Mike

, though not many, about the Easter term: but it is in the summer that one really appreciates public school life. The freedom of it, after the

ng lights at their private schools feel it acutely for the first week. At one time it was the custom, if we may believe writers of a generation or so back, for boys to take quite an embarrassing interest in

Wrykynians, and Mike got a certain amount of reflected glory from them. The brother of first-class cricketers has a dignity of his own. Then Bob was a help. He was on the verge of the cricket team and had been the school full-b

three teams and a dozen or so of those most likely to fill the vacant places. Wyatt was there, of course. He had got his first

ff to?" asked Wyatt. "C

on. Junior cricket had not begun, and it was a l

ouse and shove on some things, and I'll try an

hour later he was sitting at the back of t

owler and concentrated his energies on that department of the game. He sometimes took ten minutes

the other two bowlers. Two nets away Firby-Smith, who had changed his pince-nez for a pair of huge spectacles, wa

ay of gliding Burgess's fastest to leg which Mike admired greatly. He was succeed

to be. He scratched forward at nearly everything, and when Burgess, who had been resting, took up the ball again, he had each stump uprooted i

, as Mike returned the ball

the afternoon, Wyat

"see that kid sitt

d eye," said B

f idea that he's a bit of a bat. I told him I'd ask you if he could have

the field equalled his

hink that I'm going to sweat to bowl

sit and watch. I rather fancy

gloves, borrowed his bat, a

re you?" asked Wy

irely modest person seldom makes a good batsman. Batting is one of those things which demand fi

d not look as difficult as Saunders. The first half-dozen balls he played carefully. He was on trial, and he meant to take no risks. Then the professional ov

e smile of an impresario on the f

" admitte

ill more complimentary. He go

me he was more than a trifle nervous. The bowling he had

a yorker, and banged his bat down in the block just as the ball arrived. An unpleasant sensation as of having been struck by a thunderbolt was

yed," sai

sful general receiving

rred. He could not do much with the bowling beyond stopping it and feeling repetitions of the thunderbolt experience, but he kept up his end; an

g to the square manner in which the c

u at before you came

re," said Mike. "King-Hall's

h cricke

ters, a chap called Westbrook, w

ss no

way, which is so

further remarks, but gathering from the captain's silence that the audience was at

no idea you were such hot s

awfully decent of you getting Burgess to l

dredth game with the cripples and the kids. Now you've shown them what you can do you

hat would b

est form of praise. He says it when he wants to let himself go and simply butter up a thing. If you took him to see N. A. Knox bowl,

so," s

een the Under Sixteen and a scratch side. Mike's name was among the Under Six

o himself, as he saw his name on t

a letter to his father,