MARLBOROUGH COLLEGE. 83 



name, we always called her " Sir," from the peculiar habit she 

 had of never answering any question until it was repeated, and 

 until she had cocked her head very much on one side, and called 

 out sharply " Sir-r ! " But she was most obliging, and as time went 

 on she kept a ferret for me, with which I did some execution in the 

 chalk-pits, always carrying my spoils to her, and having them 

 cooked on gala-days, when time permitted us to reach her cottage. 



Regarding the games of early days, we had football, which I 

 loved, and cricket, though our eleven was nothing very grand. We 

 played with Swindon, which was captained by the celebrated Budd 

 of by-gone days. His arms were of enormous size, though he must 

 have been an old man when he played with us. One day I met 

 him with a new bat going to the cricket ground, and he asked me 

 to throw him a ball, as he wished to prove his weapon, and catching 

 it just right, he sent it flying to such a distance that — I was going 

 to say I had to run nearly half-a-mile to pick it up — but it could 

 not have been quite so far as that. He was evidently pleased with 

 his performance, for turning to a crowd of boys now gathered round, 

 he said, " Just to try it you know. Hey ! Just to try it ! " Those 

 words seem ringing in my ears even now, and for many a long day I 

 know they were remembered by my comrades, who when they 

 made a successful stroke at cricket, would cry out, " Just to try it 

 you know. Hey! Just to try it!" and then all within hearing, 

 would re-echo the same cry with laughter. 



When the days were wet, we assembled in the covered play- 

 ground, to jump in the long rope ; and this was a favourite game 

 with me. The place was crammed with ropes, all being swung 

 round together, with a hundred boys or so, all jumping and keeping 

 time, which must have presented a very Zoological garden, monkey- 

 house appearance to any outsider looking on. This play-ground 

 was also marked with rings for marbles, and one Hebrew-looking 

 lad was considered a millionaire, because he owned a pocketful of 

 agates. 



Then there was the bathing place, where I learnt to swim. But 



G2 



