A Cricket Yarn.

Hastings Standard, Issue 172, 16 November 1896, Page 4

A Cricket Yarn.

The •• of :';v \\\sv:" i < responsible for the following ci icket yarn " I was."' the barrister relate d, " playing n. criHcet ma'ch at Mote IV.rk. , MaiiUtone. and was ri. Utincr out in the position ns-igtu-d t:j long leg. Hn«ldt tily | a Man in at the wickets hit a swinging 1 blow to leer- I v>a> mnlilo to stop the b'tH which would have gone over the boundary had it not. been fielded in a very novel way. A Lti-pr- 1 and ferocious bull-dog, darting out from among the crowd, literally swal'owed the cricket b.tii. T and two or three others o£ the men fielding ran up: we were at a perfect loss to know what to do or how to got the ball. The dog seemed almost apoplectic ; but he also seemed almost savage, and there was no means of administering him an emetic. e stood gazing hopele<dy, and, meanwhile, the two men at the wickets were continuing to run steadily, thus increasing the score for our adversaries. It was evident that they knew what had taken place, but considered that it was simply an ordinary case of lost ball. Suddenly I had an idea. Seizing the cap from the head of my fellow cricketer, 1 thrust it into the bull-dog'.* mouth. Instantly I gagged the brut- 1 by winding my waist -ash tightly round his jaws. lie was now helpless. I seized him in my arms and ran with all my might to the wickets, which I reached when the two men in, who were still running, were out of block. Indeed they paid no attention to me. for they only thought 1 was drunk or mad to go running about on a cricket field with « hull dog ; they had no idea_ the bull dog contained the Inst cricket ball. As I approached the wickets 1 called out to the umpire : -'This dog has swallowed the ball. See, here it is?" And to call hi- attention to the spot, patted the round protuberance in the animal's stomach caused by the leathery .-phere within it. Then, without- a moment's hesitation, 1 knocked oil'the hails with that part of bull dog. '-How's that umpire 1 ?" asked the bowler. '• Out," replied the umpire.