with a policeman being thrown into a pond. The policeman exaggerates the incident to the headmaster, claiming several hundred boys had thrown him into the water, and the headmaster punishes the school by cancelling a forthcoming holiday. In retaliation, Wyatt organises a mass walk-out, taking most of the school with him to a nearby town. As punishment for this, the younger boys are caned, and the older boys are all given "extra" during a cricket match against the M.C.C. As there are now several openings in the team, Wyatt persuades Burgess to let Mike play. Mike plays well in the M.C.C. match, scoring 23 not out, against a team that includes both Mike's brother Joe and the pro Saunders. However, in a later house match, Firby-Smith runs Mike out, and Mike insults him. Firby-Smith insists that Mike be punished, but Bob persuades him not to. In gratitude, Mike, finding that he has squeezed Bob out of the team, feigns a sprained wrist so that Bob will get into the team instead of him. Soon after, a boy brings the chicken-pox to the school. The outbreak takes out one of the first-team players, giving Mike another chance; he plays reasonably in a poor game. Bob tells him he thinks the first-team place is now Mike's, but next day Mike again angers Firby-Smith by missing early morning fielding practice for the house. When Burgess hears Firby-Smith's story, he decides to pass Mike over in favour of Bob. Neville-Smith, a bowler who has taken the other place in the team, plans a party at his house (he is a day boy) in celebration of his placement, and Wyatt sneaks out of school to attend. On his way out he is spotted by a master, who reports it to Wain; the housemaster waits in Mike's room until Wyatt returns, and tells him he is to leave the school at once, to take a job in a bank. Mike takes Wyatt's place in the team, and persuades his father to find Wyatt more interesting work, via his connections in Argentina. Wrykyn go into the match against their biggest rivals, Ripton, short on bowling but with both Jacksons. The wicket is sticky from rain and Ripton notch up a good score, and taking the field reveal they having a strong bowler of googlies. After a bad start, Wrykyn's fortunes look up when the brothers bat together.