. We'll enjoy ourselves
while we have the chance. It is not for so very long!' No, you are right
there: it is not for so very long; it is only a few hours before you
will have to weigh in the balance the good and the bad you have done
during your Fernhurst days. For some of you it will be in a few weeks;
but for the youngest of you it cannot be more than a very few years. Let
me beg each of you ..." The sermon followed on traditional lines.

Almost subconsciously Gordon rose with the others to sing: _Lord, behold
us with Thy Blessing_.... What would it feel like to him if this were
his last Sunday, and he had to own that his school career were a
failure? He sat quite quiet in his study thinking for a long time
afterwards. He had a study alone this term.

In the big study that it has ever been the privilege of the head of the
House to own, Clarke also sat very silent. He was nerving himself for a
great struggle.

* * * * *

To the average individual the summer term is anything but the heaven it
is usually imagined to be. The footer man hates it; the fag has to field
all day on a house game and always goes in last; there is early school;
in some houses there are no hot baths. On the first day the studies are
loud with murmurs of:

"Oh! this rotten summer term."

"No spare time and cricket."

"Awful!"

For Fernhurst was primarily a footer school. Buller had captained
England and had infused much of his own enthusiasm into his Fifteens;
but the cricket coach, a Somerset professional, lacked "the Bull's"
personality and force, and so for the last few years the doings of the
Eleven had been slight and unmeritable. Even Lovelace major had been
unable to carry a whole side on his shoulders. As soon as he was out the
school ceased to take any interest in the game. Fernhurst batting was of
the stolid, lifeless type, and showed an almost mechanical subservience
to the bowling.

But for Gordon this term was sheer joy. He loved cricket
passionately--last season at his preparatory school he had headed the
batting averages, and kept wicket with a certain measure of success. As
a bat he was reckless in the extreme; time after time he flung away his
wicket, trying to cut straight balls past point; he was the despair of
anyone who tried to coach him; but he managed to get runs.

For cricket the School House was divided into A-K and L-Z, according to
which division the names of the boys fell int