chance again presently." Which speech had the
unintended effect of making Saurin more exasperated than ever.
"Confound his patronising!" he said to himself; but he could not find
any excuse for any audible utterance except the conventional "All
right," and he now drew on his gloves, took up his bat, and issued from
the tent.

"Play careful cricket, Saurin," said Robarts as he passed him; "the
great thing is to keep Crawley at the wicket as long as we can."

"A likely story!" he thought to himself as he strode across the turf,
"to make myself a mere foil and stop-gap for that conceited brute! Not
I." Far from practising the abstinence of the other two, he had eaten
as much as he could stuff and drunk all the beer he could get, and this,
combined with resentment at Robarts' words, caused him to go in for
slogging just to show that he was not to be dictated to.

The first ball he got he hit as hard as he could, and well on to the
ground, but it was cleverly stopped before a run could be made. The
second he sent into the hands of the fielder standing at mid-wicket, who
stuck to it, fast as it came, and threw it up amidst the cheers of his
friends. Saurin stalked away with his duck's egg.

Four more wickets fell before Crawley was run out, by which time he had
scored 90 off his own bat, the total standing at 150. Thirty more was
added before the Westonians were all out, and the score stood--first
innings, 40; second, 180; total, 220, against 94. So that Hillsborough
now had to make 126 to tie, and 127 to win.

It was a good match; anybody's game. During the remainder of the
afternoon Saurin behaved disgracefully. His temper had completely
mastered him, and he was sulky and careless to an extent which made even
Edwards ashamed for him. He let balls pass with hardly an attempt to
stop them, picked them up and threw them in in a leisurely manner, which
gave more than one run to the other side, and showed such indifference
that he was hissed.

For every run was of importance. The fact was that Weston that year was
decidedly weak in the bowling, Crawley being the only one to be depended
upon, and he could not be kept at it for ever; and, though the fielding
generally was good, the Hillsburians scored fast. At seven o'clock they
were 100 for seven wickets, and the excitement was very great when
Crawley, who had had an hour's interval, went on once more to bowl.

His first ball was cut for five. His second took