"Damn it, I wasn't ready for him," we heard Thorpe say in the professionals' room. Thorpe always had some excuse, but on this occasion it was justified. C. V. Punshon was the next comer, and he got his first ball through the slips for four, but Wallis looked at me with a raised eyebrow. "Punshon didn't know a lot about that," he said, and then he added, "I say, what a queer delivery the chap has. He stands and shoots 'em out. It's uncanny. He's a kind of human catapult." He made a note of the phrase on his pad. Punshon succeeded in hitting the next ball, also, but it simply ran up his bat into the hands of short slip. "Well, that's a sitter, if you like," said Wallis. "What's the matter with 'em?" I was beginning to grow enthusiastic. "Look here, Wallis," I said, "this chap's going to break records." Wallis was still doubtful. He was convinced before the innings was over. There must be many who remember the startling poster that heralded the early editions of the evening papers: SURREY ALL OUT FOR 13 RUNS. For once sub-editors did not hesitate to give the score on the contents bill. That was a proclamation which would sell. Inside, the headlines were rich and varied. I have an old paper by me, yellow now, and brittle, that may serve as a type for the rest. The headlines are as follows:-- SURREY AND HAMPDENSHIRE. --------------- EXTRAORDINARY BOWLING PERFORMANCE. --------------- DOUBLE HAT-TRICK. --------------- SURREY ALL OUT IN 35 MINUTES FOR 13 RUNS. --------------- STOTT TAKES 10 WICKETS FOR 5. The "double hat-trick" was six consecutive wickets, the last six, all clean bowled. "Good God!" Wallis said, when the last wicket fell, and he looked at me with something like fear in his eyes. "This man will have to be barred; it means the end of cricket." I need not detail the remainder of the match. Hampdenshire hit up ninety-three--P. H. Evans was top scorer with twenty-seven--and then got Surrey out a second time for forty-nine. I believe Stott did not bowl his best in the second innings. He was quite clever enough to see that he must not overdo it. As Wallis had said, if he were too effective he might have to be barred. As it was, he took seven wickets for twenty-three. VI That was Stott's finest performance. On eight subsequent occasions he took all ten wickets in a single innings, once he took nineteen wickets in one match (Hampdenshire v. Somerset at Taunton), twice he took five wickets with consecutive balls, and any number of times he did the "hat-trick," but he never afterwards achieved so amazing a performance as that of the celebrated Surrey match.