did
pick it up he threw it violently at the wicket to which Sam was
running. There was some doubt whether he threw at Sam or at the
wickets, but he missed whatever he intended to hit and the ball went
yards away into the long grass, where it remained until four runs had
been made and Burtington had won the match.

Immediately afterwards Sam fell over his wickets in trying to make a
stylish stroke with one leg poised in the air, and an excursion of
Burtingtonians, headed by Mr. Plumb, sallied forth and carried him
shoulder-high to the tent, where he was given much refreshment.

One or two men on our side tried to persuade Bagshaw that there was
plenty of time left to make as many runs as we wanted and to get the
Burtington men out again, but when Mr. Plumb was told what we were
talking about he came out of the tent and joined us. He was inclined
to be elated, and seizing Bagshaw by the arm said he should like to
have a word with him. They walked away from the rest of us, and, as a
friend of Mr. Plumb's, I went with them.

"Cricket is cricket, that's what I say, sir," Mr. Plumb began, and
Bagshaw, whose manners were perfectly splendid, assented without a
smile.

"But in this yer little village there are what the parson calls local
considerations, which I as captain of this team have got to consider."

Bagshaw inquired quite patiently what these considerations were.

"Well, it's like this, I keep The Reindeer, and the parson he's a
teetotaller, not one of those stumping men who think because they drink
nothing nobody else ought to, but what I should call broad-minded for a
man who drinks nothing but water. Now what the parson says to me is
this: 'You give these young gentlemen luncheon for which they pays
half-a-crown ahead, and it's worth it, and my missis drives up in the
pony-cart at five and gives everybody tea.' It's like a bargain, you
understand."

Bagshaw understood most thoroughly and tried to stop the flow of Mr.
Plumb's conversation, but that excellent captain talked on for another
five minutes, until two of our men who knew Bagshaw better than I did,
took upon themselves to walk to the wickets. Then Mr. Plumb began to
collect his men, which seemed to be a difficult matter, and it was
half-past four before we began again. At five o'clock tea was ready
and the game was interrupted for so long that we gave up all thoughts
of winning it, but I heard afterwards from the parson himself that as a
gene