ched discovered that their dusty heads
and limbs ached not a little.

"You'd better come out and cheek it," said Hooker, as the coach pulled
up; "you're bound to get into a row, so you may as well enjoy
yourselves."

Dick's intention had been to get taken on under the seat to the stables,
and there make his escape. But after all there was not much less risk
that way than in following Hooker's advice. So they tumbled out with
the crowd, and kept near Hooker, on whose support they felt entitled to
rely, after the service rendered to him in the battle of the lower step.

Every one was so excited about the match, and so anxious to show off
well to the Grandcourt boys, that no one took any notice of the two
small interlopers, which was a matter of great thankfulness to our
heroes.

Their spirits gradually rose as they found themselves sitting
comfortably among a knot of Templetonians, in the glorious Grandcourt
meadow, with a superb view of the match. They lost all their reserve,
and joined wildly in the cheers for the old school, heedless of every
consideration of prudence and self-preservation.

And they certainly had some excuse for their enthusiasm. For Templeton
walked away from her enemy from the very first, in a style which amazed
even her most ardent admirers.

In their first innings they put together 215 as smartly and merrily as
if they were playing against an eleven of the Den. One after another
the Grandcourt bowlers collapsed. No sort of ball seemed to find its
way past the Templeton bats, and no sort of fielding seemed to hem in
their mighty hits.

Pontifex--"dear old Ponty," as everybody called him to-day--who had been
breaking his friends' hearts by his indolence and indifference all the
term, stood up now, and punished the Grandcourt bowling, till the enemy
almost yelled with dismay. The steady Mansfield was never steadier, nor
Cartwright more dashing, nor Pledge more artful. Even Birket, who to-
day fleshed his maiden bat on the Grandcourt meadow, knocked up his two
and threes, with one cut for four into the tent, till it seemed to
Templeton that cricket was in the air, and that even Hooker and Duffield
could have pulled the match off single-handed.

But the batting was nothing to the play when Templeton was out and took
the offensive. Pledge was more than dangerous, he was deadly, and
knocked the balls about in a manner quite "skeery." Heathcote was
perfectly sure he could have made as