'Such are the facts of the case.'     

       'Thanks. That's all. Go away and do some work. Good-night.'     

       The cup went to Merevale's that year. The Babe played a singularly brilliant game for them.     

  

  

       8 — THE MANOEUVRES OF CHARTERIS     

 Chapter 1 

       'Might I observe, sir—'     

       'You may observe whatever you like,' said the referee kindly.       'Twenty-five.'     

       'The rules say—'     

       'I have given my decision. Twenty-five!' A spot of red appeared on the official cheek. The referee, who had been heckled since the kick-off, was beginning to be annoyed.     

       'The ball went behind without bouncing, and the rules say—'     

       'Twenty-FIVE!!' shouted the referee. 'I am perfectly well aware what the rules say.' And he blew his whistle with an air of finality. The secretary of the Bargees' F.C. subsided reluctantly, and the game was restarted.     

       The Bargees' match was a curious institution. Their real name was the Old Crockfordians. When, a few years before, the St Austin's secretary had received a challenge from them, dated from Stapleton, where their secretary happened to reside, he had argued within himself as follows:       'This sounds all right. Old Crockfordians? Never heard of Crockford. Probably some large private school somewhere. Anyhow, they're certain to be decent fellows.' And he arranged the fixture. It then transpired that Old Crockford was a village, and, from the appearance of the team on the day of battle, the Old Crockfordians seemed to be composed exclusively of the riff-raff of same. They wore 

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