"With apologies to gent opposite," said Clowes, "I must say I don'tthink much of the team.""Don't apologise to _me_," said Allardyce disgustedly, as hefilled the teapot, "I think they're rotten.""They ought to have got into form by now, too," said Trevor. "It's notas if this was the first game of the term.""First game!" Allardyce laughed shortly. "Why, we've only got a coupleof club matches and the return match with Ripton to end the season. Itis about time they got into form, as you say."Clowes stared pensively into the fire.

　　"They struck me," he said, "as the sort of team who'd get into formsomewhere in the middle of the cricket season.""That's about it," said Allardyce. "Try those biscuits, Trevor. They'reabout the only good thing left in the place.""School isn't what it was?" inquired Trevor, plunging a hand into thetin that stood on the floor beside him.

　　"No," said Allardyce, "not only in footer but in everything. The placeseems absolutely rotten. It's bad enough losing all our matches, ornearly all. Did you hear that Ripton took thirty-seven points off uslast term? And we only just managed to beat Greenburgh by a try tonil.""We got thirty points last year," he went on. "Thirty-three, andforty-two the year before. Why, we've always simply walked them. It'san understood thing that we smash them. And this year they held us allthe time, and it was only a fluke that we scored at all. Their backmiskicked, and let Barry in.""Barry struck me as the best of the outsides today," said Clowes. "He'sheavier than he was, and faster.""He's all right," agreed Allardyce. "If only the centres would feedhim, we might do something occasionally. But did you ever see such apair of rotters?""The man who was marking me certainly didn't seem particularlybrilliant. I don't even know his name. He didn't do anything at footerin my time," said Trevor.

　　"He's a chap called Attell. He wasn't here with you. He came after thesummer holidays. I believe he was sacked from somewhere. He's no good,but there's nobody else. Colours have been simply a gift this year toanyone who can do a thing. Only Barry and myself left from last year'steam. I never saw such a clearance as there was after the summer term.""Where are the boys of the Old Brigade?" sighed Clowes.

　　"I don't know. I wish they were here," said Allardyce.

　　Trevor and Clowes had come down, after the Easter term had been inprogress for a fortnight, to play for an Oxford A team against theschool. The match had resulted in an absurdly easy victory for thevisitors by over forty points. Clowes had scored five tries off his ownbat, and Trevor, if he had not fed his wing so conscientiously, wouldprobably have scored an equal number. As it was, he had got throughtwice, and also dropped a goal. The two were now having a late tea withAllardyce in his study. Allardyce had succeeded Trevor as Captain ofFootball at Wrykyn, and had found the post anything but a sinecure.