im go; we shall do very well without him,' and he was taking up the
discarded bat; but Wilson, who was a very good-natured boy, said:

'We do not think you go for nothing, George; but it is not likely you
should play so well as we do, who are so much bigger than you, or than
Tom Fletcher, who lives with a bat in his hand, and always plays amongst
the great boys. I only wanted to make the game more even, for it is very
tiresome for one party always to win, and the others to lose. Come, let
us play on again as we were, and perhaps you may be more lucky. Come,
Tom, take up the bat.'

Stevens looked very angry, and was about to make some provoking reply;
but the other boys reminded him that they were playing in Mr. Danvers'
ground, and there was no ground like his in the neighbourhood, so the
ball was again bowled, and the bat once more sent it whirling back
through the long field.

'Well done, little fellow!' said Wilson, as George again took the bat,
and gave a pretty good hit. 'Well done; you'll soon play very well. Tom,
take care of yourself, and mind your play, or we shall lose a game
against them now.'

'Not if you mind your play,' replied the sharp Tom Fletcher, who saw
that Wilson in bowling favoured George, and gave him balls that he could
hardly help hitting. George exerted himself to the uttermost, and really
did play better than he had done before; but his party would not have
got the game but for the good-nature of Wilson, who did not put out his
best play, and whose party for the first time were losers. Wilson was
not right in doing this, because, even in a game of cricket, he ought to
have been true to his side, and played his best. It was practising
deceit, and deceit is never to be practised harmlessly. Neither was
George much gratified by his success, for he felt he had gained it in a
childish manner, and it would have been more honest to have lost the
game. Tom Fletcher and Stevens were both extremely angry, and both
declared they would not be beat in that way to please the humours of any
young pet. Tom said he would be matched singly against George, and the
other two boys agreed it would be the fairest way, and also for them to
be matched against Stevens and Wilson, and then they should see where
all the strength lay. Everybody agreed to this, and the two younger boys
were to have the first game. Tom was to give George two notches to begin
with, to which George had no objection, as Tom was allowed to