Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1901-01-30
A WESTERNER ON CRICKET.
Ne Didn't Understand the Game. ese
Had q Good Time.

Had q Good Time.
81 went to see a cricket match one
day" said the man from the west.
when happen to remember. am so
ing to buy a sporting guide and find
out what 1 saw. They don't play crick-
ct in HOoptown, Neb.
What do think OF it, Well, sir,
It's the most remarkable game that
ever walked into a farmyard. There
was a big field roped in like a corral.
and In the middle OF it were two
punches OF sticks stuck In the ground
that looked more like a fractions
steers poke than anything else can
think OF. They were about as FAR
from here as across the street apart
and made TO fall down when anything
touched them. People could have taken
a handful Of nails and made them
stronger, but maybe they knew why
they wanted them that way. 1 didn't
Il asked a man in short pants what
they were for.
That's a wicket he says.
Wicked whatr says l.
''Then he looked kind OF scornful
and walked away In his short pants
to n crowd OF men and women, and
pretty soon heard them all laughing.
We'll. two men I'm trotting harness
and interference pads and knee straps
and driving gloves stood up In front OF
one OF the aforesaid wicked things
with pieces Of board In their hands
And chap in short sleeves took a run
half way across the Geld. tied himself
in q knot, let loose and threw a ball
Say. the way he threw reminded me
of the way my wife fires stove wood
at the calf when It gets in the garden.
told a man SO. and he says. That is
what is called bowling
THE man thrown at whacked the
ball sideways, ran TO the next wicked
thing and changed places with the
other man. They did that once or
twice, and sometimes they ran and
sometimes they didn't. Whenever they
ran the people sitting around the ropes
clapped hands and cheered. Pretty
soon somebody calls out 'OverY and a
lot OF men In white suits walked
around bit.
'Then the man In short sleeves threw
the ball, lift the wicked thing and
knocked II all to pieces. The people
cheered again, and n man next TO me
said something about a clean bowl.
didn't see anything that looked like q
bowl, clean or unclean. but / didn't let
on.
There was a couple OF men on the
Held in linen busters. They looked like
they might be Kansas cattlemen, so
thought 1 would go out and pass the
der the ropes. and n policeman came
and ran me back to the side ag'in. and
a lot Of young city chaps laughed
When was explaining how II was. the
men in the field quit playing and went
into a house all covered with hags.
''Well, sir, there was about a thou
sand people around the ropes. all dress
ed up to beat the band. And what dc
you think they did7 They sat or
benches wherever they happened to b'
and ate sandwiches. Gosh, II was fun
nyi
az had a couple Of apples In my grip
and I ate one and offered the other L
the girl with the man that told me
about the bowl. She got all red In thu
face, and the man began to laugh. anC
the girl says. DO you suppose any one
will seer The man says, Really. upoI
my honor or something like that. AnC
the girl says, IF you tell. I'll neve
speak to you With that she took tb'
apple and said 'Thanksr so sweet,
that / wished / had a whole bushe
there to give her.
''Well, hung around the field all da!
like n catfish In a dry goods store. see
ing everything and understanding moth
Ing. had a good time enough; but
honestly. I'd rather watch q game o
marbles. "-PhIladelph Times.