Page:Hornung - Fathers of Men.djvu/287



" Jove!" exclaimed Carpenter in the scoring tent. "I haven't seen Jan do that for years. It used to mean that he was on the spot."

"He did it when he went in just now," replied the præpostor who was scoring. "It only meant five more runs to him then."

"But those five saved the follow! I don't believe he meant to get any more."

"You don't suggest that he got out on purpose, Chips?"

"I shouldn't wonder. I know he told me the wicket would be just right for him when the heavy roller had been over it. By Jove, he's doing it again!"

What Jan had done, and was doing again, was something which had been chaffed out of him his first year in the Eleven. He was pulling the white cap, with the honourably faded blue ribbon, tight down over his head, so that his ears became unduly prominent, and his back hair gaped transversely to the scalp.

The scorer remarked that he had better sharpen his pencil, and Jan retorted that he had better watch the over first. It was the first over of the Old Boys' second innings, and the redoubtable Swiller had already taken guard. Jan ran up to the wicket, with all his old clumsy