CHAPTER I: A FISHING EXCURSION"Now, Hargate, what a fellow you are! I've been looking for youeverywhere. Don't you know it's the House against the Town boys. It'slucky that the Town have got the first innings; they began a quarter ofan hour ago.""How tiresome!" Frank Hargate said. "I was watching a most interestingthing here. Don't you see this little chaffinch nest in the bush, with anewly hatched brood. There was a small black snake threatening the nest,and the mother was defending it with quivering wings and open beak. Inever saw a prettier thing. I sat quite still and neither of them seemedto notice me. Of course I should have interfered if I had seen the snakegetting the best of it. When you came running up like a cart horse, thesnake glided away in the grass, and the bird flew off. Oh, dear! I amsorry. I had forgotten all about the match.""I never saw such a fellow as you are, Hargate. Here's the opening matchof the season, and you, who are one of our best bats, poking about afterbirds and snakes. Come along; Thompson sent me and two or three otherfellows off in all directions to find you. We shall be half out beforeyou're back. Wilson took James's wicket the first ball."Frank Hargate leaped to his feet, and, laying aside for the present allthoughts of his favorite pursuit, started off at a run to the playingfield. His arrival there was greeted with a mingled chorus of welcomeand indignation. Frank Hargate was, next to Thompson the captain of theTown eleven, the best bat among the home boarders. He played a steadyrather than a brilliant game, and was noted as a good sturdy sticker.Had he been there, Thompson would have put him in at first, in orderto break the bowling of the House team. As it was, misfortunes had comerapidly. Ruthven and Handcock were bowling splendidly, and none of theTown boys were making any stand against them. Thompson himself had gonein when the fourth wicket fell, and was still in, although two wicketshad since fallen, for only four runs, and the seventh wicket fell justas Frank arrived, panting, on the ground."Confound you, Hargate!" Thompson shouted, "where have you been? And noteven in flannels yet.""I'm very sorry," Frank shouted back cheerfully, "and never mind theflannels, for once. Shall I come in now?""No," Thompson said. "You'd better get your wind first. Let Fenner comein next."Fenner stayed in four overs, adding two singles as h