of iron. You _petits garcons_ don't mind all sorts of
knocks about, but for one poor old man like me it is not good." Had he
been an Englishman, we might have despised him for not playing cricket
or football, but we thought it was only natural in a Frenchman. As he
played rounders, and prisoners' base, and hoops, and every game of
skill, in capital style, and was very good-natured and ready to do
anything anybody asked him, which he had it in his power to do, he was
deservedly a very general favourite. It was great fun to hear him sing
out, "Chivie! chivie! chivie!" when playing at prisoners base, and to
see his legs with short steps moving along twice as fast as anybody
else.

The weather was getting rather too hot for most of our running games
which we played in the spring and autumn--with the exception, of course,
of cricket, the most delightful of all summer amusements--when Monsieur
Malin proposed a grand kite-flying match. Two different objects were to
be tried for. There were two equal first prizes. One was to be won by
the kite which rose the highest, or rather, took out the longest line;
the other prize was to be given to the owner of the kite which could
pull the heaviest weights the fastest. Two other prizes were to be
bestowed, one on the handsomest kite, and the other to the most
grotesque, provided they were not inferior in other qualities.

For two or three weeks before, preparations were being made for the
match, and every day parties were seen going out to the neighbouring
heath to try the qualities of the kites they had manufactured. Clubs
were formed which had one or two kites between them, for the expense of
the string alone was considerable. It was necessary to have the
lightest and strongest line to be procured, which would also run easily
off the reel.

Monsieur Malin was working away at his kite in his room, and he said
that he would allow no one to see it till it was completed. Many of the
bigger fellows condescended to take an interest in the matter, as did
Lemon and Ernest and others, and even Blackall gave out that he intended
to try the fortune of his kite. He stated that he should not bother
himself by making one, but that he had written to London to have the
largest and best ever made sent down to him. Many of the fellows, when
they heard this, said that they thought there would be very little use
in trying to compete with him. Dawson especially remarked that he
should gi