Wrykyn went down badly before the Incogs. It generally happens atleast once in a school cricket season that the team collapseshopelessly, for no apparent reason. Some schools do it in nearly everymatch, but Wrykyn so far had been particularly fortunate this year.

　　They had only been beaten once, and that by a mere twenty odd runs ina hard-fought game. But on this particular day, against a notoverwhelmingly strong side, they failed miserably. The weather mayhave had something to do with it, for rain fell early in the morning,and the school, batting first on the drying wicket, found themselvesconsiderably puzzled by a slow left-hander. Morris and Berridge leftwith the score still short of ten, and after that the rout began. Bob,going in fourth wicket, made a dozen, and Mike kept his end up, andwas not out eleven; but nobody except Wyatt, who hit out at everythingand knocked up thirty before he was stumped, did anything todistinguish himself. The total was a hundred and seven, and theIncogniti, batting when the wicket was easier, doubled this.

　　The general opinion of the school after this match was that eitherMike or Bob would have to stand down from the team when it wasdefinitely filled up, for Neville-Smith, by showing up well with theball against the Incogniti when the others failed with the bat, madeit practically certain that he would get one of the two vacancies.

　　"If I do" he said to Wyatt, "there will be the biggest bust of moderntimes at my place. My pater is away for a holiday in Norway, and I'malone, bar the servants. And I can square them. Will you come?""Tea?""Tea!" said Neville-Smith scornfully.

　　"Well, what then?""Don't you ever have feeds in the dorms. after lights-out in thehouses?""Used to when I was a kid. Too old now. Have to look after mydigestion. I remember, three years ago, when Wain's won the footercup, we got up and fed at about two in the morning. All sorts ofluxuries. Sardines on sugar-biscuits. I've got the taste in my mouthstill. Do you remember Macpherson? Left a couple of years ago. Hisfood ran out, so he spread brown-boot polish on bread, and ate that.

　　Got through a slice, too. Wonderful chap! But what about this thing ofyours? What time's it going to be?""Eleven suit you?""All right.""How about getting out?""I'll do it as quickly as the team did to-day. I can't say more thanthat.""You were all right.""I'm an exceptional sort of chap.""What about the Jacksons?""It's going to be a close thing. If Bob's fielding were to improvesuddenly, he would just do it. But young Mike's all over him as a bat.

　　In a year or two that kid'll be a marvel. He's bound to get in nextyear, of course, so perhaps it would be better if Bob got the place asit's his last season. Still, one wants the best man, of course."* * * * *Mike avoided Bob as much as possible during this anxious period; andhe privately thought it rather tactless of the latter when, meetinghim one day outside Donaldson's, he insisted on his coming in andhaving some tea.

　　Mike shuffled uncomfortably as his brother filled the kettle and litthe Etna. It required more tact than he had at his disposal to carryoff a situation like this.

　　Bob, being older, was more at his ease. He got tea ready, makingdesultory conversation the while, as if there were no particularreason why either of them should feel uncomfortable in the other'spresence. When he had finished, he poured Mike out a cup, passed himthe bread, and sat down.

　　"Not seen much of each other lately, Mike, what?"Mike murmured unintelligibly through a mouthful of bread-and-jam.

　　"It's no good pretending it isn't an awkward situation," continuedBob, "because it is. Beastly awkward.""Awful rot the pater sending us to the same school.""Oh, I don't know. We've all been at Wrykyn. Pity to spoil the record.

　　It's your fault for being such a young Infant Prodigy, and mine for notbeing able to field like an ordinary human being.""You get on much better in the deep.""Bit better, yes. Liable at any moment to miss a sitter, though. Notthat it matters much really whether I do now."Mike stared.

　　"What! Why?""That's what I wanted to see you about. Has Burgess said anything toyou yet?"............