Chapter 23

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_ CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.

There was a tremendous burst of cheering and a rush for the tent by the boys who had left their jackets within, and among them Burr major, disappointed, but at the same time justly proud of the splendid score he had made, walked up to the door, disappeared amongst plenty of clapping, and soon after came out again in his jacket and vest.

We had all clustered up round about the players, and two masters shook hands with the champion, who directly after caught sight of me.

"Hallo! How's the head?" he cried.

"Getting better now."

"I saw you watching the match," he continued. "Nice time you had of it lying about under that tree, while we fellows did all the work."

"I should have liked to be in it," I said rather drearily; "but I really was very bad."

His attention was called off soon after, and then there was a summons to the tent for the festive high tea, which was to come off directly, as the Hastings boys had a long drive back.

I was much better, but the thought of food in that crowded tent was nauseating, and, watching my opportunity, I slipped away, seeing Tom Mercer looking about as if in search of me before going into the tent.

"I know what I'll do," I thought. "I'll walk gently down along the lane to Bob Hopley's place, and ask Polly to make me a cup of tea and cut me some bread and butter."

The plan was simple enough, and I strolled out and along the road, and then entered a gate, to make a short cut along the hedge side of the fields.

The evening was glorious, and after a broiling day the soft moist odours that came from the copses dotted here and there seemed delightfully refreshing, and so I strolled on and on till I was only a short distance from the cottage, which was separated from me by a couple of fields, when I turned slowly toward a corner of the enclosure I was in, where there was a pond and a patch of moist land where weeds never noticed towered up in abundance, and, to my surprise, I caught sight of Magglin seated on the bank of the pond, with his feet hanging close to the water, and apparently engaged in his evening toilet. It seemed to me that he must have been washing his face, and that he was now wiping it upon some great leaves which he plucked from time to time.

"No, he isn't," I said to myself the next moment. "He has been poaching, and saw me coming. It's all a pretence to throw me off the scent;" and I went on, my way being close by him, and there he was rubbing away at his face with the leaves, while I glanced here and there in search of a wire set for rabbit or hare, though I shrewdly suspected that the wire he had been setting would be over in the copse beyond the pond, in the expectation of getting a pheasant.

He was so quick of hearing that he could detect a footstep some distance off, but this time he turned round sharply when I exclaimed,--

"Hallo, Magglin!"

"Eh--I--Oh, how de do, sir?"

"Better than you do," I said sharply. "What have you been doing to your face?"

"Face? Oh, rubbing it a bit, sir, that's all. Good as washing."

"Dock leaves," I said. "What, have you stung yourself?"

"Oh yes, I forgot that, sir. Just a little bit, sir. I was coming through the hedge down below there, and a 'ormous old nettle flew back and hit me acrost the cheek. But it aren't nothing."

More than I should like to have, I thought to myself, as I went on, for his face was spotted with white patches, and I knew how they must tingle.

Ten minutes after, I was in the lane, in time to meet Polly Hopley, in her best bonnet and with a key in her hand, going up to the cottage door.

She smiled as she saw me, hurried to the cottage, unlocked the door, and stood back for me to enter.

"Been out, Polly?" I said.

"Yes, sir, of course. Father took me to see the cricket match. Doctor Browne told father we might come into the field, and it were lovely. But why didn't you play?"

I told her, and she expressed her sympathy. Then, in a very decided way,--

"Sweets and puffs aren't good for you, sir, and I won't sell you one to-day."

"I don't want any, Polly," I replied. "I was going to ask you to sell me a cup of tea."

"And I won't do that neither, sir; but I'm going to make myself some directly, and if you'll condescend to sit down in father's big chair and have some, I should be glad."

To the girl's great delight, I accepted her offer. The kettle hanging over the smouldering fire of wood ashes was soon boiling, and I partook of a delicious tea, with fresh water-cresses from the spring, and cream in my tea from the General's dairy, while Polly cut bread and butter, and chatted about "father's" troubles with the poachers, and about the baits he had been getting ready for our next fishing visit to the ponds. Then again about the cricket match, and we were carrying on an animated conversation when the door was thrown quickly open, and Bob Hopley appeared.

"Oh, dad, how you startled me!" cried Polly, jumping up.

"Startled you, my lass? I heerd loud talking and I'd been told young Magglin had come down this way, and I thought it was him."

"I saw him just before I came in, over by the pond there by the copse," I said.

"He wasn't likely to be in here, father," said Polly primly. "I should like to catch him trying to come in."

"So should I," said the keeper grimly. "I'd try oak that time 'stead o' hazel."

"Hush, dad! do adone," whispered Polly. Then aloud--

"Master Burr's been poorly all day, and as they were all feasting and junketing at the school, he come down here to ask me to make him some tea, and he's very welcome, aren't he, father?"

"I should just think he is, my lass. But fill up his cup again, and he's got no fresh butter."

"I've done," I said; "and oh, I do feel so much better now! Do you know what a bad sick headache is?"

"No, my lad, no. I aren't had one since--"

"Oh, father!"

"Come, Polly, don't be hard on a man. That was only the club feast."

"I haven't patience with such feasts," said Polly sharply. "I never go to feasts, and come back--"

"Poorly, my lass, poorly," said Bob hastily.

"Yes, very poorly," said Polly sarcastically, "and say, 'My head's fit to split,' next day. Seems to me that's all such heads are fit for then--to split and burn."

"Nay, nay, my lass, they burn quite enough, I can tell 'ee. Man does do stoopid things sometimes."

Bob was very apologetic about sitting down to tea, with me there. Then of course I apologised, and sat watching him drinking great draughts out of a basin and devouring huge slices of bread and butter.

"Rare stuff kettle broth, sir," he said. "Don't give you no headaches; do it, Polly?"

"No, father."

"She don't make it strong enough for that, Mr Burr, sir," he continued, giving me a wink.

"Quite as strong as is good for you, father."

"Right, my lass," said Bob, helping himself to some more cream, "and not so strong as is good for you."

I rose to go soon after, and the keeper joined with his daughter in absolutely refusing to let me pay for my meal.

"Glad to have seen you, sir; and now mind that as soon as ever your young friend Mas' Mercer--Mas' Bri'sh Museum, as I call him--is ready, and you can get a day, I'll take you to our stock pond, where the carps and tenches are so thick, they're asking to be caught. You shall have a day."

"Good-bye, Polly," I said, shaking hands. "You've quite cured my head."

"I am so glad, sir!" she cried; and I went back to the school, Bob seeing me part of the way, and saying to me confidentially as we walked,--

"You see me leathering that poaching vagabond Magglin, sir. It's like this. The reason for it was--No, sir. Good-night. You're too young to talk about that sort o' thing. Don't forget about the fish."

He hurried away without another word, while I went on, and found Tom Mercer looking for me, and eager to hear where I had been.

"What a shame!" he cried. "The high tea was very jolly, but I missed you. I wish I'd gone too. I say, we were licked, but it was a splendid match after all. Hallo! here's Hodson. The chaps all went off on their 'bus cheering and--Hooray, Hodson! what a day!"

"Yes; but I say," said the lad, "Burr major's lost his watch."

"His watch!" cried Mercer, giving quite a jump. "Oh!"

"Yes; he left it in his waistcoat in the tent when he stripped for his innings, and when he felt for it some time after, it was gone."

"Then he didn't miss it directly?" I said.

"No, not till a little while ago. A lot of the fellows are up in the field searching for it. Haven't either of you seen it, have you?"

"No," I said, and Mercer shook his head.

"Come on and help look for it," cried Hodson; and we went up to the field, where the tent was still standing, it being understood that the men were to come and take it down in the morning.

"Lucky they were not here," I said, "or some of them might have been suspected of taking it."

"Yes, it would be ugly for them," assented Hodson. "You see, nobody but our boys and the Hastings chaps went into the tent, except the servants to lay the tables, and of course they wouldn't have taken it."

"But they may have found it," I said. "He is sure to have dropped it somewhere in the grass."

"Of course," cried Mercer; "and some one has put his foot on it and smashed the glass."

"Get out, Senna! you always make the worst of every thing," cried Hodson merrily; and soon after, we reached the field, where the boys were spread about, looking in all kinds of possible and impossible places-- impossible because Burr major had never been near them after he had put on his things.

"Are you sure that you brought your watch out in the field," said Mr Hasnip, who was one of the group standing by Burr major.

"Oh yes, sir, certain."

"But it does not do to be too certain, my lad. Have you been up in your bedroom, and looked there?"

"No, sir, because I was so sure I brought it out."

"Why were you so sure?"

"Because--because I thought I would wear it, as we had strangers coming."

"Never mind, you may have altered your mind. Go and look. You see we have thoroughly searched every place where you could have been."

"I'll go and look, sir," said Burr major, "but it's of no use."

He went off toward the schoolhouse, and Mr Rebble then coming up, the two masters began to talk about the missing watch.

"It is so awkward," said Mr Rebble. "We can't write and ask the party if either of them took a watch by mistake. Stop! I have it."

"The watch?" cried Mr Hasnip eagerly.

"No. Wait till he comes back, and I think I can explain it all."

We had not long to wait before Burr major came back to us.

"No, sir," he said. "I've looked everywhere; it isn't in my room."

"Then I think I can help you," said Mr Rebble. "What jacket and vest are those you have on?"

"My third best, sir."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, sir," said Burr major wonderingly.

"Look at them," continued Mr Rebble. "Are they really your own things, and not the clothes of one of our visitors taken by mistake, and he has taken yours."

Burr major slipped off his jacket and held it up in the dusk to point out a label inside the collar, where, worked in blue silk upon white satin, was the name of the maker, his own father.

"Yes, that's yours," said Mr Rebble in a disappointed tone. "I thought that the mistake might have been made. But the vest--are you sure of that?"

"Oh yes," said Burr major, who then looked inside the collar and found the same maker's name.

"I thought that, sir," said Burr major; "but I could feel that they were my things as soon as I put them on. I say, has any fellow taken my watch for a game?"

There was silence at first, then a murmur of, "No, no, no;" and, as it was getting too dark now to resume the search, we all trooped back to the schoolroom to sit and talk over the one event which had spoiled what would otherwise have been a most enjoyable day, for, as Tom Mercer said when we went up to bed,--

"It's nicer for those Hastings chaps to have won. They've gone back jollier. By and by we shall be going over to play them, and then we shall be in the eleven, and must win."

A pause.

"I said, 'And then we must win.'"

"Yes, I heard you."

"Then why didn't you speak?"

"Because I was thinking about Burr major's watch."

"Oh, bother his watch!" said Mercer hastily. "I'm beginning to be glad that he has lost it. Now he won't be always flourishing it in your face and seeming to say, 'Poor fellow, I'm sorry you haven't got a watch too.'"

"Well, you needn't be so cross about it," I said.

"Why needn't I? One gets sick of his watch. There's always been a fuss about it ever since he came back with it. It's lost now, and a jolly good job too. Now we've heard the end of it. Old Eely's watch is regularly wound up." _

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