The record-union., 1896-04-12


was kingdom, and when those feckless
Jameses lost their money over the
royal game-helped to fill 1T up and rem
der the egress of the luckless golfer
dcubtful-that is to say, with his clubs
and temper intact.
Kenneth looked at his ball. which was
half buried, and said doubtfully, look
ing up at me:
Not such a bad lie?"
mo, not at ALL 1 answered cheer
fully. You only want to keep we'll be-
hind and take lots of sand
Kenneth took his brothers niblick
and dropped the rest of his clubs be-
hind him. He then addressed his
ball and took a furious shot. Now Ken
neth's brother was much taller than he.
and consequently his clubs were much
too long for Kenneth. Down came the
niblick right on the top of the ball and
"dunted' it still deeper into the sand.
Hang this niblick!' said Kenneth,
and took another shot, with the same
result. Nothing to be seen OF the ball
hut the merest speck of white
1t was here that Kenneth's devotion
70 duty came in He carefully took aim
once more, with exactly the same re
suit. There was no ball to be seen now.
Still he went on addressing the spot
where the ball ought to be with the Ut
most care, and down came the nlbick
with dull thud upon the sand. He did
this with the same scrupulouS care ten
times, and human nature finally came
to his aid and sent duty flying with a
fea in her ear. / noticed that his face
got very red, and that there was
vicious look in his eye as he glanced at
me. He began to average the position
OF the ball, and 'let in about dozen
strokes, one after the other, as quickly
as he could lift and swing the niblick,
He then paused for BREATH said moth
ing. After about half minute he tried
little agriculture. He gave tentative
slot about two feet to the right OF the
ball, then another about two feet to tbs
left, and so on until the kind Old Lady
came to his assistance again. and he
made the niblick fairly whizz. He then
stopped for breath once more.
From the ratings 1 said in a solemn
tcne:
Kenneth that's the thirty-saven
more" -
l had just time 10 duck my head to
escape certain death. shall never for
get the grisly whirr of the niblick as it
hurtled past my right ear.
The club landed on the turf of the
re ce-course, and the shaft brOL. in
three places.
Kenneth picked up his other cluts and
s!alked out of Pandy.
But the ball, Kenneth" venturei to
suggest.
Damn the BALI" said Kenneth very
quickly. His face was very white now
1.-The niblick head?' / said.
Kenneth did not answer He merely
looked at me, and I was glad for my
part that my niblick was intact.
1.-TWO up and four to play, then /
said
Again Kenneth did not answer
felt hurt If had not brought him
out Of 'Pandy." he would have lashed
or at that ball. or at the sand, urtil he
lad burst every blood vessel in his body,
o, died of hunger and exhaustion.
It is a terrible thing to be a slave to
duty.
The conversation was limited on the
return journey. I only made four re-
marks and they were these:
"One up and three to play. "All
square and two to play" "Dormy one."
Two up and the match"
Kenneth had not spoken until W, had
putted out at the stand hole. when he
Ieaculated:
After tea, in the fourth form"
So 1t was to be fight after all
was undisguisedly sorry, because I
knew he would he would get a tremen-
dous whacking from his brother for
breaking his niblick, and 1 knew tnat
the agony of soul which would succeed
OF that solemn damn" would be pun
ishment enough for him.
We sat side by side at tea. We lid
not speak. 1t was evident he meant
business. He contented himself with
TOUR not buttered two-penny scones. one
basket of strawberries and arou. =
quart and a half of milk.
II was in the air that Kenneth md
the Beaver were going to have another
turn up and our classroom was fu1J
OF fourth form boys when, half an ho1,r
before evening school, we squared II, IN
one another
That was the toughest fight I ever
hope to have
We seemed to have been fighting for
centuries, when a sudden hush fell upon
the spectators. and they skunk to their
seats
Kenneth and fought on. until q ouiet
voice said:
1T is magnificent, but it is not work.
Mcintosh and Middleton, sit down
please and write out the Sallust lesson
fifty times"
l always thought Sallust a fool. but
since then I have regarded him with
positive nausea.
We worried along after that. fiebtine
in the usual friendly manner until we
got into the fifth, when the dignity of
our position put an end to it.
We went to Oxford together and there
we contented ourselves with absolutely
deleting one another, verbally. in the
Union. Kenneth's devotion to duty here
again came to destruction He read him
self i'll, and secured a third instead Of
safe first in history.
He also narrowly escaped brain fever.
Then our ways parted and we did not
meet again for some years.
I was strolling down Princess street in
Edinburgh one morning in April when
saw Kenneth hurrying towards me
with a face Of distress
"Hillo, Kenneth. old man! how are
your
Beaver! the very man; for Heavens
sake come down to Musselburgh by the
2:10 this afternoon and make up
foursome. My boss has asked me to get
a foursome, and Alexander has lust
thrown me over
"WhO are the other two ."
sHThoro,c old McOnhoritu 49,. ho.e