Then Mike got the bowling for threeconsecutive overs

Henfrey, the next man in, was a promising rather than an effectivebat. He had an excellent style, but he was uncertain. (Two yearslater, when he captained the Wrykyn teams, he made a lot of runs.) Butthis season his batting had been spasmodic. 　　To-day he never looked like settling down. He survived an over from deFreece, and hit a fast change bowler who had been put on at the otherend for a couple of fluky fours. Then Mike got the bowling for threeconsecutive overs, and raised the score to a hundred and twenty-six. Abye brought Henfrey to the batting end again, and de Freece's petgoogly, which had not been much in evidence hitherto, led to hissnicking an easy catch into short-slip's hands. 　　A hundred and twenty-seven for seven against a total of a hundred andsixty-six gives the impression that the batting side has theadvantage. In the present case, however, it was Ripton who were reallyin the better position. Apparently, Wrykyn had three more wickets tofall. Practically they had only one, for neither Ashe, nor Grant, norDevenish had any pretensions to be considered batsmen. Ashe was theschool wicket-keeper. Grant and Devenish were bowlers. Between themthe three could not be relied on for a dozen in a decent match. 　　Mike watched Ashe shape with a sinking heart. The wicket-keeper lookedlike a man who feels that his hour has come. Mike could see himlicking his lips. There was nervousness written all over him. 　　He was not kept long in suspense. De Freece's first ball made ahideous wreck of his wicket. 　　"Over," said the umpire. 　　Mike felt that the school's one chance now lay in his keeping thebowling. But how was he to do this? It suddenly occurred to him thatit was a delicate position that he was in. It was not often that hewas troubled by an inconvenient modesty, but this happened now. Grantwas a fellow he hardly knew, and a school prefect to boot. Could he goup to him and explain that he, Jackson, did not consider him competentto bat in this crisis? Would not this get about and be accounted tohim for side? He had made forty, but even so.... 　　Fortunately Grant solved the problem on his own account. He came up toMike and spoke with an earnestness born of nerves. "For goodnesssake," he whispered, "collar the bowling all you know, or we're done.