than
that, Sir Kennington Oval had scored up to 300. They told me that
his Pallas helmet was shaken with tremendous energy as he made his
running. And again, that man Stumps had seemed to be invincible,
though still lame, and had carried out his bat with a tremendous
score. He trudged away without any sign of triumph; but Jack said
that the professional was the best man they had.

On the second day of our party's second innings,--the last day but
one of the match,--Jack went in. They had only made 150 runs on the
previous day, and three wickets were down. Our kettle-drums had had
but little