of the boys he might have been no longer a man, but a demi-god,
with such awe and reverence did they behold him.

He had lately scored one hundred and five for the Colts of his county,
and had even been selected to play in the eleven against M.C.C. next
week. What he might not achieve when he went up to Oxford in the autumn
no one could say, but that he would be stroke of the eight and captain
of the fifteen, and carry off all the events in the next University
athletics, no one at the school ventured to doubt for a moment.

The Templeton boys hardly knew what to make of all this demonstration in
favour of their opponents' umpire, and it added considerably to their
nervousness to hear loud cries of "Well umpired, sir!" when any one was
given out.

Parson and Telson, having taken the precaution to send Bosher and
Lawkins early in the day to keep seats for them on the round bench under
the schoolhouse elms, viewed the match luxuriously, and not a little to
the envy of other juniors, who had to stand or sit on the ground where
they could.

"Boshy play, you know," says Telson, helping himself to monkey-nuts out
of Parson's hospitable pocket; "but it's stunning to see the way old
Wynd. gives middle. Any one else would take double the time over it."

"Right you are! And he's awfully fair too. See the neat way he gave
Forbes out leg before, just now!"

"There's another two for Tedbury. We'll cheer him next time. Hullo,
Bosher, old man! you needn't be coming here. There's no room; we're
full up."

"You might let us sit down a bit," says Bosher; "I kept the seat from
half-past ten to twelve for you."

"Jolly muff not to sit down, then, when you had the chance. Jolly gross
conduct of the evil Bosher, eh, Telson?"

"Rather! He's small in the world, but he'd better get out of the light,
my boy, or he'll catch it!"

Bosher subsides at this point, and the two friends resume their divided
interest in the match, and old Wyndham, and the monkey-nuts.

Presently two familiar forms saunter past, arm-in-arm.

"There go Riddell and Bloomfield," says Parson. "Awfully chummy they've
got, haven't they? Different from what it used to be!"

"So it is," says Parson. "Not nearly as much chance of a lark. But
perhaps it's no harm; it keeps those Welcher kids quiet."

"More than it's doing just now! Look at the way young Cusack is
bellowing over there! He's as mad on this match as if he was in the
eleven."

"So he e