Mr. Justice RafflesHornung, E. W. (Ernest William)
General
Mr. Justice Raffles
Hornung, E. W. (Ernest William)
Criminals -- England -- Fiction; Raffles (Fictitious character) -- Fiction
"He's caught him, Bunny!" he cried in my ear above the Cambridge cheers.
"The best bat on either side, and Teddy's outed him third ball!" He
stopped to watch the defeated captain's slow return, the demonstration on
the pitch in Teddy's honour; then he touched me on the arm and dropped
his voice. "He's forgotten all his troubles now, Bunny, if you like;
nothing's going to worry him till lunch, unless he misses a sitting
chance. And he won't, you'll see; a good start means even more behind the
sticks than in front of 'em."
Raffles was quite right. Another wicket fell cheaply in another way; then
came a long spell of plucky cricket, a stand not masterly but dogged and
judicious, in which many a ball outside the off-stump was allowed to pass
unmolested, and a few were unfortunate in just beating the edge of the
bat. On the tricky wicket Teddy's work was cut out for him, and
beautifully he did it. It was a treat to see his lithe form crouching
behind the bails, to rise next instant with the rising ball; his great
gloves were always in the right place, always adhesive. Once only he held
them up prematurely, and a fine ball brushed the wicket on its way for
four byes; it was his sole error all the morning. Raffles sat enchanted;
so in truth did I; but between the overs I endeavoured to obtain
particulars of his latest parley with Dan Levy, and once or twice
extracted a stray detail.
"The old sinner has a place on the river, Bunny, though I have my
suspicions of a second establishment nearer town. But I'm to find him at
his lawful home all the next few nights, and sitting up for me till two
in the morning."
"Then you're going to Gray's Inn Square this week?"
"I'm going there this morning for a peep at the crib; there's no time to
be lost, but on the other hand there's a devil of a lot to learn. I say,
Bunny, there's going to be another change of bowling; the fast stuff,
too, by Jove!"
A massive youth had taken the ball at the top end, and the wicket-keeper
was retiring to a more respectful distance behind the stumps.
"You'll let me know when it's to be?" I whispered, but Raffles only
answered, "I wonder Jack Studley didn't wait till there was more of a
crust on the mud pie. That tripe's no use without a fast wicket!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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