owing Monday the sporting papers criticized me most
unpleasantly. "Marten was obviously nervous, and did not seem to
settle down until the game was lost." "As full-back Marten had much to
learn; his tackling was good, but his kicking left much to be desired,
and he seldom found touch." I turned from _The Sportsman_ and
_Sporting Life_ to _The Daily Telegraph_, and found that I had shown
"more pluck than judgment."

I felt that Sykes of Merton must be having an enjoyable morning, and
even the fact that the critics unanimously praised Foster was of little
assistance to me. My chance had come, and I had not taken it; there
could not have been a more miserable man in Oxford, and for a whole
solid week I never cut a lecture or did anything of which even Mr.
Edwardes could disapprove.

Sykes reappeared in the 'Varsity team, and Foster declared that the
whole thing was a swindle; but he was more prejudiced in my favour than
I was myself. The last match of the term at Oxford, and the one
previous to the 'Varsity match, was against the Old Cliburians, and the
O. C.s having had a disastrous season Adamson, who always played centre
three-quarters with Foster, did not play, but put a man from Queen's in
his place. This man, whose name was Pott, had been laid up all the
term, and two or three people said it was lucky for Foster that Pott
had not been able to play before. I played back for the O. C.s, and
the game was enough to make any Cambridge man who saw it stand on his
head with delight. The 'Varsity could do nothing right; the passing
broke down time after time, and the forwards got impatient and kicked
too hard. I thought Foster was the one man on the side who played
decently, but five minutes before the end, when we were leading by a
goal to nothing, Pott made a very good run and got a try in the corner.
It seemed to me that this was the only thing he did during the whole
game, and it was my fault that he got the try, for I went for him a
second too late and he fell over the line, but the place-kick went
crooked, and we won by a goal to a try.

Adamson, who was touch-judging, said what he thought about the 'Varsity
team, and he could be the most uncomplimentary man in Europe when he
liked. His temper was awful, and it did not seem to be improved by the
use of expletives. This game was played on a Saturday, and on the
following Wednesday week we had to play the 'Varsity match at Queen's
Club. The Cambridge team