“Notabitofit，“saidthemaster。“Why，inthoseverypassagesofarms，howcanyouthoroughlyappreciatethemunlessyouaremasteroftheweapons？andtheweaponsarethelanguage，whichyou，Brown，haveneverhalfworkedat；andso，asIsay，youmusthavelostallthedelicateshadesofmeaningwhichmakethebestpartofthefun。“
　　“Oh，wellplayed！bravo，Johnson！“shoutedArthur，droppinghisbatandclappingfuriously，andTomjoinedinwitha“Bravo，Johnson！“whichmighthavebeenheardatthechapel。
　　“Eh！whatwasit？Ididn’tsee，“inquiredthemaster。“Theyonlygotonerun，Ithought？“
　　“No，butsuchaball，three-quarterslength，andcomingstraightforhislegbail。Nothingbutthatturnofthewristcouldhavesavedhim，andhedrewitawaytolegforasafeone——Bravo，Johnson！“
　　“Howwelltheyarebowling，though，“saidArthur；“theydon’tmeantobebeat，Icansee。“
　　“Therenow，“struckinthemaster；“youseethat’sjustwhatI
　　havebeenpreachingthishalf-hour。Thedelicateplayisthetruething。Idon’tunderstandcricket，soIdon’tenjoythosefinedrawswhichyoutellmearethebestplay，thoughwhenyouorRaggleshitaballhardawayforsixIamasdelightedasanyone。Don’tyouseetheanalogy？“
　　“Yes，sir，“answeredTom，lookinguproguishly，“Isee；onlythequestionremainswhetherIshouldhavegotmostgoodbyunderstandingGreekparticlesorcricketthoroughly。I’msuchathick，Inevershouldhavehadtimeforboth。“
　　“Iseeyouareanincorrigible，“saidthemaster，withachuckle；“butIrefuteyoubyanexample。ArthurtherehastakeninGreekandcrickettoo。“
　　“Yes，butnothankstohim；Greekcamenaturaltohim。Why，whenhefirstcameIrememberheusedtoreadHerodotusforpleasureasIdidDonQuixote，andcouldn’thavemadeafalseconcordifhe’dtriedeversohard；andthenIlookedafterhiscricket。“
　　“Out！Baileyhasgivenhimout。Doyousee，Tom？“criesArthur。“Howfoolishofthemtorunsohard。“
　　“Well，itcan’tbehelped；hehasplayedverywell。Whoseturnisittogoin？“
　　“Idon’tknow；they’vegotyourlistinthetent。“
　　“Let’sgoandsee，“saidTom，rising；butatthismomentJackRagglesandtwoorthreemorecamerunningtotheislandmoat。
　　“OBrown，mayn’tIgoinnext？“shoutstheSwiper。
　　“Whosenameisnextonthelist？“saysthecaptain。
　　“Winter’s，andthenArthur’s，“answerstheboywhocarriesit；
　　“butthereareonlytwenty-sixrunstoget，andnotimetolose。
　　IheardMr。Aislabiesaythatthestumpsmustbedrawnataquarterpasteightexactly。“
　　“Oh，dolettheSwipergoin，“chorustheboys；soTomyieldsagainsthisbetterjudgment。
　　“IdaresaynowI’velostthematchbythisnonsense，“hesays，ashesitsdownagain；“they’llbesuretogetJack’swicketinthreeorfourminutes；however，you’llhavethechance，sir，ofseeingahardhitortwo，“addshe，smiling，andturningtothemaster。
　　“Come，noneofyourirony，Brown，“answersthemaster。“I’mbeginningtounderstandthegamescientifically。Whatanoblegameitis，too！“
　　“Isn’tit？Butit’smorethanagame。It’saninstitution，“
　　saidTom。
　　“Yes，“saidArthur——“thebirthrightofBritishboysoldandyoung，ashabeascorpusandtrialbyjuryareofBritishmen。“
　　“Thedisciplineandrelianceononeanotherwhichitteachesissovaluable，Ithink，“wentonthemaster，“itoughttobesuchanunselfishgame。Itmergestheindividualintheeleven；hedoesn’tplaythathemaywin，butthathissidemay。“
　　“That’sverytrue，“saidTom，“andthat’swhyfootballandcricket，nowonecomestothinkofit，aresuchmuchbettergamesthanfivesorhare-and-hounds，oranyotherswheretheobjectistocomeinfirstortowinforoneself，andnotthatone’ssidemaywin。“
　　“Andthenthecaptainoftheeleven！“saidthemaster；“whatapostishisinourSchool-world！almostashardastheDoctor’s-requiringskillandgentlenessandfirmness，andIknownotwhatotherrarequalities。“
　　“Whichdon’themaywishhemayget！“saidTom，laughing；“atanyratehehasn’tgotthemyet，orhewouldn’thavebeensuchaflatto-nightastoletJackRagglesgoinoutofhisturn。“
　　“Ah，theDoctorneverwouldhavedonethat，“saidArthurdemurely。“Tom，you’veagreatdealtolearnyetintheartofruling。“
　　“Well，Iwishyou’dtelltheDoctorsothen，andgethimtoletmestoptillI’mtwenty。Idon’twanttoleave，I’msure。“
　　“Whatasightitis，“brokeinthemaster，“theDoctorasaruler！PerhapsoursistheonlylittlecorneroftheBritishEmpirewhichisthoroughly，wisely，andstronglyruledjustnow。
　　I’mmoreandmorethankfuleverydayofmylifethatIcameheretobeunderhim。“
　　“SoamI，I’msure，“saidTom，“andmoreandmoresorrythatI’vegottoleave。“
　　“Everyplaceandthingoneseeshereremindsoneofsomewiseactofhis，“wentonthemaster。“Thisislandnow——yourememberthetime，Brown，whenitwaslaidoutinsmallgardens，andcultivatedbyfrost-bittenfagsinFebruaryandMarch？“
　　“OfcourseIdo，“saidTom；“didn’tIhatespendingtwohoursintheafternoongrubbinginthetoughdirtwiththestumpofafivesbat？Butturf-cartwasgoodfunenough。“
　　“Idaresayitwas，butitwasalwaysleadingtofightswiththetownspeople；andthenthestealingflowersoutofallthegardensinRugbyfortheEastershowwasabominable。“
　　“Well，soitwas，“saidTom，lookingdown，“butwefagscouldn’thelpourselves。ButwhathasthattodowiththeDoctor’sruling？“
　　“Agreatdeal，Ithink，“saidthemaster；“whatbroughtisland-
　　faggingtoanend？“
　　“Why，theEasterspeecheswereputofftillmidsummer，“saidTom，“andthesixthhadthegymnasticpolesputuphere。“
　　“Well，andwhochangedthetimeofthespeeches，andputtheideaofgymnasticpolesintotheheadsoftheirworshipsthesixthform？“saidthemaster。
　　“TheDoctor，Isuppose，“saidTom。“Ineverthoughtofthat。“
　　“Ofcourseyoudidn’t，“saidthemaster，“orelse，fagasyouwere，youwouldhaveshoutedwiththewholeschoolagainstputtingdownoldcustoms。Andthat’sthewaythatalltheDoctor’sreformshavebeencarriedoutwhenhehasbeenlefttohimself——quietlyandnaturally，puttingagoodthingintheplaceofabad，andlettingthebaddieout；nowavering，andnohurry——thebestthingthatcouldbedoneforthetimebeing，andpatiencefortherest。“
　　“JustTom’sownway，“chimedinArthur，nudgingTomwithhiselbow——“drivinganailwhereitwillgo；“towhichallusionTomansweredbyaslykick。
　　“Exactlyso，“saidthemaster，innocentoftheallusionandby-
　　play。
　　MeantimeJackRaggles，withhissleevestuckedupabovehisgreatbrownelbows，scorningpadsandgloves，haspresentedhimselfatthewicket；andhavingrunoneforaforwarddriveofJohnson’s，isabouttoreceivehisfirstball。Thereareonlytwenty-fourrunstomake，andfourwicketstogodown——awinningmatchiftheyplaydecentlysteady。Theballisaveryswiftone，andrisesfast，catchingJackontheoutsideofthethigh，andboundingawayasiffromindia-rubber，whiletheyruntwoforaleg-byeamidstgreatapplauseandshoutsfromJack’smanyadmirers。Thenextballisabeautifully-pitchedballfortheouterstump，whichtherecklessandunfeelingJackcatchesholdof，andhitsrightroundtolegforfive，whiletheapplausebecomesdeafening。Onlyseventeenrunstogetwithfourwickets！Thegameisallbutours！
　　Itisovernow，andJackwalksswaggeringabouthiswicket，withhisbatoverhisshoulder，whileMr。Aislabieholdsashortparleywithhismen。Thenthecover-pointhitter，thatcunningman，goesontobowlslowtwisters。Jackwaveshishandtriumphantlytowardsthetent，asmuchastosay，“SeeifI
　　don’tfinishitalloffnowinthreehits。“
　　Alas，mysonJack，theenemyistoooldforthee。ThefirstballoftheoverJackstepsoutandmeets，swipingwithallhisforce。Ifhehadonlyallowedforthetwist！Buthehasn’t，andsotheballgoesspinningupstraightintheair，asifitwouldnevercomedownagain。AwayrunsJack，shoutingandtrustingtothechapterofaccidents；butthebowlerrunssteadilyunderit，judgingeveryspin，andcallingout，“Ihaveit，“catchesit，andplayfullypitchesitontothebackofthestalwartJack，whoisdepartingwitharuefulcountenance。
　　“Iknewhowitwouldbe，“saysTom，rising。“Comealong；thegame’sgettingveryserious。“
　　Sotheyleavetheislandandgotothetent；andafterdeepconsultation，Arthurissentin，andgoesofftothewicketwithalastexhortationfromTomtoplaysteadyandkeephisbatstraight。TothesuggestionsthatWinteristhebestbatleft，Tomonlyreplies，“Arthuristhesteadiest，andJohnsonwillmaketherunsifthewicketisonlykeptup。“
　　“IamsurprisedtoseeArthurintheeleven，“saidthemaster，astheystoodtogetherinfrontofthedensecrowd，whichwasnowclosinginroundtheground。