People are continually writing to the papers--or it may be onesolitary enthusiast who writes under a number of pseudonyms--on thesubject of sport, and the over-doing of the same by the modern youngman. I recall one letter in which "Efficiency" gave it as his opinionthat if the Young Man played less golf and did more drill, he would beall the better for it. I propose to report my doings with theprofessor on the links at some length, in order to refute this absurdview. Everybody ought to play golf, and nobody can begin it too soon.

　　There ought not to be a single able-bodied infant in the British Isleswho has not foozled a drive. To take my case. Suppose I had employedin drilling the hours I had spent in learning to handle my clubs. Imight have drilled before the professor by the week without softeninghis heart. I might have ported arms and grounded arms and presentedarms, and generally behaved in the manner advocated by "Efficiency,"and what would have been the result? Indifference on his part, or--andif I overdid the thing--irritation. Whereas, by devoting a reasonableportion of my youth to learning the intricacies of golf I wasenabled . . .

　　It happened in this way.

　　To me, as I stood with Ukridge in the fowl-run in the morningfollowing my maritime conversation with the professor, regarding a henthat had posed before us, obviously with a view to inspection, thereappeared a man carrying an envelope. Ukridge, who by this time saw, asCalverley almost said, "under every hat a dun," and imagined that noenvelope could contain anything but a small account, softly andsilently vanished away, leaving me to interview the enemy.

　　"Mr. Garnet, sir?" said the foe.

　　I recognised him. He was Professor Derrick's gardener.

　　I opened the envelope. No. Father's blessings were absent. The letterwas in the third person. Professor Derrick begged to inform Mr. Garnetthat, by defeating Mr. Saul Potter, he had qualified for the finalround of the Combe Regis Golf Tournament, in which, he understood, Mr.

　　Garnet was to be his opponent. If it would be convenient for Mr.

　　Garnet to play off the match on the present afternoon, ProfessorDerrick would be obliged if he would be at the Club House at half-pasttwo. If this hour and day were unsuitable, would he kindly arrangeothers. The bearer would wait.

　　The bearer did wait. He waited for half-an-hour, as I found itimpossible to shift him, not caring to use violence on a man wellstricken in years, without first plying him with drink. He absorbedmore of our diminishing cask of beer than we could conveniently spare,and then trudged off with a note, beautifully written in the thirdperson, in which Mr. Garnet, after numerous compliments and thanks,begged to inform Professor Derrick that he would be at the Club Houseat the hour mentioned.

　　"And," I added--to myself, not in the note--"I will give him such alicking that he'll brain himself with a cleek."For I was not pleased with the professor. I was conscious of amalicious joy at the prospect of snatching the prize from him. I knewhe had set his heart on winning the tournament this year. To berunner-up two years in succession stimulates the desire for firstplace. It would be doubly bitter to him to be beaten by a newcomer,after the absence of his rival, the colonel, had awakened hope in him.