sons because Joe had scored his first double century in first-class cricket. Double centuries are too common, nowadays, for the papers to take much notice of them; but, still, it is not every

Mr Smith had settled, and he had played for it once already at the beginning of the holidays. His debut had not been sensational, but it had been promising. The fact that two members of the team had made centuries, and a third seventy odd, h

certain extent, and by his father more noticeably. Bob look

the subject in the bill

g cannons in rath

p, Bob?'

d down

ob. 'Something seems to be. Fa

he'd got the hump

n on my finding something to do now I've come down from Oxford. Wanted to know whether I couldn't get a tutoring job or a mastership at some school next term. I s

hy it is. Jolly good about Joe, wasn

e developed a hustling Get On or Get Out spirit, and be urging Bob to Do It Now; but it never occurred to him that there could be any serious reason for

Jackson entered the room, a

e, father?'

ke. What is it?

if

ou are, I wish you'd just look into the study fo

s the door closed.

n the whole, fairly decent-nothing startling either way. Mr Downing, perhaps through remorse at having harried Mike to such an extent during the Sammy episode, had exercised a studied mode

and ran out. Mike replaced hi

he general arrangement of the scene to that painful ten minutes at the end of the previous holidays, when his father had announced his intention of taking him away from Wrykyn and sending him

r Jackson. 'How did you

under double figures.

the Green Jackets, s

e ninety-eight on a bea

e some silly g

be attending. There was a silence. Then

e always understood on

urse w

way from Wrykyn, I know, but that was a special case. It was necessary. But I understand perfectly h

ity. But why? What had happened? When he had left for the Smith's cricket week, his name

elp it,' conti

to Cambridge, fathe

you to Cambridge. I won't go into details which you would not understand; but I've lost a very large sum of money since I saw you last. So large that we shall have to economize in eve

. There seemed to be something sticking i

was any po

. I don't mind a bit. It's awfully

t last. Outside, a plaintive snuffle made itself heard. John, the bull-dog, Mike's inseparable companion, who had fo

nt broke t

on, as Mike started to leave