ee. Man does do
stoopid things sometimes."

Bob was very apologetic about sitting down to tea, with me there. Then
of course I apologised, and sat watching him drinking great draughts out
of a basin and devouring huge slices of bread and butter.

"Rare stuff kettle broth, sir," he said. "Don't give you no headaches;
do it, Polly?"

"No, father."

"She don't make it strong enough for that, Mr Burr, sir," he continued,
giving me a wink.

"Quite as strong as is good for you, father."

"Right, my lass," said Bob, helping himself to some more cream, "and not
so strong as is good for you."

I rose to go soon after, and the keeper joined with his daughter in
absolutely refusing to let me pay for my meal.

"Glad to have seen you, sir; and now mind that as soon as ever your
young friend Mas' Mercer--Mas' Bri'sh Museum, as I call him--is ready,
and you can get a day, I'll take you to our stock pond, where the carps
and tenches are so thick, they're asking to be caught. You shall have a
day."

"Good-bye, Polly," I said, shaking hands. "You've quite cured my head."

"I am so glad, sir!" she cried; and I went back to the school, Bob
seeing me part of the way, and saying to me confidentially as we
walked,--

"You see me leathering that poaching vagabond Magglin, sir. It's like
this. The reason for it was--No, sir. Good-night. You're too young to
talk about that sort o' thing. Don't forget about the fish."

He hurried away without another word, while I went on, and found Tom
Mercer looking for me, and eager to hear where I had been.

"What a shame!" he cried. "The high tea was very jolly, but I missed
you. I wish I'd gone too. I say, we were licked, but it was a splendid
match after all. Hallo! here's Hodson. The chaps all went off on their
'bus cheering and--Hooray, Hodson! what a day!"

"Yes; but I say," said the lad, "Burr major's lost his watch."

"His watch!" cried Mercer, giving quite a jump. "Oh!"

"Yes; he left it in his waistcoat in the tent when he stripped for his
innings, and when he felt for it some time after, it was gone."

"Then he didn't miss it directly?" I said.

"No, not till a little while ago. A lot of the fellows are up in the
field searching for it. Haven't either of you seen it, have you?"

"No," I said, and Mercer shook his head.

"Come on and help look for it," cried Hodson; and we went up to the
field, where the tent was still standing, it being understood that th