“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。