heath, where they were to play golf.

Macgreggor had brought with him a supply of golf sticks or bats, which
he generously distributed among those who wished to play. He soon fixed
on Bracebridge as being likely to prove one of the best players, and
told him that he should be his opponent on this occasion, although he
had received only three or four lessons from him.

Ernest chose Buttar, Ellis, and Knowles, who played already very well,
and Macgreggor took Bouldon, Gregson, and Jackson, another not bad
player, considering that he had only just taken a golf stick in hand.
As the ground over which they had to play was very irregular, they
marked their three holes in a triangle about a quarter of a mile apart.

"See, Ellis, what a beautiful golf stick Mac has given me," said
Bracebridge, showing his golf club. It was a formidable-looking weapon,
about three feet long, formed of ash, curved and massive towards the
end, which was made of a lump of beech, the handle being neatly covered
with velvet. The thick end of the club was loaded with four ounces of
lead, and faced with hard bone. Altogether no weapon could have been
designed better adapted for hitting a small ball with a powerful stroke.
The golf ball itself was very small, not bigger than a small hen's egg.
It was formed of white leather, which had been soaked in water, and
stuffed full of feathers by means of a stick till it became perfectly
hard. It was afterwards covered with four coats of fine white paint to
increase its hardness.

"You observe, Ellis," said Bracebridge, "the great object is to get a
ball both hard, light, strong, easily seen, and which will not be the
worse for a wetting. All these qualifications are possessed by this
little fellow. Why golf has gone out so much in England, I don't know.
Two centuries ago it was a fashionable game among the nobility; and we
hear of Prince Henry, eldest son of James the First, amusing himself
with it. In those days it was called `bandy-ball,' on account of the
bowed or bandy stick with which it was played. We now only apply the
term bandy to legs. Still farther back, in the reign of Edward the
Third, the game was played, and known by the Latin name of _Gambuca_.
Now, are we all ready?"

Macgreggor, who had just come up with his companions, replied that all
his party were ready to begin. Each side was accompanied by two boys,
carrying a number of other clubs, one of which was of iron, and some
wer