cried the Keeper of the
Wicket, in a pompous voice; "make way for Princess Dorothy, who comes from Ozma of Oz.
Away scamper three boys to the scoring table, and are back again in a minute amongst the rest of the eleven, who are collected together in a knot between wicket.
Steady there; don't be such an ass, Jack," says the captain; "we haven't got the best wicket yet.
It's the kind of wicket you don't get out on, unless you get yourself out.
To do him justice, I believe he thinks me a hypochondriac of the first water; but that young man will go far if he keeps on the wicket.
It was a sight to see the professionals bowling like demons for the hard cash, for whenever a stump was hit a pound was tossed to the bowler and another balanced in its stead, while one man took #3 with a ball that spreadeagled the wicket.
It was not that Raffles took many wickets for few runs; he was too fine a bowler to mind being hit; and time was short, and the wicket good.
Bumble was a fat man, and a choleric; so, instead of responding to this open-hearted salutation in a kindred spirit, he gave the little
wicket a tremendous shake, and then bestowed upon it a kick which could have emanated from no leg but a beadle's.
Again he turned towards the wicket, where the satellite, with his eye upon his chief, remained a dumb statue.
The satellite removed his arm and opened the wicket, and Mr Julius Handford went out.
The ball flew from his hand straight and swift towards the centre stump of the wicket.
Was it thrown straight up to the wicket, Dumkins had reached it before the ball.
