of over seven miles in the hour. A group, of which Penryhn was
one, were walking in that direction one afternoon, when Buller overtook
them at a sharp run, pulling up alongside his friend.

"So you have come then after all?" said Penryhn.

"Yes," replied Buller, mopping his forehead. "I finished the task I set
myself directly after you started, and thought I could catch you up.
But it's hot!"

"Is it true that you have been elected into the house eleven?"

"Yes," replied Buller; "it seems rum, doesn't it?"

"I don't know why it should. I am sure I am very glad, old fellow, for
I know that you wished it."

"Well, yes I did. I am uncommonly fond of cricket, don't you see, and
have tried hard to improve."

"That you must have done, by Jove! But how was it?"

"Well, Robarts said something to Crawley, and Crawley came up to me the
day before yesterday and said he had heard that I could bowl a bit;
would I come and give him a few balls. So I went and bowled to him for
an hour, and the result was that he called a house meeting, and I was
put into the eleven."

"You will be in the school eleven next year, you see."

"I don't know," replied Buller; "it depends on how I get on, you know.
I might make a regular mull of it."

"Bosh! not you; you have gone on improving too steadily for that," said
Penryhn confidently. "This is one of the milestones the chap comes to;
he will be here presently if we wait. What's the row over there?"

"Oh! one of those men with images, and some of our fellows, Saurin,
Edwards, and that lot, chaffing him."

An Italian with a large tray of plaster of Paris figures on his head was
tramping from one town to another, and seeing the groups of boys
gathered in different parts of the road, thought he might do a stroke of
business, so taking down the tray he solicited attention.

"I makes them all myself; I am poor man, but artist."

"Ah! and how do you sell them?" asked Saurin.

"Sheap, oh mosh too sheap; what you like to give."

"Will you take a shilling for the whole lot?"

"Oh! young gentleman, you make fun, you joke. Ha, ha! One shilling for
the beautiful little statues! What joke!"

"Too much, is it? I thought so; not but what they would make capital
cockshies."

A large pile of flints, hammered into a convenient size and form for
missiles, lay handy, ready for repairing the road, and the coincidence
caused Saurin's idea to become popular at once.

"Let's have one f