He walked up to the wicket as coolly as though it were enclosed within a practice net, patted down the ground with the flat of his bat in a manner which seemed to imply that he had "come to stay," and then proceeded to hit three twos in his first "over." This dashing commencement was but the prelude to a brilliant bit of rapid scoring: twos and threes followed each other in quick succession.
Allingford shouted, the crowd roared, while "The Happy Family" gambolled about on one another's chests and stomachs, and squealed with delight.

Like the poet's brook, Oaks might have exclaimed, "Men may come, and men may go, but I go on for ever." When Wraxby changed the bowling, he welcomed the new-comer by sending the first ball into the next field, and continued to cut and drive in such a gallant manner that even Bibbs, standing up to get the full use of his lungs, shouted, "Go 'long!" and "Well hit!" until his face was the colour of a poppy.
"I say!" exclaimed Carton, as the eighth wicket fell, "I wish one of these next two chaps would hang on a bit, and give Oaks a chance of getting a few more; it must be nearly eighty up." "Thurston, you're in!" came from the scorer.
The boy named was sitting by himself, on the end of a form close to the telegraph, moodily scraping up the ground with the spikes of his cricket-shoes.

He knew that most of his comrades in the eleven would give him the cold shoulder, and so did not mingle with them inside the pavilion.

He rose, and prepared to obey the summons.
"Let's give him a cheer," said "Rats;" "he may do something .-- Go it, Thurston! Sit tight, and keep the pot boiling!" The big fellow turned his head in the direction of "The Happy Family," and with something of the old good-humoured smile, which had seldom of late been seen upon his face, answered: "All right, my boy, you see if I don't." "Jolly fellow old Thirsty," remarked "Rats," swelling with pride at this friendly recognition.

"He can play when he likes, but he hasn't troubled to practise much of late.