<h2><SPAN name="CHAPTER_XXIV">CHAPTER XXIV. <br/><span class="cheaderfont">HOME AGAIN.</span></SPAN></h2>
<p>Their adventures at Ismailia formed the subject of
conversation for several days between Edgar and
Muriel Wylde. With her mother’s consent, Muriel
accepted Edgar’s offer of marriage, and when the
engagement became known on board they were regarded
with romantic interest by the passengers.
The remainder of the voyage proved uneventful.
Muriel Wylde and her mother left the steamer at
Naples, and proceeded overland to London, but
Edgar remained on board with the team.</p>
<p>On arriving at Tilbury, the eleven received a hearty
welcome from a large number of influential cricketers
and lovers of the game. To Edgar, all this was as
nothing to the joy he felt at meeting his father and
Doris again.</p>
<p>Elm Lodge looked much the same as when he
went away, and the old home was so peaceful that
Edgar began to wonder how he had ever made up
his mind to leave it. He had much to relate to his
father and sister, and, needless to say, Will Brown
entertained Doris in a manner agreeable to that
young lady.</p>
<p><span class="pagenum">[224]</span></p>
<p>The wreck of the <em>Distant Shore</em> was described
again, and Robert Foster noticed with pride how
modestly Edgar spoke of the part he took in saving
Eva.</p>
<p>‘Poor Manton!’ said Robert Foster. ‘I am sorry
he was drowned, for a better seaman could not be
found. I should like to meet Wal Jessop, and we
must try and have little Eva over here, for we cannot
spare you again, Edgar, now we have got you at
home.’</p>
<p>‘It would be splendid if Wal could be induced to
bring Eva and his wife home,’ said Edgar. ‘I must
write and ask him. You have to meet Ben Brody,
who came over with us, and I am sure you will be
amused at him. He is a character, and a rough-and-ready
customer, but a genuine good fellow.’</p>
<p>When Edgar spoke of his engagement to Muriel
Wylde, his father was pleased he had found a girl
after his own heart, for his son’s happiness always
held a foremost place with him.</p>
<p>‘And what about the Australian eleven?’ said
Robert Foster. ‘Are they a strong team? It is
rather too bad of you to play against the old country.
It places me in an awkward position. Of course,
I am patriotic enough to wish to see England victorious,
and yet I shall be highly delighted to see
you pile up a big score.’</p>
<p>‘I shall do my best,’ said Edgar; ‘and every
member of the team will try hard to win the matches.
I think we stand an excellent chance, and you will<span class="pagenum">[225]</span>
have to put your best eleven in the field to beat us in
the test matches.’</p>
<p>‘Your men generally play well, and with constant
practice they know each other’s play thoroughly, but
we have some splendid cricketers now, and they will
take a lot of beating,’ said his father.</p>
<p>‘All the more credit to us, then, if we win,’ said
Edgar.</p>
<p>The members of an Australian eleven have plenty
of hard work to go through when in England, and
Edgar could not remain idle at home. He went to
Mitcham to practise on the famous common, and his
father accompanied him to see how the men shaped.
To two or three of the older members of the team,
who had been in England before, Robert Foster was
well known, and his appearance with Edgar was
hailed with delight.</p>
<p>William Murch, the captain of the Australians,
shook hands heartily with Robert Foster, and said
with a smile:</p>
<p>‘We have had you against us on many occasions,
but I think we can cry quits now we have your son
on our side.’</p>
<p>‘How does Edgar shape?’ asked Robert Foster.</p>
<p>‘I consider him one of our best bats, and expect
great things of him. He has a happy knack of
making a big score when it is most wanted. He is a
smart fielder and a good change bowler. In fact, I
cannot pay him a higher compliment than to say he
is as good a man as his father,’ said Murch.</p>
<p><span class="pagenum">[226]</span></p>
<p>Edgar was now at the nets, and making the balls
fly about merrily.</p>
<p>‘He does not seem very stiff after the voyage,’ said
Robert Foster. ‘His wrist play is good, but his style
could be improved a bit. I must give him a wrinkle
or two.’</p>
<p>‘That will be going over to the enemy’s camp,’
said Murch, with a laugh; ‘but we shall be glad of
such a valuable coach.’</p>
<p>‘By Jove! so it will,’ said Robert Foster. ‘But
I cannot resist the temptation, all the same. We
cricketers, I am glad to say, are always ready to help
each other, and I have had many a good wrinkle
given me by Australians.’</p>
<p>‘Ah! it is a game that stands ahead of all other
games,’ said Murch enthusiastically. ‘It is a genuine
sport, and a manly sport. It not only gives pleasure
to the players, but to thousands of people in all
parts of the world. Lovers of cricket, no matter
where you go, are always willing to help each
other.’</p>
<p>‘You are right,’ said Robert Foster. ‘Cricket will
never take a back seat to any other game.’</p>
<p>‘Look out!’ said Murch, as he dodged a ball hit
by Edgar. ‘Your son is evidently bent upon letting
us know he is at the nets.’</p>
<p>When he had finished his turn with the bat Edgar
joined his father and Murch.</p>
<p>‘How do you think I shape?’ said Edgar.</p>
<p>‘Very well,’ replied his father, ‘but your style is<span class="pagenum">[227]</span>
rather faulty. I think I can give you a hint as to
what I mean when we reach home.’</p>
<p>‘Now then, Will, it’s your turn,’ said Edgar, and
Will Murch went to the nets with his bat under his
arm.</p>
<p>‘You have seen him play before?’ said Edgar.</p>
<p>‘Many times,’ said his father. ‘He is a splendid
bat, and I should think he will make a good captain.
Is he popular with the team?’</p>
<p>‘Very,’ said Edgar. ‘I believe every one of us
thinks he is the best man that could have been
selected.’</p>
<p>‘That is the proper feeling to start with,’ said
Robert Foster. ‘If you have no confidence in your
captain, defeat is almost certain.’</p>
<p>When Robert Foster had seen the Australians at
practice on several occasions, he came to the conclusion
it was the strongest team that had yet come
to England.</p>
<p>‘The test matches will be a treat,’ he said. ‘If
honours are divided in the first two matches, what
tremendous excitement there will be over the
final!’</p>
<p>‘Which I hope we shall win,’ said Edgar.</p>
<p>Doris Foster was quite as interested as her father
in the probable result of the tour. Although Will
Brown had not returned from Australia with enough
wealth to warrant him in setting up an establishment
of his own, Doris thought she would not be
risking much in accepting him as her lover. With<span class="pagenum">[228]</span>
Robert Foster’s sanction they became engaged, and
the family circle at Elm Lodge increased.</p>
<p>Ben Brody came to Elm Lodge, and soon made
himself at home. Robert Foster discovered that men
of Brody’s stamp are to be trusted, and although he
might have been out of place amidst the sham and
humbug of a society drawing-room, Ben Brody was
in his element at Elm Lodge.</p>
<p>His quaint remarks caused roars of laughter, and
he drew some amusing pictures of station life in which
Edgar and Will Brown were conspicuous figures.</p>
<p>‘I’ll tell you what it is,’ he said to Edgar one day
as they sat on the lawn enjoying the fragrant weed,
‘this beats Yanda hollow. What a trump your dad
is! Talk about colonial hospitality, it is a mere trifle
to the way in which I have been treated here. I
have lived on the fat of the land, while those poor
beggars at Yanda have been stifling their ill-feelings
with the usual mutton. Then there’s your sister—but
she ought to have a whole vocabulary to herself
and not be mixed up with such matters. Will
Brown’s a lucky fellow, and so for the matter of that
are you. Girls like Miss Muriel Wylde are not
found every day. I wonder if you will ever return to
Australia.’</p>
<p>‘That remains to be seen,’ said Edgar. ‘After the
tour will be time enough to think about that.’</p>
<p>The opening match of the tour was played at Sheffield
Park against Lord Sheffield’s eleven. Ever
ready to assist in promoting honest manly games,<span class="pagenum">[229]</span>
H.R.H. the Prince of Wales honoured them with his
presence. Will Murch was introduced to his Royal
Highness, and was naturally much elated. The
match resulted in a win for the Australians, but
Edgar did not ‘come off’ on this occasion.</p>
<p>As the weeks rolled by and the tour progressed, it
was easy to see the Australian eleven was a fine
team. So far they had only been twice beaten—once
by an M.C.C. eleven, and in the first match
against England.</p>
<p>Their second struggle with the cracks of the home
team had resulted in a win for the Australians.
Edgar played well in these matches, but had done
nothing particularly wonderful. Against several of
the county elevens he had made good scores. He
astonished W. G. at Gloucester by the way he
knocked the champion’s bowling about, and the hero
of a hundred fights warmly congratulated him on his
performance.</p>
<p>‘I always thought W. G. was a jealous man,’ said
Edgar.</p>
<p>‘Not a bit of it,’ said Robert Foster. ‘He’s one
of the first to recognise merit in a cricketer. I’ll tell
you what he is jealous about.’</p>
<p>‘And that is?’ asked Edgar.</p>
<p>‘The honour of the game, and the honour of his
side when he captains a team,’ said Robert Foster.</p>
<p>The final test match was to be played at Lord’s,
and the greatest interest was manifested in the
result. Throughout England enthusiastic cricketers<span class="pagenum">[230]</span>
waxed eloquent over the forthcoming struggle. In
Australia every item of news was eagerly read and
discussed. It might safely be said that millions of
people anxiously awaited the result of this great match.
The picking of the England eleven was a difficult
task, but at last it was done, and Robert Foster could
not find a fault with the team.</p>
<p>‘They ought to beat you, Edgar,’ he said. ‘It is
the best team that could have been selected. Grace
has had a large finger in that pie, and no fault can
be found with it. I cannot pick out a weak spot.’</p>
<p>‘They have not won yet,’ said Edgar; ‘and all
our men are in splendid trim. Murch is sanguine,
and he’s not given to over-estimate our chances.
Lord’s has been our unlucky ground, but that is no
reason why we should not prove successful.’</p>
<p>‘What a sight it will be!’ said Robert Foster. ‘I
hope you will pile up a big score.’</p>
<p>‘So do I,’ replied Edgar. ‘This is my chance,
and I shall do my best.’</p>
<p>The great match was to commence on Monday,
and on the Sunday quite a party of cricketers
assembled at Elm Lodge. Will Murch, Bannman,
Black, Royle of the Australians, and two of the
English team enjoyed Robert Foster’s hospitality
and listened to the yarns spun by Ben Brody.</p>
<p>Muriel Wylde and her mother were in London for
the match, and came to spend the day at Elm
Lodge. Muriel and Doris were great friends, and
found much to talk about. It was an eventful<span class="pagenum">[231]</span>
Sunday, this day before the great match, which
formed almost the sole topic of conversation. Many
were the surmises as to who would make the big
scores, and which bowler would secure the best
average.</p>
<p>‘We count upon you this time,’ said Murch to
Edgar. ‘It is your turn to knock up a big score
against England.’</p>
<p>‘I mean to try,’ said Edgar, ‘and I feel very fit.’</p>
<p>‘Muriel will be terribly disappointed if you make
less than a hundred,’ said Doris.</p>
<p>‘That is rather a large order,’ laughed Edgar, ‘but
I must do my best to execute it.’</p>
<p>Late hours were not kept that night. Robert
Foster packed them off in good time.</p>
<p>‘You shall have a night of it when the match is
over,’ he said to Will Murch. ‘Win or lose, you must
come here to celebrate the event. Remember I am
equally interested in both sides.’</p>
<p>As Edgar bade Muriel good-night, she said:</p>
<p>‘I am quite anxious about you, Edgar. I feel sure
you will succeed. I shall be terribly excited during
the first over, but when you are firmly set and
making a score, it will be glorious.’</p>
<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" />
<p><span class="pagenum">[232]</span></p>
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