ball was naturally anxious to come to the assistance of the pretty heiress. The Oxford captain and his brother, both down for the vac., were the first to enlist. Then followed one of the leading county amateurs, who for Dolly’s sake sacrificed an important match against Surrey. All the officers in the neighbouring barracks offered to play, and the major was mortally offended because he was the only one who was refused. Altogether, Dolly’s uncle, who was no mean performer himself, had got together a capital side.
“I couldn’t help it. The Johnnies would insist upon playing,” he remarked, in answer to Dolly’s expostulation that he had raised too strong a team. “Besides, it’s paying a compliment to old Cassock. It’ll make him buck up, and that’s what you want.”
The day before the match, while practising at the nets, the Rev. Mr. Cassock received a nasty knock on the knee-cap from one of the young grocer’s short-pitched balls, and to his great chagrin, for he had hoped to excel before the fair Dolly, he became too lame to play.
“We shall get well thrashed,” he remarked testily to his curate, as he limped home upon the young man’s arm.
“‘WHEEL ME TO THE REFRESHMENT TENT’” (p. 105).
“I’m not so sure about that, sir,” Johnny Trouncer remarked cheerfully. “Our schoolmaster is good for fifty runs every time he takes a bat in his hand in a match like this, and the grocer’s young hopeful is a demon when the wicket suits him.”
Mr. Cassock groaned at the remembrance.
“Besides,” continued the curate, “I’m not so bad myself!”
“That only makes three,” answered the rector.
“Ah, but I’ve got something up my sleeve, sir. A great surprise!” cried the Rev. Mr. Trouncer. “Old Hurdles is going to play for our team.”
“Hurdles!” said Mr. Cassock. “Who on earth is he?”
“Beg pardon, we used to call, him that at Rugby. Of course, he was there about fifteen years before me, but he came down every summer term to play for the old boys, so I knew him well. Why, he was the best all-round man in the Oxford eleven in his day! He played for the Gentlemen half-a-dozen times, and twice against the Australians ten years ago. He was a deuce of a fellow!”
