Page:The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club.djvu/114

70 70 POSTHUMOUS PAPERS OF

" You have played it Sir ? " inquired Mr. Wardle, who had been much amused by his loquacity.

" Played it ! Think I have — thousands of times — not here — West Indies — exciting: thing — hot work — very."

" It must be rather a warm pursuit in such a climate/' observed Mr. Pickwick.

" Warm ! — red hot — scorching — glowing. Played a match once — single wicket — friend the Colonel — Sir Thomas Blazo — who should get the greatest number of runs. — Won the toss — first innings — seven o'clock, A.M. — six natives to look out — went in ; kept in — heat intense — natives all fainted — taken away — fresh half-dozen ordered — fainted also — Blazo bowling— supported by two natives— couldn't bowl me out — fainted too — cleared away the Colonel — wouldn't give in — ^faithful attendant — Quanko Samba — last man left — sun so hot, bat in blisters, ball scorched brown — five hundred and seventy runs — rather ex- hausted — Quanko mustered up last remaining strength — bowled me out — had a bath, and went out to dinner "

" And what became of what's-his-name, Sir?" inquired an old gentleman.

"Blazo?"

« No — the other gentleman.'*

"Quanko Samba?"

" Yes Sir."

" Poor Quanko — never recovered it — bowled on, on my account — bowled off, on his own — died Sir." Here the stranger buried his countenance in a brown jug, but whether to hide his emotion or imbibe its contents, we cannot distinctly affirm. We only know that he paused suddenly, drew a long and deep breath, and looked anxiously on, as two of the principal members of the Dingley Dell club approached Mr. Pickwick, and said —

" We are about to partake of a plain dinner at the Blue Lion, Sir; we hope you and your friends will join us."

" Of course," said Mr. Wardle, " among our friends we include Mr.
 * " and he looked towards the stranger.

" Jingle," said that versatile gentleman, taking the hint at o^nee.
 * ' Jingle— Alfred Jingle, Esq., of No Hall, Nowhere."

" I shall be very happy, I am sure," said Mr. Pickwick.

"So shall I," said Mr. Alfred Jingle, drawing one arm through Mr. Pickwick's, and another through Mr Wardle's, as he whispered confi- dentially in the ear of the former gentleman : —

" Devilish good dinner— cold, but capital — peeped into the room this morning — fowls and pies, and all that sort of thing — pleasant fellows these — well behaved, too— very."

There being no further preliruinaries to arrange, the company strag- gled into the town in little knots of twos and threes; and within a quarter of an hour were all seated in the great room of the Blue Lion Inn Muggleton — iUr. Dumkins acting as chairman, and Mr. Luffey officiating as vice.

There was a vast deal of talking and rattling of knives and forks,