By Sheer Pluck

By Sheer Pluck

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Title: By Sheer Pluck A Tale of the Ashanti War
Author: G. A. Henty
Release Date: July, 2005 [EBook #8576] [Yes, we are more than one
year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on July 25, 2003]
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BY SHEER PLUCK: A TALE OF THE ASHANTI WAR. BY G. A.
HENTY

CHAPTER I
: A FISHING EXCURSION
"Now, Hargate, what a fellow you are! I've been looking for you
everywhere. Don't you know it's the House against the Town boys. It's
lucky that the Town have got the first innings; they began a quarter of
an hour ago."
"How tiresome!" Frank Hargate said. "I was watching a most
interesting thing here. Don't you see this little chaffinch nest in the bush,
with a newly hatched brood. There was a small black snake threatening
the nest, and the mother was defending it with quivering wings and
open beak. I never saw a prettier thing. I sat quite still and neither of
them seemed to notice me. Of course I should have interfered if I had
seen the snake getting the best of it. When you came running up like a
cart horse, the snake glided away in the grass, and the bird flew off. Oh,
dear! I am sorry. I had forgotten all about the match."
"I never saw such a fellow as you are, Hargate. Here's the opening
match of the season, and you, who are one of our best bats, poking
about after birds and snakes. Come along; Thompson sent me and two
or three other fellows off in all directions to find you. We shall be half
out before you're back. Wilson took James's wicket the first ball."
Frank Hargate leaped to his feet, and, laying aside for the present all
thoughts of his favorite pursuit, started off at a run to the playing field.
His arrival there was greeted with a mingled chorus of welcome and

indignation. Frank Hargate was, next to Thompson the captain of the
Town eleven, the best bat among the home boarders. He played a
steady rather than a brilliant game, and was noted as a good sturdy
sticker. Had he been there, Thompson would have put him in at first, in
order to break the bowling of the House team. As it was, misfortunes
had come rapidly. Ruthven and Handcock were bowling splendidly,
and none of the Town boys were making any stand against them.
Thompson himself had gone in when the fourth wicket fell, and was
still in, although two wickets had since fallen, for only four runs, and
the seventh wicket fell just as Frank arrived, panting, on the ground.
"Confound you, Hargate!" Thompson shouted, "where have you been?
And not even in flannels yet."
"I'm very sorry," Frank shouted back cheerfully, "and never mind the
flannels, for once. Shall I come in now?"
"No," Thompson said. "You'd better get your wind first. Let Fenner
come in next."
Fenner stayed in four overs, adding two singles as his share, while
Thompson put on a three and a two. Then Fenner was caught.
Thirty-one runs for eight wickets! Then Frank took the bat, and walked
to the ground. Thompson came across to him.
"Look here, Hargate, you have made a nice mess of it, and the game
looks as bad as can be. Whatever you do, play carefully. Don't let out at
anything that comes straight. The great thing is to bother their bowling
a bit. They're so cocky now, that pretty near every ball is straight on the
wickets. Be content with blocking for a bit, and Handcock will soon go
off. He always gets savage if his