§ 164 In Accordance With the Ritual
Archie Gunn, the artist, is a Scot who was educated in England and who still has a great love for the national game of the British Isles, to wit: cricket. Will Kirk, the verse-writer, is a product of Wisconsin and until one day when his friend Gunn took him over on Staten Island had never seen a game of cricket.
Teams made up of English residents were playing. The spectators, almost exclusively, were their fellow-countrymen.
A batsman dealt the ball a powerful wallop.
“Well hit, old chap!” cried Gunn. And “Well hit! Well hit!” echoed others in the crowd.
An opposing player made a hard run to catch the ball as it descended into his territory. He almost got under it—almost, but not quite. It just eluded his clutching fingers.
“Well tried, old chap! Well tried!” called out Gunn.
Kirk figured this sort of thing must be in accordance with the proper ritualism of the game. He decided that, to show his approval, he would at the next opportunity speak up, too.
Once more the batsman smote the ball. It rose high in the air. A fielder for the rival club ran to catch it. His toe caught in a clod of upturned turf and he tumbled forward on his face, and the ball, dropping, hit him squarely on the top of his head.
Kirk’s yell rose high and clear above all lesser sounds.
“Well fell, old chap!” he shouted. “Well fell, by gum!”