th it like fury, with a clear field before him,
and only Wraysford between him and the Dominican goal.

"Look-out behind there!"

No need of such a caution to a "back" like Wraysford. He is looking
out, and has been looking out ever since the match began.

But if he had the eyes of an Argus, and the legs of an Atlas, he could
not prevent that goal. For the Landfield man has no notion of coming to
close quarters; he is their crack drop-kick, and would be an ass indeed
if he did not employ his talent with such a chance as this. He only
runs a short way. Then he slackens pace. Wraysford rushes forward in
front, the pursuing host rush on behind, but every one sees how it will
be. The fellow takes a deliberate drop-kick at the goal, and up flies
the ball as true as a rocket, clean over the posts, as certain a goal as
Saint Dominic's ever lost! It was no use crying over spilt milk, and
for the rest of the game Stansfield relaxed no efforts to stay the tide
of defeat. And he succeeded too, for though the ball remained
dangerously near the school goal, and once or twice slipped behind, the
enemy were unable to make any addition to their score before "Time" was
called.

When the match was over, Loman tried his best to slip away unobserved by
his respectable town acquaintances; but they were far too polite to
allow him.

"Well," cried Mr Cripps, coolly joining the boy as he walked with the
other players back to the school--"well, you _do_ do it, you do. Bless
me! I call that proper sport, I do. What do you put on the game, bobs
or sovereigns, eh? Never mind, I and my pals we wanted a dander, so we
thought we'd look you up, eh? You know Tommy Granger here? I heard him
saying as we came along he wondered what you'd stand to drink after it
all."

All Loman could do was to stand still as soon as this talk began, and
trust his schoolfellows would walk on, and so miss all Mr Cripps's
disgusting familiarities.

"I say," whispered he, in an agitated voice, "for goodness' sake go
away, Cripps! I shall get into an awful row if you don't."

"Oh, all serene, my young bantam," replied Cripps, aloud, and still in
the hearing of not a few of the boys. "I'll go if you want it so
particular as all that. _I_ can tear myself away. Only mind you come
and give us a look up soon, young gentleman, for I and my pals ain't
seen you for a good while now, and was afraid something was up. Ta! ta!
Good-day, young gentlemen all.