For the second round Shields' drew Appleby's, a poor team. Space on
the Wrykyn field being a consideration, with three house matches to be
played off at the same time, Clephane's men fought their first battle
on rugged ground in an obscure corner. As the captain of cricket
ordered these matters, Henfrey had naturally selected the best bit of
turf for Day's _v_. Dexter's. That section of the ground which
was sacred to the school second-eleven matches was allotted to
Spence's _v_. the School House. The idle public divided its
attention between the two big games, and paid no attention to the
death struggle in progress at the far end of the field. Whereby it
missed a deal of quiet fun.

I say death struggle advisedly. Clephane had won his second-eleven cap
as a fast bowler. He had failed to get into the first eleven because
he was considered too erratic. Put these two facts together, and you
will suspect that dark deeds were wrought on the men of Appleby in
that lonely corner of the Wrykyn meadow.

The pitch was not a good one. As a sample of the groundman's art it
was sketchy and amateurish; it lacked finish. Clephane won the toss,
took a hasty glance at the corrugated turf, and decided to bat first.
The wicket was hardly likely to improve with use.

He and Mansfield opened the batting. He stood three feet out of his
ground, and smote. The first four balls he took full pitch. The last
two, owing to a passion for variety on the part of the bowler, were
long hops. At the end of the over Shields' score was twenty-four.
Mansfield pursued the same tactics. When the first wicket fell,
seventy was on the board. A spirit of martial enthusiasm pervaded