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So he spent a somewhat uneasy evening, and even appeared absent-minded when young Wyndham, now a constant visitor to his study, paid his usual evening call. "I say," said the boy, with beaming face, as he entered, "isn't it prime, Riddell? Bloomfield's going to try me in the second-eleven, he says.
More in this strain followed, and lower down the diary proceeded: "Wyndham the junior thinketh much of himself he is ugly in the face and in the second-eleven. I have writ a poem on Wyndham. "I over hear much of Wyndham the gross Telson and the evil Parson not knowing I am by the little boys say they have seen the ugly Wyndham come from Beamish's. Oh evil Wyndham being taken by Silk and Gilks.
And not only that, he had held out some awful threat about Limpets' cricket, which appeared to have a magical effect. Fancy the effect of his threatening to exclude a Limpet from the second-eleven when it was all he knew that the school had a second- eleven! The difficulties and perplexities which had loomed before him in the morning were closing around him now in grim earnest!
"What?" asked Riddell, too rejoiced that his friend was safe to be over- curious as to the exact consequence of his sentence. "Why!" exclaimed Wyndham, "it's all up with the second-eleven!" It was a blow undoubtedly perhaps the next hardest blow to expulsion but so much less hard that not even the boy himself could for long regard it as a crushing infliction.
Clephane had won his second-eleven cap as a fast bowler. He had failed to get into the first eleven because he was considered too erratic. Put these two facts together, and you will suspect that dark deeds were wrought on the men of Appleby in that lonely corner of the Wrykyn meadow. The pitch was not a good one. As a sample of the groundman's art it was sketchy and amateurish; it lacked finish.
He gave one boy a thrashing for being found with a paper dart in his hand, because Game had reported him; and to another, who had stolen a book, he gave only twenty lines, because he was in the second-eleven.
He had only received the evening before the melancholy notification of the fact that young Wyndham, owing to circumstances over which he had no control, would be unable to play in the second-eleven match next week; and he had it on his mind consequently to find a successor without delay.
"It's a fact, though," said Riddell, "and what's more, I have it on Parrett's authority that they are getting to play very well together, and any eleven that plays them will have to look out for itself if it is to beat them." "Ho, ho! I guess our fellows will be able to manage that. Of course, you know, if I'm in the second-eleven, I shan't be able to play with my house juniors."
It was the day of the Templeton match, and all Willoughby had once more turned out into the Big to watch the achievements of its heroes. Yet it was not so much the cricket that fellows crowded out to see. Of course, the contest between the second-eleven and Templeton was moderately interesting.
"Oh, I say," said Wyndham, noticing his perturbation, "pull yourself together, old man; you'll get on all serene. I was funky the first time I showed up for the second-eleven, you know, but it's all right now!" "Now, Riddell!" cried Bloomfield, impatiently, from the wickets; and off the captain hurried to his post, with a load of trouble at his heart, and feeling anything but a jubilant athlete.
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