174 THE COMPLETE SPORTSMAN 



in those questions of subtle etiquette, those 

 chivabous niceties of conduct, the practice of 

 which may be said to distinguish village cricket 

 from the more serious game played upon county 

 grounds. If, for instance, the Earl of Bumble- 

 foot condescends to take part in a local match, 

 and before he has made (let us say) half a dozen 

 runs is unluckily caught at the wicket, it is the 

 duty of the umpire to say " Not out !" in a clear 

 voice just as his lordship starts to walk away 

 towards the pavilion. In like fashion he should 

 continue to say " Not out !" to any appeals that 

 may be made until Lord Bumblefoot has com- 

 piled some five- and- twenty runs. Then, and 

 not before, is it permissible to give the Lord of 

 the Manor " out," if it is quite plain that 

 the elderly nobleman has enjoyed as long an 

 innings as he desires and would welcome an op- 

 portunity for repose. Again, if young Viscount 

 Memlingham, Lord Bumblefoot' s half-witted 

 heir, elects to bowl for an over or two, the 

 discreet umpire mil close his eyes to any 

 " Avides," or " no-balls," and, should the bowler 

 deliver a well-directed full-pitch that strikes the 

 batsman on the head, and appeal for " leg before 

 wicket," he will say, " Out, my lord !" without 

 a moment's hesitation. 



Among an umpire's most responsible duties 

 are, first of all, the duty of giving a batsman 



