*CHAPTER II.*
*THE CHALLENGE SHIELD.*
Susie's eyes sparkled and her face beamed with pleasure as she lay inthe invalid-chair, with her head propped up by soft, cozy pillows. Theboys had found a splendid spot for the carriage, while her mother andMrs. Boden sat beside her. And to make her happiness complete, Jim haddeclared that his leg was not in the least bit painful.
"Isn't it prime?" said Dick, who had come over for a last word. "You'dnever have guessed we could be such awful swells. There's the mayor inthe pavilion, and no end of big-wigs with him."
"Where's Jim?"
"Oh, he's tossing with Temple, and he's lost too; our fellows are comingout to field."
It was an ideal day for cricket. The sun shone brightly, but a coolbreeze tempered its heat, making it pleasant for players and spectatorsalike. The ground was packed with people, who cheered heartily as Jimled his team into the field.
Hundreds of boys were there, some sporting the Magpie colours, othersthe blue and white favours of the Deanery, while many of the principalmen in the town had come with their wives and children to watch thefinal struggle for the challenge shield.
Only one innings was to be played by each side, and Dick started thebowling. The opening was sensational: his first ball scattered thebatsman's stumps, and in the same over another man was caught andbowled.
Two wickets down and not a run scored! The Deanery boys were wild withdelight. They flung their caps in the air, and began debating where itwould be best to hang the shield.
Their joy did not last long, however. Temple had gone in, and he washitting the ball to all parts of the field without giving a chance. Invain Jim changed his bowlers and rearranged his field. Until he hadmade 69, the doughty batsman defied every attempt to dislodge him.Then, getting hold of a curly one from Dick, he sent it spinning highand hard to the boundary.
The Magpies cheered and clapped their hands; but, as Dick afterwardsremarked, they were "a little too previous." Jim was fielding "in thecountry," and he did not often miss a catch. He had hard work this timethough; but he just managed it, and a welcome roar burst from theDeanery boys as he threw the ball into the air.
"Well caught! well caught, Hartland!" they cried, for Temple was theirmost dangerous opponent, and now that he was gone they felt on betterterms with themselves.
Still the score gradually crept up, till, by the time the last man wasout, the board showed the respectable total of 157.
Susie had very hazy notions of cricket, and when Dick came over shewanted to know if the Deanery had won the shield.
"Won!" echoed Dick, opening his eyes wide. "Why, the match isn't over.We have to go in yet. There's Jim just walking to the wicket. Did yousee that lovely catch he made? Mr. Barrow, a regular cricketingswell--plays for the county, you know--said it was as neat a bit of workas he'd seen on the ground."
Susie still felt very hazy about it, but she understood Jim had donesomething clever, and that was enough to make her happy.
Meanwhile the excitement over the match grew very keen. The Deaneryinnings opened well, fifty runs being scored for the loss of twowickets; but after that matters went badly.
One after the other, the batsmen were caught or bowled; and it seemed asif the captain could not get any one to stay with him for long.
When the seventh wicket fell for exactly a hundred, Dick began towhistle comically.
"There's only Archer to depend on now," said he, "and it isn't often hemakes more than a dozen."
"Why don't you go in?" asked Susie.
"Oh, I'm last man. I'm no good with the bat. They only play me forbowling. Oh, well done, Archer! That was a pretty cut for two. I hopehe'll get set."
"So do I," said the girl, though rather wondering what to 'get set'meant; and then Dick mystified her more than ever by remarking that ifArcher got his eye in he might be good for a score.
"It makes all the difference if a fellow has his eye in, you know," hesaid; and as this appeared reasonable, Susie agreed.
How the Deanery boys shouted when the board showed 120! And what a roarwent up from the Magpies as, without another run added, Archer's bailswent tumbling to the ground!
"A beastly yorker!" exclaimed Dick in a tone of deep disgust. "Well, Imust be off. That's Crag going to the wicket now. He'd make a lot ofruns, only he's so jolly nervous."
"The poor boy looks very pale," said Mrs. Hartland.
"O my aunt!" shouted Dick in an ecstasy of delight, "he's got a two offhis first ball. Well done, Crag!"
The strain was intense now. The spectators watched every ball, andthere were loud cries of "Play up, Deanery!" as the score kept creepingup.
Mr. Holmore felt as much excited as any of his boys, and he clapped hishands when 130 appeared on the board.
"Only twenty-eight to win," he said; "but I'm afraid the odds are toogreat."
"Hartland's good for these," said Mr. Laythorne Jim's class-master; "heis playing magnificently."
"Yes, whether we win or lose, it's a great day for him. Ah, I wasafraid of it! Crag's out, and we still want twenty-five. Who is thelast in?"
"Boden! I think we can abandon all hope of winning the shield thisyear."
The Deanery boys looked glum, but the Magpies beamed with satisfaction,for they all knew Dick. Though a good bowler, he had batting notions ofhis own which generally brought him to grief. He treated all ballsalike, banging at each with a mighty swipe till a crash in thetimber-yard told him it was time to retire.
"For goodness sake, be careful, Dicky," whispered Jim, as his chumpassed him; "block everything, and keep your wicket up for once. I'lldo the hitting."
"All right," grinned Dick. "I will, if I can remember."
There was a deep hush as he stood facing the bowler, and the Deaneryboys hardly dared to breathe, for they knew too well that their erraticschoolfellow had an unhappy knack of missing his first ball. If Dickyplayed up to his reputation, all hope of winning the shield was at anend.
A profound sigh of relief broke from the friends of the Deanery, andthey looked at one another in astonishment. Dicky had actually blockedthe ball! The next was the last of the over, and then Mr. Laythornebeamed as Jim stood at the wicket.
A little luck and good management enabled Jim to take every ball in theover and to score eight; but the Magpies, still feeling sure of winningthe match, whistled cheerfully. Temple would have Dick out in less thanno time.
No boy needs to be reminded of the delightful uncertainty of cricket,and here was a splendid example. The Angel stood as if rooted to theground, and never once attempted one of his mighty but erratic swipes.The cunning bowler tried every variety of dodge to tempt him, but Dickywas not to be coaxed.
The Magpies became impatient, and perhaps a little bit anxious. WhenDick pushed the ball away a foot or two they cheered ironically, crying,"Well hit!" "Nearly a boundary!" etc., and advised him in sarcastictones to run it out.
Dick grinned. He was enjoying himself immensely, and had no objectionto any amount of chaff.
As the game proceeded, a magnetic influence seemed to pervade the air.A deep hush fell over the field; the spectators were afraid to turntheir eyes from the wicket a second.
Jim had the ball again, and was playing like a professional. Twelve,ten, eight to win! A beautiful drive all along the ground reduced therequired number to four, and the Deanery boys burst into a roar ofcheering.
Mr. Holmore's eyes brightened, and he turned with a smile to the St.Paul's master, who stood near him.
"Well, Hudson, we shall give you a fright, at least," he remarked.
"It looks as if we shall have to give you the shield," replied Mr.Hudson ruefully.
Another cheer announced that two more runs had been knocked off; andthen, from the very last ball of the over, Jim made it a tie.
The excitement was too intense for the Deanery boys even to cheer; theyheld their breath and waited.
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What would Dicky do?
Mr. Laythorne, who was watching through his field-glass, sigheddolefully.
"The strain's too much for him," he said. "He's trembling fearfully.He'll lose his head and throw his wicket away."
Alas! there was a good deal of truth in the young class-master's words.It was not in Dick's nature to stand for long poking quietly at the ballas he had been doing. His fingers tingled as they closed round bat, andhe longed to hit out at something.
Temple saw the youngster's state and took his measures accordingly. Heplaced his men with great care for a catch, and then sent down atempting slow. Dick blocked it, and a second of the same sort.
Not a bit discouraged, Temple gave him a third; and this time, as themaster had prophesied, Dick lost his head. His friends groaned whenthey saw his bat go up, and decided it would be only a question ofcaught or stumped. Dicky afterwards confessed it should have been oneor the other.
"I couldn't stand it any longer, and that's the truth," said he. "Iforgot all about the shield, and just went for the ball with all mymight."
Jim declared his chum shut his eyes before hitting out; but be that asit may, the ball travelled through the air towards the boundary.Travers, the Magpie stationed in that part, ran along the edge of thefield in a gallant attempt to bring off a fine catch; but he missed theball by a hair's-breadth, and the coveted shield passed into thepossession of the Deanery for the next twelve months.
"I congratulate you," said the master of St. Paul's, turning to Mr.Holmore. "It has been a splendid fight, and you deserved to win."
The last words were almost drowned in the roar that went up from thefield. The Deanery boys swarmed in a mob across to the wicket. Someclutched Jim, others surrounded Dick, and lifting them shoulder-high,carried them off in triumph.
Susie could not leave her chair, so her mother and Mrs. Boden wheeled itover to the edge of the crowd which surrounded the pavilion. Then, tocrown her happiness, some warm-hearted boys, whispering, "That'sHartland's crippled sister," cleared a passage, and would not besatisfied till the chair was wheeled right to the front where she couldsee and hear everything. Susie will never forget that half-hour of herlife. The mayor made a pretty speech, and handed the shield to Mr.Holmore amidst an outburst of cheering. Then the Magpies stepped on tothe platform to receive the medals which were given to the players oneach side; and Jim, carried away by enthusiasm, shouted, "Three cheersfor the good old Magpies!" which were given by every one on the ground.
Then it was the turn of the Deanery eleven, and fresh plaudits rang out,especially when Jim went forward. The spectators cheered almost asloudly for Dick; and the ladies said what a pretty, innocent-looking boyhe was, with his rosy cheeks and crisp curls.
"Oh, it's splendid! just splendid!" Susie kept saying. In her eyes Jimand his curly-haired chum were real heroes, and she was as proud as ifthey had performed some glorious action.
It was over at last, and the crowd, still talking over the variousevents of the day, began to disperse slowly. Everywhere the girl heardher brother's name coupled with Dick's, and her face flushed with realpleasure. Presently she saw the head-master shake Jim's hand and patDick on the back; then the two boys left the platform and ran quickly toher side.
"Well, the Deanery's got the shield, thanks to Jim," cried Dick, hiseyes sparkling.
"Don't you believe him, Mrs. Boden," said Jim. "He had as much to dowith our winning as any one."
"Do let me see your medals," said Susie. "Oh, how nice! You will haveto take care of them."
"I'm going to buy a safe and lock mine up in it," said Dick,laughing.--"Now, mother, you go on with Mrs. Hartland. Jim and I willtake care of Susie. Hasn't the fresh air done her good? Why, her faceis as red as a rose."