{"product_id":"2940013289123","title":"BY SHEER PLUCK","description":"CHAPTER I: A FISHING EXCURSION\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Now, Hargate, what a fellow you are! I've been looking for you\u003cbr\u003eeverywhere. Don't you know it's the House against the Town boys. It's\u003cbr\u003elucky that the Town have got the first innings; they began a quarter of\u003cbr\u003ean hour ago.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"How tiresome!\" Frank Hargate said. \"I was watching a most interesting\u003cbr\u003ething here. Don't you see this little chaffinch nest in the bush, with a\u003cbr\u003enewly hatched brood. There was a small black snake threatening the nest,\u003cbr\u003eand the mother was defending it with quivering wings and open beak. I\u003cbr\u003enever saw a prettier thing. I sat quite still and neither of them seemed\u003cbr\u003eto notice me. Of course I should have interfered if I had seen the snake\u003cbr\u003egetting the best of it. When you came running up like a cart horse, the\u003cbr\u003esnake glided away in the grass, and the bird flew off. Oh, dear! I am\u003cbr\u003esorry. I had forgotten all about the match.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"I never saw such a fellow as you are, Hargate. Here's the opening match\u003cbr\u003eof the season, and you, who are one of our best bats, poking about after\u003cbr\u003ebirds and snakes. Come along; Thompson sent me and two or three other\u003cbr\u003efellows off in all directions to find you. We shall be half out before\u003cbr\u003eyou're back. Wilson took James's wicket the first ball.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrank Hargate leaped to his feet, and, laying aside for the present all\u003cbr\u003ethoughts of his favorite pursuit, started off at a run to the playing\u003cbr\u003efield. His arrival there was greeted with a mingled chorus of welcome\u003cbr\u003eand indignation. Frank Hargate was, next to Thompson the captain of the\u003cbr\u003eTown eleven, the best bat among the home boarders. He played a steady\u003cbr\u003erather than a brilliant game, and was noted as a good sturdy sticker.\u003cbr\u003eHad he been there, Thompson would have put him in at first, in order\u003cbr\u003eto break the bowling of the House team. As it was, misfortunes had come\u003cbr\u003erapidly. Ruthven and Handcock were bowling splendidly, and none of the\u003cbr\u003eTown boys were making any stand against them. Thompson himself had gone\u003cbr\u003ein when the fourth wicket fell, and was still in, although two wickets\u003cbr\u003ehad since fallen, for only four runs, and the seventh wicket fell just\u003cbr\u003eas Frank arrived, panting, on the ground.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Confound you, Hargate!\" Thompson shouted, \"where have you been? And not\u003cbr\u003eeven in flannels yet.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"I'm very sorry,\" Frank shouted back cheerfully, \"and never mind the\u003cbr\u003eflannels, for once. Shall I come in now?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"No,\" Thompson said. \"You'd better get your wind first. Let Fenner come\u003cbr\u003ein next.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFenner stayed in four overs, adding two singles as h","brand":"SAP","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47178528194800,"sku":"2940013289123","price":0.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940013289123_p0.jpg?v=1763578977","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940013289123","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}