opportunity for making themselves heard. Jack was very
despondent, and had had some tiff with Eva. He had asked Eva whether
she were not going to England, and Eva had said that perhaps she
might do so if some Britannulists did not do their duty. Jack had
chosen to take this as a bit of genuine impertinence, and had been
very sore about it. Stumps was bowling from the British catapult,
and very nearly gave Jack his quietus during the first over. He hit
wildly, and four balls passed him without touching his wicket. Then
came his turn again, and he caught the first ball with his Neverbend
spring-bat,--for he had invented it himself,--such a swipe, as he
called it, that nobody has ever yet been able to find the ball. The
story goes that it went right up to the verandah, and that Eva picked
it up, and has treasured it ever since.

Be that as it may, during the whole of that day, and the next,
nobody was able to get him out. There was a continual banging of the
kettle-drum, which seemed to give him renewed spirits. Every ball as
it came to him was sent away into infinite space. All the Englishmen
were made to retire to further distances from the wickets, and to
stand about almost at the extremity of the ground. The management of
the catapults was intrusted to one man after another,--but in vain.
Then they sent the catapults away, and tried the old-fashioned slow
bowling. It was all the same to Jack. He would not be tempted out of
his ground, but stood there awaiting the ball, let it come ever so
slowly. Through the first of the two days he stood before his wicket,
hitting to the right and the left, till hope seemed to spring up
again in the bosom of the Britannulists. And I could see that the
Englishmen were becoming nervous and uneasy, although the odds were
still much in their favour.

At the end of the first day Jack had scored above 500;--but eleven
wickets had gone down, and only three of the most inferior players
were left to stand up with him. It was considered that Jack must
still make another 500 before the game would be won. This would allow
only twenty each to the other three players. "But," said Eva to me
that evening, "they'll never get the twenty each."

"And on which side are you, Eva?" I inquired with a smile. For in
truth I did believe at that moment that she was engaged to the
baronet.

"How dare you ask, Mr Neverbend?" she demanded, with indignation. "Am
not I a Britannulist as well as you?" And as sh