CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.
HOW JIM'S UNCLE AND AUNT SPENT A DIFFERENT SORT OF DAY FROM THAT WHICHTHEY HAD EXPECTED.
The apparition was indeed none other than Jim Halliday's dreaded uncleand aunt, and the object of their visit was easy to guess. They had, infact, taken the long journey from Cornwall as fast as express trainscould bring them, in order to remonstrate personally with their depravednephew on the error of his ways.
They were evidently as astonished to find Jim's room full of visitors,as Jim on his part was to see them, and they looked so taken aback anddisconcerted that the party at once rose, and offered to take theirleave. Clarke and his friend actually did depart, but Jim still hadpresence of mind enough left to groan out an entreaty to Charlie and mymaster that they would remain--an appeal so pathetic that there was noresisting it.
Charlie politely handed the good people to chairs, while Jim, undercover of preparing a second edition of breakfast, hastily arranged hisplan of defence.
"Reader," he whispered to my master, "whatever you do, keep the talkgoing, old man, or it's all U P." Then turning to his relatives, hebroke out,--
"This _is_ a surprise! How are you both? Upon my word, you're lookinggrandly. How kind to come and see me up here! Will you allow me tointroduce my two friends, Ensign Newcome and Mr Reader? My uncle andaunt, gentlemen."
The uncle and aunt bowed gravely, and in a frightened sort of way, inacknowledgment of the courteous greeting of the two young men. It wasclear they had expected to find Jim alone, and over a quiet cup of cocoato reduce him to a sense of his wickedness. It put them out of theirreckoning, quite, to find that, if they were to open fire at once, itwould have to be in the presence of these two gentlemanly and ratherimposing strangers. However, they were too full of their mission todelay, and so the uncle began,--
"It will be as well, James, that I should state to you--"
"Not a word now, till you've had some breakfast," interrupted the waryJim. "My poor dear aunt must be simply fagged to death. Do take yourbonnet off, and come and sit here in the easy-chair. Let me make yousome cocoa; I know the way you take it, exactly. Try those chops infront of you, sir, they are prime, as Charlie will tell you. Reader,old man, draw in and keep us company. Well, I declare, this _is_ ajolly family party! And what's the news down in your part of the world?Have you had a good harvest? My uncle comes from Cornwall, Charlie."
And he gave his friend a lugubrious wink, as much as to say, "Keep itup."
"Do you live near the sea?" thereupon began Charlie.
"Pretty near, that is, about twenty miles off," said the uncle, lookingat Charlie under his spectacles.
"My love, the gentleman will laugh at you," said his good lady. "I calltwenty miles a long way."
"I perfectly agree with you, ma'am," said Charlie, "Twenty miles is agood distance in this little island of ours. But it's curious howlittle they make of such a distance in a big country like India, forinstance, where I am going. There, I am told, it is quite a commonthing for a man to be twenty miles from his next-door neighbour, and yetbe on constant visiting terms."
"Dear me!" said the uncle.
"You don't know India, I suppose, sir?" inquired Charlie.
"No; that is--"
"He's only read about it in books," again put in the aunt; "and so, mylove, you'd better say at once you don't know anything about it."
"Well," said Charlie, "it depends a good deal on the books. Some booksof travel are so vivid one almost seems to be in the country theydescribe.
"Er--what did you say, Reader?"
Reader was quick enough to take this broad hint, and keep up the talk.
"To my mind, the most interesting books are those which describe, not somuch places, as people and their manners. There are a great many booksof this kind about India. One I lately read was specially interesting."
And then, to Jim's unbounded delight and gratitude, George began calmlyto give a review a quarter of an hour long of the work in question forthe benefit of the two old people, who, as they listened, became moreand more impressed with the importance of their nephew's friend, and ofthe impossibility of obtruding their special grievance on the party atthe present time. Indeed, the aunt had almost forgotten the speech withwhich she had come prepared, in her pleasure at hearing the young mentalk, and she even joined in the conversation in a manner which showedhow she enjoyed it. The uncle was still gloomy, and appeared to bewaiting the first favourable opportunity for "coming to the point."
The opportunity, however, never occurred. After a long and lively talkon all sorts of matters, Jim adroitly turned the conversation on to thesubject of athletics by appealing to his uncle to add his voice to thatof Reader's other friends in rebuking him for never taking any exercise.
"Look at his pale face!" he exclaimed; "isn't it a disgrace?"
George bore this attack good-naturedly, and began to excuse himself; butthe uncle, who had not before noticed his looks, interrupted him bysaying,--
"Pardon me, sir, but I quite agree with James. If is very wrong tocultivate the brain at the expense of the body."
This observation brought down Charlie's hearty approval, who forthwithlaunched into a rhapsody on athletic sports--particularly football--appealing in every sentence to the uncle, who now found himself fairlyin the toils.
"If it were for nothing more than the moral training it gives a man,"said Charlie--"for the pluck, manliness, and endurance it puts intohim--we couldn't over-estimate the value of athletics; could we, sir?"
"No--er--that is to say--"
"Why, look at Jim, here! Upon my word, sir, if you'll excuse me sayingit, it does you the greatest credit the way he has been brought up tovalue healthy exercise. Why, there are some parents and guardians who,instead of encouraging that sort of thing, would positively so far wrongtheir sons as to forbid it. I can't make out that sort of training, canyou?"
"Eh? Well, possibly not," faltered the uncle, turning very red.
"Of course not, and you'll have your reward in seeing Jim turn out a farbetter clergyman than your mollycoddles, who don't know the way to looktheir fellow-men straight in the face. Jim, old man, you've had my cupup there ten minutes; hand it up."
Jim filled it to overflowing, as a token, perhaps, of the gratitude ofhis heart towards his champion, and forthwith handed it up.
"And _a propos_ of that," pursued Charlie, having gulped down hiscoffee, "you are just come up here in the nick of time, for there's aglorious football-match on to-day--"
The uncle groaned and the aunt fidgeted.
"In which Jim is playing, and no one deserves the honour better. Youmust come and see it by all means. Eh, Jim?"
"Rather," said Jim; "it would never do to miss it, especially as Newcomeis playing against us. The worst of it is, as we are both engaged,there will be no one to pilot you about."
"I shall be very glad," said Reader--though, if truth must be told, hispoliteness cost him an effort--"if your uncle and aunt will let me. I'malmost as great a stranger, though, in the town as they are."
"You are very kind, sir," said Jim's aunt, who had been long sincegained over by the enemy. "We shall be most pleased to have yourescort. Eh, my love? Besides, we shall help to keep you out in thefresh air for once. But, James," she said, "I can't get over you andMr Newcome being opponents in this match and yet such friends."
Every one laughed at this, and Charlie confided to the good lady hisfixed determination of breaking her nephew's legs before the day wasout--a purpose which, from the speaker's point of view, she could nothelp admitting was a laudable one.
Thus the breakfast ended very satisfactorily for everyone except theuncle, who had at last discovered the trap into which he had let himselffall, from which, however, he could not with grace free himself.
Three hours later the two worthies, having seen many of the sights ofCambridge with the advantage of Reader's escort, found themselves withsome hundreds of other spectators on the f
ield in which the notablefootball-match of Cambridge _versus_ Sandhurst was immediately about tobegin.
Jim Halliday's uncle and aunt could hardly have denied that the thirtyyoung men, half of them in blue jerseys and half in red, who were nowstrolling out onto the ground, were as fine a body of youths as onecould easily encounter in the course of a long day's march. The pictureof health and physique, they seemed almost like some of those heroes ofold beside whom poor everyday man was wont to shrink intoinsignificance. Among the blues towered Jim, among the reds Charlie,two by no means the least noble-looking of the company.
"How well James looks in that dress, my love!" said the aunt.
"My love" could hardly dispute the fact, so he said nothing; but in hissecret heart he began to doubt whether he had not taken an exaggeratedview of the demoralising nature of athletic sports.
Play was soon ordered, and then amidst breathless silence the ball shotupward, propelled by the vigorous kick of the Sandhurst captain.
It is not my purpose to follow in all its details the famous match ofwhich I was that day spectator. My muse has other things to sing ofbesides rallies and charges, scrimmages and drop kicks, touch-downs andpassings. To me the game was chiefly interesting as it was interestingto Jim Halliday and Charlie Newcome; but as during the first part of thematch both these worthies were what they would call "out of it"--thatis, on outpost duty--I found the company I was in better worth studyingthan the ups and downs of the football.
When the game first began the two good people gazed in silentastonishment. It always takes some time to understand the humour of afootball-match from outside, and Jim's uncle and aunt consequently for atime could make nothing out of the constant succession of charges andscrimmages of which they were witnesses. Presently, however, with theaid of their own observation and the remarks of people around them, theycame to appreciate the sport better, and grew proportionatelyinterested. After a time the interest grew to excitement and excitementfound relief in speech.
"There's that little red-haired fellow got it again!" exclaimed theaunt; "see how he runs!"
"Wait a bit!" cried the uncle; "that fellow there will catch him--no, hehasn't--just look at him; there's smartness for you! Ah! he's down!"
"But another of the blues has got the ball!" cried the aunt, starting ontiptoe. "Well, to be sure! five onto one! what a shame!"
And so they kept up a running commentary on the fortunes of the game,much to George's amusement and that of those near us. Now and then theuncle appeared suddenly to recollect himself, and would come out with agrunt of disapproval. Once, for instance, when by a sort of commonimpulse the whole of the players engaged in one of the scrimmages fellto the ground, he was hardy enough to ejaculate--
"Disgraceful!"
"Hold your tongue, my love," broke in his wife; "you know very wellyou'd like to be in it yourself if you were a boy. _I_ would!"
After that the uncle, whatever he thought, said nothing.
The sides appeared to be very evenly matched; so much so, that when"half-time" was called neither had gained the least advantage.
Just as the sides were changing over, preparing to renew the contest, aman came running up to where our party stood and called out,--
"Will anyone lend me a watch? Mine has stopped." This man was thetimekeeper for Cambridge, and indeed was no other than Clarke's friend,one of the breakfast-party that morning.
"Here is one!" cried George, recognising him and unfastening me from hisribbon-chain. The next moment I was hurrying towards the goals in myborrower's hands.
I had now nothing for it but to attend closely to the game, for the oldgentleman and lady were too far away for me to be able to observe themany further.
The ball was started again, and I had the satisfaction of seeing thatboth Jim and Charlie were in new posts, which promised a better chanceof sport.
And so it happened.
Hardly had the first scrimmage been formed when Jim was seen slippingout of it with the ball under his arm, making straight for the Sandhurstgoal. He was quickly stopped, however, and after a desperate encounterthe ball got free and rolled out of the crush towards where Charliestood.
He, not waiting to pick it up, went at it with a flying kick. Up flewthe ball, amid cheers and shouts, right over the heads of the players,and had it not been for the promptitude of the Cambridge "backs" itmight have got behind their goal. And now, as if every one knew thetime was getting short, the play became harder than ever. Many a timedid I catch sight of my two Randlebury friends in the thick of thefight, sometimes hand to hand, sometimes separated by a living wall ofhumanity, but always doing their work, and straining for the one object.The time went on. The man who held me looked at me now oftener than hehad done hitherto; and presently, when I pointed to five minutes tofour, he cried out to a player near him, "Five minutes more."
That player was Charlie Newcome, and I saw his face flush as of old, andknew he at any rate intended to make the most of the brief timeremaining.
But two of the minutes were gone before his chance came. Then there wasa cry, and all eyes turned towards him, for there came the ball flyingstraight to where he stood. In a moment he had it, and started to run.It was a desperate chance, but Charlie was ready for desperate deeds.Shout rose on shout, and cheer on cheer, as first one, then another ofthe enemy was overturned or dodged. The more he achieved, the less hisenemies ventured against him, and he dashed through their "forwards" andbetween their "quarter-backs." Next moment, with a mighty swoop, their"half-back" fell to the earth.
And now there are but two men to pass, and one of these is Jim Halliday.The avenging host follows in hot haste behind, but the issue of thefight lies with these two. See the grin of joy on Jim's face as hethrows away his cap, and watches his dear enemy advance! It was as if atrumpet-call had suddenly sounded in the ears of two old chargers, andto them that moment the world was all contained in the space whichsevered them. Straight as an arrow rushed Charlie, firm as a rockwaited Jim. Nor had he long to wait. With a bound and a howl his enemyleapt at him, and next moment the two were locked in an embrace theshock of which even I could distinctly hear. Oh, shades of Randlebury Idid your school every turn out two finer men than this pair ofstruggling, straining, rival friends! The collision occurred close tothe goal-line, and a moment afterwards a cry of "Maul!" proclaimed thatthey had in their struggle crossed the line, and that consequently (inaccordance with the law of the game) the contest for the ball must bedecided by these two alone, without aid or hindrance from the breathlessfriends and foes who stood round. A fair field and no favour! A ringwas formed, and as my heart beat rapidly on towards the critical moment,these two strained every nerve to get the advantage for his side before"time" should be called.
"Bravo, our man!" cried one. "Stick to it, Newcome!" shouted others."Now you have it, Halliday!" called out a third. Never was duel beforethe walls of Troy more desperate. The crowd burst in onto the field andthronged round, foremost among whom Jim's aunt's voice was heard cryingout shrilly,--
"Well, I never, it's James and Mr Newcome, my love. How hot they are!"
It was evident the contest in which the two youths were engaged was onenot destined to end before time was up. I pointed to within half aminute of the fated hour--and it would take far longer than that foreven so powerful a champion as Jim to wrest the ball from Charlie'sdefiant grasp. The timekeeper turned away from the rivals and held meup. On went my hand, and on went the struggle.
"Now, Newcome; one tug more?"
"Bravo, our man! You'll do it yet!"
"Time's up! No side!"
Then rose those two from the earth, and immediately the astonished Jimfelt himself embraced before the whole multitude by his aunt.
"Well, James, and how do you feel after it all?"
"Hungry," replied Jim.
So ended the famous match. After that Jim had no more trouble from hisuncle and aunt on the subject of athletics, which they were fain to
admit were a branch of science beyond their comprehension.
Charlie started that same night for London, with the intention of makingone more effort to help Tom Drift at all hazards. I, meanwhile, wasrestored to the possession of my lawful owner, who returned to hisstudies in the "Mouse-trap"; sitting up all night, I am sorry to say, tomake up for the loss of the day.
The Adventures of a Three-Guinea Watch Page 23
