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Coming south, he had looked in on Mike's people for a brief space, and, at the request of Mike's mother, took the early express to Wrykyn in order to pay a visit of inspection. His telegram arrived during morning school. Mike went down to the station to meet him after lunch. Uncle John took command of the situation at once. "School playing anybody to-day, Mike? I want to see a match."
"It was dark, sir, and I couldn't see not to say properly; but if you ask me my frank and private opinion I should say couple of 'undred." "H'm Well, I will look into the matter at once. They shall be punished." "Yes, sir." "Ye-e-s H'm Yes Most severely." "Yes, sir." "Yes Thank you, constable. Good-night." "Good-night, sir." The headmaster of Wrykyn was not a motorist.
Wrykyn had then gone in, lost Strachan for twenty before lunch, and finally completed their innings at a quarter to four for a hundred and thirty-one. This was better than Sedleigh had expected. At least eight of the team had looked forward dismally to an afternoon's leather-hunting.
This, taken in conjunction with the fact that if the worst came to the worst he had, at any rate, won a medal by having got into the final, cheered Sheen. If only Joe Bevan had appeared he would have been perfectly contented. But there were no signs of Joe. "Final, Light-Weights," shouted the referee. A murmur of interest from the ring-side chairs. "R. D. Sheen, Wrykyn College."
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.
Clephane had not known him intimately before, though they were both members of the second eleven; but at Shields' they instantly formed an alliance. And in due season or a little later the house matches began. Henfrey, of Day's, the Wrykyn cricket captain, met Clephane at the nets when the drawing for opponents had been done. "Just the man I wanted to see," said Henfrey.
Milton is the head of the house, and stands alone among the house prefects for the strenuousness of his methods in dealing with his dormitory. Nothing in this world is certain, but it is highly improbable that Chapple will be late again. There are swagger-sticks. The house cricket cup at Wrykyn has found itself on some strange mantelpieces in its time.
Which, said Strachan, was hard lines on Ripton, but a bit of jolly good luck for Wrykyn, as it had saved them from what would probably have been a record hammering, Ripton having eight of their last year's team left, including Dixon, the fast bowler, against whom Mike alone of the Wrykyn team had been able to make runs in the previous season. Altogether, Wrykyn had struck a bad patch.
At Wrykyn he had always charged in at the beginning of term at the boys' entrance, but this formal reporting of himself at Sedleigh suited his mood. He inquired for Mr. Outwood, and was shown into a room lined with books. Presently the door opened, and the housemaster appeared. There was something pleasant and homely about Mr. Outwood. In appearance he reminded Mike of Smee in Peter Pan.
"I didn't want to play myself, but I wasn't going to do a rotten trick like getting other fellows away from the team." "No, I know." "It was rotten enough, really, not playing myself." "Oh, no. Beastly rough luck having to leave Wrykyn just when you were going to be captain, and come to a small school like this."
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