was too great
to be recovered. In vain did the eager Luffey, and the enthusiastic
Struggles, do all that skill and experience could suggest, to regain the
ground Dingley Dell had lost in the contest--it was of no avail; and in
an early period of the winning game Dingley Dell gave in, and allowed
the superior prowess of All-Muggleton.

The stranger, meanwhile, had been eating, drinking, and talking, without
cessation. At every good stroke he expressed his satisfaction and
approval of the player in a most condescending and patronising manner,
which could not fail to have been highly gratifying to the party
concerned; while at every bad attempt at a catch, and every failure to
stop the ball, he launched his personal displeasure at the head of the
devoted individual in such denunciations as--'Ah, ah!--stupid'--'Now,
butter-fingers'--'Muff'--'Humbug'--and so forth--ejaculations which
seemed to establish him in the opinion of all around, as a most
excellent and undeniable judge of the whole art and mystery of the noble
game of cricket.

'Capital game--well played--some strokes admirable,' said the stranger,
as both sides crowded into the tent, at the conclusion of the game.

'You have played it, sir?' inquired Mr. Wardle, who had been much amused
by his loquacity. 'Played it! Think I have--thousands of times--not
here--West Indies--exciting thing--hot work--very.' 'It must be rather a
warm pursuit in such a climate,' observed Mr. Pickwick.

'Warm!--red hot--scorching--glowing. Played a match once--single
wicket--friend the colonel--Sir Thomas Blazo--who should get the
greatest number of runs.--Won the toss--first innings--seven o'clock
A.m.--six natives to look out--went in; kept in--heat intense--natives
all fainted--taken away--fresh half-dozen ordered--fainted also--Blazo
bowling--supported by two natives--couldn't bowl me out--fainted
too--cleared away the colonel--wouldn't give in--faithful
attendant--Quanko Samba--last man left--sun so hot, bat in
blisters, ball scorched brown--five hundred and seventy runs--rather
exhausted--Quanko mustered up last remaining strength--bowled me
out--had a bath, and went out to dinner.'

'And what became of what's-his-name, Sir?' inquired an old gentleman.

'Blazo?'

'No--the other gentleman.' 'Quanko Samba?'

'Yes, sir.'

'Poor Quanko--never recovered it--bowled on, on my account--bowled off,
on his own--died, sir.' Here the stranger buried his countenance in a
brown jug, b