“Please, sir,” said Stone, some species of telepathy telling him what was detaining his captain. “I think Barnes must have left the field. He has probably gone over to the house to fetch something.” “This is absurd. You must declare your innings closed. The game has become a farce.” “Declare! Sir, we can’t unless Barnes does. He might be awfully annoyed if we did anything like that without consulting him.” “Absurd.” “He’s very touchy, sir.” “It is perfect foolery.” “I think Jenkins is just going to bowl, sir.” Mr. Downing walked moodily to his place. * * * * * In a neat wooden frame in the senior day-room at Outwood’s, just above the mantelpiece, there was on view, a week later, a slip of paper. The writing on it was as follows: OUTWOOD’S _v_. DOWNING’S _Outwood’s. First innings._ J. P. Barnes, _c_. Hammond, _b_. Hassall... 33 M. Jackson, not out........................ 277 W. J. Stone, not out....................... 124 Extras............................... 37 ----- Total (for one wicket)...... 471 Downing’s did not bat. CHAPTER XLI THE SINGULAR BEHAVIOUR OF JELLICOE Outwood’s rollicked considerably that night. Mike, if he had cared to take the part, could have been the Petted Hero. But a cordial invitation from the senior day-room to be the guest of the evening at about the biggest rag of the century had been refused on the plea of fatigue. One does not make two hundred and seventy-seven runs on a hot day without feeling the effects, even if one has scored mainly by the medium of boundaries; and Mike, as he lay back in Psmith’s deck-chair, felt that all he wanted was to go to bed and stay there for a week. His hands and arms burned as if they were red-hot, and his eyes were so tired that he could not keep them open. Psmith, leaning against the mantelpiece, discoursed in a desultory way on the day’s happenings--the score off Mr. Downing, the undeniable annoyance of that battered bowler, and the probability of his venting his annoyance on Mike next day. “In theory,” said he, “the manly what-d’you-call-it of cricket and all that sort of thing ought to make him fall on your neck to-morrow and weep over you as a foeman worthy of his steel. But I am prepared to bet a reasonable sum that he will give no Jiu-jitsu exhibition of this kind. In fact, from what I have seen of our bright little friend, I should say that, in a small way, he will do his best to make it distinctly hot for you, here and there.” “I don’t care,” murmured Mike, shifting his aching limbs in the chair.