feated every club
that they played with at that game, and Bell's Life does the American
team the justice to say that an eleven could no doubt be selected from
the American ball players that would trouble some of the best of our
elevens to defeat.

"The telegrams from England in every instance referred to the games
played as between twenty-two Americans and eleven English, but when the
regular reports were secured by mail it was found that it was eighteen
against twelve, quite a difference as regards the odds against side. The
first dispatch also referred to the 'weak team presented against the
Americans,' but the score when received showed that the eighteen had
against them in the first match six of the crack team which came over
here in 1872, together with two professionals and four of the strongest
of the Marylebone Club. Englishmen did not dream that the base-ball
novices could make such a good showing in the game, and knowing nothing
of their ability as fielders they thought it would be an easy task to
defeat even double their own number, the defeat of the celebrated Surrey
and Prince's Club twelves in one inning, and of the strong teams of
Sheffield, Manchester and Dublin by large scores, opened their eyes to
their mistake, and very naturally they began to hold the game that could
yield such players in great respect.

"Worthy of praise as the success of our base-ball representatives in
England is, the fact of their admirable deportment and gentlemanly
conduct on and off the field, is one which commends itself even more to
the praise of our home people. That they were invited to so many high
places and held intercourse with so many of the best people fully shows
that their behavior was commendable in the extreme. Considering
therefore the brilliant success of the tour and the credit done the
American name by these base-ball representatives, it was proper that
their reception on their reappearance in our midst should be
commensurate with their high salaries, for in every respect did they do
credit to themselves and our American game of `base-ball.'"

CHAPTER X. THE ARGONAUTS OF 1874.

The players that made the first trip abroad in the interest of the
National Game may well be styled the Argonauts of Base-ball, and though
they brought back with them but little of the golden fleece, the trip
being financially a failure, their memory is one that should always be
kept green in the hearts of the game's lovers, if