DAYS STOLEN FOR SPORT 87 



on." There came a rumbling that was followed by 

 a flash and the tree was empty in a moment. 



I see its round bright yellow cupboard now and 

 hear the Devon voice pleading to be taken from 

 amongst the trees. Lightning was her greatest 

 terror, and it would have had to be such love and 

 fear as startles mothers into daring to bring or 

 keep her near trees when thunder rolled. So it 

 was into the open she ran to stand the tempest 

 out and, while she was there, the lightning flashed 

 and quivered in the darkened sky, and the thunder 

 that followed it, ever more quickly, was awful when 

 it came straight overhead, but my companion's 

 fears fled at the comforting assurance that, stand- 

 ing as we did, we should fare alike. 



The heavy rain had now its will with us, and we 

 were before long too wet for any further outdoor 

 pleasure, and, the remainder of our party having 

 fared but little better, it was decided to call the 

 match finished. The afternoon's sport had not 

 much altered the positions of the contestants : Jack 

 was easily first and lucky Ted second. 



Mrs Jack protested that it would be dangerous 

 for us to travel with wet shoes and damp clothes 

 and that it would be wiser for us to go to the 

 uncle's house for tea and get dried. She and Jack 

 hurried off to give notice of our coming, with the 

 result that their bachelor uncle stood waiting us 

 with hearty welcome, which was graciously re- 

 sponded to by Mrs Ted, who, with him, led the 

 way into a room in which the fire sticks crackled 

 loudly to give further welcome and a promise of 

 drier clothes for our journey home. 



It transpired that the partial deafness of our host 



