e second
innings of the Sixth was no exception to the rule. They only made
thirty-six runs. Stephen and Paul were hoarse with yelling, as first
one wicket, then another, went down for scarcely a run. Raleigh and
Baynes seemed the only two who could stand up at all to the bowling of
Oliver and Wraysford, but even their efforts could not keep the wickets
up for long.

Every one saw now that the final innings would be a desperate struggle.
The Fifth wanted sixty-nine to be equal and seventy to win, and the
question was, Would they do it in time?

Stephen and his confederate felt the weight of this question so
oppressive that they left the irritating company of Mr Bramble, and
walked off and joined themselves to a group of Fourth Form fellows, who
were watching the match with sulky interest, evidently sore that they
had none of their men in the School Eleven.

"They'll never do it, and serve them right!" said one. "Why didn't they
put Mansfield in the eleven, or Banks? They're far more use than Fisher
or Braddy."

"For all that, it'll be a sell if the Sixth lick," said another.

"I wouldn't much care. If we are going to be sat upon by those Fifth
snobs every time an eleven is made up, it's quite time we did go in with
the Sixth."

"Jolly for the Sixth!" retorted the other; whereupon Stephen laughed,
and had his ears boxed for being cheeky. The Fourth Senior could not
stand "cheek."

But Saint Dominic's generally was "sweet" on the Fifth, and hoped they
would win. When, therefore, Tom Senior and Bullinger went in first and
began to score there was great rejoicing.

But the Fourth Form fellows, among whom Stephen now was, refused to
cheer for any one; criticism was more in their line.

"Did you ever see a fellow hit across wickets more horribly than
Senior?" said one.

"Just look at that!" cried another. "That Bullinger's a downright muff
not to get that last ball to leg! I could have got it easily."

"Well, with that bowling, it's a disgrace if they _don't_ score; that's
all I can say," remarked a third.

And so these Fourth Form grandees went on, much to Stephen's wrath, who,
when Oliver went in, removed somewhere else, so as to be out of ear-shot
of any offensive remarks.

Oliver, however, played so well that even the Fourth Form critics could
hardly run him down. He survived all the other wickets of his side,
and, though not making a brilliant score, did what was almost as
useful--played stead