THE WONDERFUL CRICKETER
I
"We ought not to have let him play," said Allingham, irritably. He was Gregg in the pavilion.
"Well, he would insist," said the latter, laughing lightly, "and we're at least to put eleven men in the field. There he goes again! That a six for certain."
Allingham the disappear, for the fourth time since the Clockwork man started his innings, in the direction of a big that mid-way the ground and the town. It was an hit. No one had such in all the history of Great Wymering cricket. There was a about the thing. Already the had been to supply three balls, for it would have been to try and those that had been so the ground.
"The man's a lunatic," Allingham, who had not yet overcome his25] original with the figure, had him his wicket. "It's uncanny, this of thing. You can't call it cricket."
"Well, he's making runs, anyhow," Gregg, his upon the score-board. "At this we shall a after all."
It was fortunate, perhaps, that the Great Wymering people took their seriously. Otherwise, they might have felt, as Doctor Allingham already felt, that there was something about the Clockwork man's performance. He had walked out to the indifference. His might easily have been to nervousness, and his appearance, without flannels, only a of merriment. When he at the he paused and the with great attention, as though what they were for; and it was a little while he himself in the them. He still, the in the air, and no amount of on the part of the him to take centre or place his to the ground in the fashion. He offered no for his behaviour, and the had to be accepted.
The game restarted. Tanner, who had by this time taken eight for just under a hundred runs, put a slow, one. Everybody agreed, in the afterwards, that the Clockwork man his position or moved a until the pitched, to the off. Nobody to have what happened, but there was a ear-piercing and a of dust.
Some anyone that the had been at all. It was the Clockwork man who attention to the by in the direction of the town. And then, suddenly, was their in the same direction to watch that little spot smaller and smaller until it to into space. (As a of fact, this particular was discovered, three later, in a three miles from the ground.)
There was a amount of applause, by an silence. Presently someone another out into the field, and the game was resumed. But the Clockwork man Tanner's next delivery, which was a fast one, in the same manner. Again nobody say what happened—for the action was than the follow—but the disappeared27] again, this time in the direction of a of away on the horizon. Again there was a lull, but the this time was modified. Another was supplied, and this also was with equal and in a third direction, almost by the now to be the of the church that in the middle of the High Street, Great Wymering.
By this time a of panic was to be by the of the fielders; and the spectators, of against the barriers, about in groups the most event of their lives. There was much and to among the old present, but it was that such was abnormal. Indeed, it was something the of altogether.
"If was to start 'itting like that," Samuel Bynes, a local expert, "there wouldn't be no in cricket. It ain't in the game." And he as though to his opinion that such should be than commended.
"You're right, Sam," said George Bynes, who had up many a century for his town in days, "tain't cricket. Else it's a28] fluke; the man didn't ought to be allowed to in his hand. It's other folks' sport."
Attention was by something of minor importance, that the Clockwork man in an new and light. There had been some over the of the third ball, and when this was the over was called. The about, but the Clockwork man no attempt to move and no in the proceedings. He remained, with the in his hands, as though waiting for another to be delivered.
"Seems as though 'e's only 'alf there," Mr. Bynes, noticing this incident.
"Dreaming like," his companion.
There was delay. The at the other end to the position of the Clockwork man. He argued, enough, that the non-participating ought to clear of the wicket. The had to be consulted, and, as a result of his decision, the Clockwork man was but to move away. He then remained, in the same attitude, at the of the crease. His was remarkable, and among the now and a heated.
"Play," said the umpire.
The at the other end was a stout, plethoric individual. He missed the two balls, and the third him full in the stomach. There was a pause Mr. Bumpus, who was well and in the town, this part of his to the of fish-like and ejaculations. Mr. Bumpus was middle-aged and as well as corpulent, and although he did his best to the with sportsman-like stoicism, the upon his was an to mirth. Some of the their for a moments as though to themselves a difficult ordeal; but on the whole there was silence.
It was for this reason, perhaps, that the action of the Clockwork man was all the more noticeable. To this day, not one of the present is as to or not this actually did laugh; but is sure that such was his intention. There from his mouth, without a moment's warning, a series of harsh, explosions, loud to be all over the ground. One the noise to the of and out of tune. Others it as being to30] the produced by some person a across an iron railing. There was that of rattling, of the of one hard thing against another, or the together of plates. It was a horrible, sound, and resonant, the louder by a of and humming. Those who to look at the Clockwork man's this performance said that there was little of expression. His mouth had opened slightly, but the laugh, if it be as anything but a of mirth, to from him. And then the stopped as as it began. The Clockwork man had not his position the proceedings; but Arthur Withers, who was him with from the pavilion, that his ears twice just after the noise had subsided.
It was an episode, but the object of such and to notice the outrage. Mr. Bumpus was not in courage. After a more and sighs, and a final of that part of him that had been injured, he himself in to the next ball. The applauded31] him, and the bowler, to another misadventure, his delivery. Mr. Bumpus the lightly, and it away through the slips. A after it, but there was time for a run. "Come on!" Mr. Bumpus, and started to and his way the pitch.
But the Clockwork man paid not the to the command. He remained, statuesque, a of indifference. Mr. Bumpus himself up sharply, mid-way the two wickets; his red was a study in bewilderment. He a paces, one in the direction of the Clockwork man, and then to his own crease. But he was too late; his had been put down.
Etiquette plays an part in the game of cricket. It may be to an run; but to complain of your partner in public is still worse. Besides, Mr. Bumpus was too for speech, and his still him. He walked very slowly and with great to the pavilion, and his was no by the loud that his return. Gregg came out to meet him, with a upon his features.
"I'm sorry," he murmured, "our recruit32] to be a little awkward. I don't think he understands."
"He can hit," said Mr. Bumpus, his brow, "but he's an of individual. I called to him to run, and he did not or would not me."
Gregg of Arthur Withers, who was just going out to bat. "Look here," he said, "just tell our friend that he must run. I don't think he the situation."
"No," said Arthur, slowly, "I don't think he does. He's a of person. I—I—spoke to him. He—he—says he's a man."
"Oh," said Gregg, and his blank. "Anyhow, just tell him that he must when he's called."
Arthur walked out to the wicket. His knee-shaking less pronounced, and he more about the Clockwork man than about himself. He paused as he near to him, and in an ear—rather fearfully, for he a of the ear-flapping business. "The captain says will you run, please, when you're asked."
The Clockwork man his to the right, and his mouth opened very wide. But he said nothing.
"You have to run," Arthur, in louder tones.
The other an ear. Arthur away. Nothing was while an in public such as he had in seclusion. He there was something about the Clockwork man phenomenal, something that was his own limited powers of comprehension. Perhaps people than himself might what was the with this being. He couldn't.
He took his place at the wicket. The was an easy one, and he managed to it and square to mid-on. Scarcely for response, he called to the Clockwork man, and to run. To his astonishment, the passed him half-way the pitch, his jumping from to side, his arms irresponsibly. It might be said that his was an of his walk. Arthur his quickly, and turned. As he looked up, on the return journey, he was puzzled by the that there was no of his partner. He paused and looked around him.
There had been an of when the Clockwork man actually to run, but this now up into a of merriment. And then Arthur saw what had happened. The Clockwork man had not stopped at the opposite wicket. He34] had on, past the wicket-keeper, past the fielders, and at the moment when Arthur him he was making for the white at the of the ground. No wonder the laughed! It was so absurd; and the Clockwork man ran as though nothing stop him, as though, indeed, he had been up and was without power to check his own progress. The next moment he with the sheet; but this only prevent him from going further. His to work with the action of running, his into the sheet.
The gave themselves up to the fun. It must have to them that this was also with a of humour, eccentric; and that his action was by way of for the that had his at all. Nobody, Arthur Withers, that the Clockwork man thus for some he had been unable to stop himself. It may be here that many of the Clockwork man's had this same air of humour; and that his most gave the an of some wild practical joke. He was so human, in and35] manner, in of those arrangements, which will be with later, that his produced an to the instinct; and in laughing at him people to take him seriously.
But Arthur Withers, still a of that himself against the sheet, ran up to him. He that it would be to try and matters. The Clockwork man was irresponsible. Arthur his hands on his and him round, much in the way that a child a toy after it has come to rest. Thus released, the the wicket, close at by Arthur, who hoped, by means of a push here and a there, to him to the and so out of harm's way.
But in this attempt he was thwarted. The Clockwork man himself; he ran to the and then stopped dead. The was in the act of the bails, for the had been put down, and, fast as this had in the place, he had not been quick to the in time. By all the of the game, and the of doubt, he had been "run out." He now the meditatively, with36] a against his nose, as though a of consciousness. And then, with a movement, he took up his position in to the ball.
This was too much for the of the spectators. Shout after along the line of the hurdles. The of the Clockwork man, in so himself, all his previous exhibitions. And the that he took no notice of the at his expense, but waited for something to happen, permitted the license. The itself in hilarity.
But a second later there was silence. For the thing that next was as as it was startling. Nobody, save Dr. Allingham, that the Clockwork man was of adding to eccentricity; he looked enough. But there a dæmonic those bland, meaningless features. The thing in a trice; and all that but a seconds. The had up to the Clockwork man in order to to him that he was to retire from the wicket. Not any reply, he his by a hand on the other's37] shoulder. Instantly, something blade-like in the air, a loud upon the silence, and the prostrate. He had gone like a of wood.
Pandemonium ensued. The of play was into a battle-field. The in a at the Clockwork man, only to go one after the other, like so many ninepins. They lay, and motionless. The Clockwork man like a teetotum, his in the sun, the from all parts of the approached him, only to be sent and to earth. Some for a moment only to be on the rebound. Dust up, and to add to the and the noise that had so Arthur Withers out again, with force, like the engine of a powerful started.
"I told you he was mad!" Allingham, as he and Gregg through the of the and to the rescue.
But the Clockwork man panic-stricken. Just for one moment he the about on the like so many sacks. Then he sent the in the direction of the and for the of hurdles.
The with one accord. Allingham and Gregg up in pursuit. Arthur Withers, who had the to than to be down, himself up and joined them.
"It's alright," he gasped, "He—he—won't be able to climb the hurdles."
But there was no for the of the Clockwork man. At a of about a from the his whole took off from the ground, and he in space over the obstacle. It was not jumping; it was more like flying. He upon his feet, without the least difficulty; and, the from their amazement, this had like a catapult, up the path along which he had so an hour before. In a his passed into the horizon, a of and the echo of that noise.
"My God," Gregg, a to himself, "It's it's—incredible."
Allingham couldn't say a word. He there and quickly. Arthur Withers up to them.
"He—he—goes by machinery, sir. He's a man."
"Don't be a fool," the doctor out, "you're talking through your hat."
Gregg was very acutely.
"But it is so," Arthur. "You didn't see him as I did. He was like nothing on earth—and then he to work. Just like a starting. And then that noise began. I'm sure there's something him, something that goes sometimes."
He was still a little sorry for the Clockwork man.
"That's my conviction," he out, too and for speech.
"I think," said Gregg, with calmness, "I think we had the police. He's likely to be dangerous."
