For the next few days Bob lived in happy dreamland. It is true he did
not see Nancy much alone, and no suggestion of their betrothal was made
known. But he found an excuse for going to Penwennack every day, and
Admiral Tresize, never imagining what was in his mind, always gave him
a hearty welcome. Nancy had two brothers nearly of Bob's age, one of
whom had been to Clifton with him; and although he was on the military
side of the college, they saw much of each other. Dick Tresize was
fond of Bob, in spite of the dissimilarity in their tastes, and as Bob
evinced a sudden love and efficiency for tennis, he became in great
demand. He also raised himself in the Admiral's estimation by
challenging Captain Trevanion, who was a scratch man at golf, to a
match on the Leiant Links.
"How many strokes do you expect me to give you?" rather scornfully
demanded Trevanion, who had not been at all pleased at Nancy's constant
disinclination for his society and her sudden preference for Bob's.
"Oh, we'll play level!" was Bob's reply.
"I like a game when I play," said the Captain who joined heartily in
the laugh at Bob's expense.
"I'll try to give you a game," was Bob's reply.
"Good old Bob," cried Dick Tresize, "and the loser shall stand tea at
the Club House for the whole bally lot of us. And it must be a good
tea too. We'll have a dish of cream and all sorts of cakes. We can
easily arrange it, for Thursday is a quiet day, and the crowds of
visitors haven't made their appearance yet. Have you plenty of money
with you, Bob."
"Oceans," replied Bob, pulling out a handful of change. "I'm only
thinking about the state of Trevanion's finances."
"They are all right," replied Trevanion. "And I propose that we play
for a box of balls into the bargain."
"How many of you are going?" asked Bob quietly.
Several hands went up, including that of the Admiral, who had become
enthusiastic about forming what he called "a gallery."
"Good, Admiral. I'm glad you are going. That'll make twelve
altogether. No, Trevanion, we won't play for the balls. The tea will
be enough for you to pay for. I am told that the Army pays junior
officers very badly."
"That's why I want to play for a box of balls. My stock is running
low, and I want to get some on the cheap."
"Come, let's be off!" cried Dick. "I'll tell the men to bring out the
cars, and we'll start right away. Where are your clubs, Bob?"
"They are in my locker at the Club. I haven't seen them since the
Easter Vac."
"But you've played at Oxford?"
"No; been too busy."
Dick held up his hands in mock horror, at which several of the party
laughed.
"Trevanion will wipe the floor with you," he said woefully. "He's on
the links at least three days a week, and he plays a good scratch game."
"Aren't you in practice, Bob?" asked Nancy, when they had a few seconds
alone together.
"Scarcely played for a year."
"Then why did you challenge Captain Trevanion?"
"Because I was mad," replied Bob. "He's been trying to raise a laugh
against me all the morning and so--well, there it is."
"But he'll be sure to beat you?"
"No, he won't," and there was a confident ring in his voice.
Half an hour later they had reached the Club House, and much laughter
and many pleasantries were exchanged as they teed their balls. Captain
Trevanion's clubs were shining, while Bob's were rusty through disuse.
"They 'a'an't a bin clained for months," said the caddy, who was
vigorously rubbing them with emery paper.
Captain Trevanion won the toss, and took the honour. He was a tall,
athletic fellow, and showed by his practice swing that he was master of
his tools. He hit his ball straight and clean, and it fell a few yards
behind the great grass mound which guards the first green. Bob, on the
other hand, felt nervous and awkward. He was out of practice, and knew
his disadvantage. He played the ball badly, and while it cleared the
rough, he had an awkward stance for his second. In playing the odd,
too, he miscalculated the distance, and found himself in the rough, on
the offside of the green. Captain Trevanion holed out in four and
although Bob got a five, he lost the hole.
"One up to the Army," laughed the Admiral.
The second hole, which can easily be reached by a good iron shot,
Captain Trevanion played perfectly. His ball soared over a high
mountain of sand, and plumped down comfortably a few yards from the
hole. Bob topped his ball, and it landed half way up the sand-hill in
a bad place. Again it took him five to hole out, while Trevanion was
down in three.
At the third the Captain drove a perfect ball, while Bob, who though he
got just as far, landed in the churchyard, out of bounds. The result
was that he lost this hole also.
"This is what I call a grand procession," remarked some one.
"Come, Bob," laughed the Admiral, "this looks as though you will have
to pay for the tea."
"I hope it'll be a good one anyhow," replied Bob quietly. "I'm working
up a fine appetite."
At the next hole Captain Trevanion drove short, and landed in the
bunker guarding the green. Bob, on the other hand, sent his ball
straight and true over the guiding-post.
"Fine shot," was the general remark.
"Too far," said Dick Tresize. "That ball's over the green and gone
down the cliff. I'd rather be where Trevanion is."
He proved to be right. Bob had got into a well-nigh impossible place
and lost another hole.
"Beastly luck," remarked Dick. "That's not a fair hole."
"Rub of the green," was all Bob said.
"Yes, but it makes you four down," said the Admiral. "Trevanion has
done every hole in bogey so far, and he's not likely to make mistakes."
It seemed as though Bob were destined to bad luck, for although he
seemed to play the next hole perfectly, he made too much allowance for
the wind, and his second shot went over a high bank which guarded the
green, and fell among the shingle, near which some old boats were lying.
"Five up to the Military," shouted the Admiral.
"The same grand procession," giggled a girl who was a great admirer of
Trevanion.
"I say, Bob, I thought you were going to give Trevanion a game," said
George Tresize, Nancy's younger brother.
Captain Trevanion laughed confidently. He felt certain of victory now,
and regarded the match as a walk over.
"Five down is a big handicap," said Bob. "Still the match is young
yet."
"He's had beastly luck at the last two holes," grumbled Dick Tresize,
who was evidently deeply chagrined.
The next hole was halved in bogey. Bob got his four easily, but
Trevanion only halved his by a long and uncertain putt.
"Five up at the sixth," shouted the Admiral. "Come, Bob, that's
better, you've halved a hole at last."
Bob said nothing, but cast a look at Nancy, who was pale with
excitement. He could see how anxious she was, and noted the confident
air with which Trevanion approached the next tee. Although his
position seemed almost hopeless, a feeling of confidence came into his
heart. He had measured his opponent by this time, and he knew he had
got to his old mastery of his clubs. He felt sure, too, that he could
play the stronger game, even although he had lost hole after hole in
succession.
Trevanion again drove, but this time his ball was off the line and
landed in a huge basin of sand. Bob's, on the other hand, was
perfectly straight. It carried the bunker a hundred and forty yards
from the tee, and was well on its way to the green. As a consequence,
although the bogey was five, Bob did it in four and won the hole.
"You played that well, Nancarrow," said Trevanion.
"The wind helped me," replied Bob.
The next hole was also a five bogey; but again Bob, who reached the
green in two, got out in four, while Trevanion took five. He had
reduced the difference between them to three. The ninth hole was
halved.
"Three up at the turn for the Army," shouted the Admiral.
The tenth hole, as all who have played on the Leiant Links know, is
very difficult. If the player has a long drive, he can, if he has a
good second, land on the green in two; but in order to do so he has to
carry a very difficult piece of country, which, if he gets into it, is
generally fatal. Bob's drive was short, and it seemed impossible for
him to carry the tremendous hazard with his second shot. Trevanion, on
the other hand, was in an easy position. When he saw Bob's short drive
he laughed contentedly.
"I'm wanting my tea badly," he said to Nancy.
"That's a pity," replied the girl. "It'll take another hour to play
the next nine holes."
"It looks as though the match will be over before then," he replied
confidently. "I'll bet you a box of chocolates that we shall finish at
the fourteenth."
"Done!" cried the girl, and there was a flash of anger in her eyes.
"Of course Bob'll have to play short here," grumbled Dick Tresize. "He
ought to have insisted on Trevanion giving him strokes. By George,
he's surely not going to be such a fool as to risk a brassy!"
The next minute there was great cheering. Bob's ball had surely
mounted all difficulties and apparently landed on the green.
"A magnificent shot!" cried the Admiral. "By gad, Bob, but Vardon
couldn't have done it better!"
It was easy to see that Trevanion was annoyed as well as surprised at
Bob's shot. The bogey for the hole was five, and Bob had to all
appearance made a four possible by a very fine brassy shot. Trevanion
had driven thirty yards further than Bob, but he had still a big
sand-hill, covered with long grass, to carry. Whether Bob's shot had
made him fear that, after being five up, he might yet be beaten, it is
impossible to say, certain it is that he missed his ball, and Bob won
the hole.
"Military down to two," cried the Admiral. "It's going to be a close
match, after all."
The rest of the spectators became silent; they felt that things were
becoming serious, and that they must not talk, especially as Trevanion
had looked angrily at some one who had spoken as he was addressing his
ball for the next drive. The eleventh and the twelfth holes were
halved, and so the game stood at two up for Trevanion and six to play.
"I've won my box of chocolates, Captain Trevanion," Nancy could not
help saying, as they walked to the thirteenth tee. "Even if you win
the next two holes you can only be dormy at the fourteenth."
"I shall buy the chocolates with all the pleasure in the world,"
replied the Captain. "You see, I didn't reckon on that brassy of
Nancarrow's at the tenth."
"I think you are going to have an expensive afternoon," she laughed.
Bob, who still retained the honour, addressed his ball. A strong cross
wind was blowing, but he made up his mind to carry the green, although
it was considerably over two hundred yards, and guarded by a high
mound. If he could do so he stood a good chance of a three, and might
rob his opponent of another hole. He hit the ball clean and true, and
as it left his club the spectators gave a gasp. It looked as though it
would strike the guiding-post, but to the relief of all, and especially
of Nancy, it rose a foot above it, and was soon lost to sight.
"By gosh, Bob, I believe you've driven the green!" said Dick to Bob, in
a whisper. "If you have, you stand a good chance. You drive a longer
ball than Trevanion."
It was easy to see by the change that had come over the Captain's face
that he was becoming anxious. He hit his ball with perfect precision,
but it dropped on the tee side of the high mound. Dick Tresize turned
towards the green.
"You are on, old chap," he said, as his friend came up. "It's at the
corner of the green, but you should do it."
Trevanion played a good approach shot, and then Bob laid his approach
putt dead. His three was safe. If Trevanion could not hole out, there
would be but one hole between them. Trevanion did his best, but the
ball did not reach the hole by a few inches, and was not quite straight.
"The Army down to one," said the Admiral.
By this time several people had been attracted by the news of the
match, and among the new spectators was an amiable-looking gentleman
who wore large, round spectacles. He had been seemingly much impressed
by Bob's last drive, and had loudly expressed himself to that effect.
"I tell you," he said, "I haf seen Vardon, and Braid, and all ze rest
of zem play, but I neffer saw a finer shot, neffer. It vas great."
He spoke so loudly that, when they were walking to the fourteenth tee,
Trevanion, who was slightly ruffled, said:
"Excuse me, sir, but if you knew the etiquette of golf, you would know
that it is bad form to talk while people are playing."
The stranger lifted his hat, and bowed profoundly. "I apologise, sir,"
he said; "nothing was further from my mind than to interfere with your
play. I vill take much care not to offend again. I hope I did not
offend you, sir," he added, bowing to Bob.
"Not the slightest," replied Bob.
The stranger bowed again, and from that time was silent, although he
followed the party at a distance.
The next three holes were halved, and there remained but two more to
play. Bob was very quiet, Trevanion looked grim and determined, the
colour came and went on Nancy's face. It seemed to her as though Bob's
future and her own depended on the result of the next few minutes.
"One up to the Military, and two to play," cried the Admiral.
"If you halve this, you'll be dormy, Captain Trevanion," said George
Tresize, who seemed very anxious for him to win.
The Captain did not reply. Evidently he was in no mood for talk; as
for the rest of the crowd, a deadly silence rested on it.
Like nearly all the holes on the Leiant Links, the seventeenth is
blind, although it is just possible to see the top of the flag. It is
not an easy hole to play, as I know to my cost. The green is guarded
on the right by a hedge, which if you get over it, makes your case
desperate. If you go too far, you are caught by a bunker; while if you
play to the left, the ground is so hummocky, that it is very difficult
to lay your ball dead. That is why, although the hole is barely two
hundred yards long, the committee have given it a four bogey.
Bob took an iron, and played straight for the pin.
"Good shot, but a bit short, I'm afraid," whispered Dick, as Bob stood
aside for Trevanion to drive. Trevanion also hit his ball clean, but
it was a trifle to the left. A little later they saw that both balls
were on the green, although Bob's was several yards the nearer.
Trevanion examined the ground carefully. He felt that much depended on
the approach putt. If he laid himself dead, he was sure he could not
be beaten. Every one stood breathless while the ball ran over the
hummocky ground.
"By gosh, it's too merry!" gasped George Tresize. But he had not
accounted for a steep ascent. The ball rested less than two feet from
the hole; Trevanion's three was safe.
Bob also carefully examined his ground, and then played his ball. It
went to the lip of the hole, and then half-hanging over, stopped. For
a second the little company held its breath, and then gave a gasp. The
ball fell in.
"Beastly fluke!" muttered Trevanion, between his set teeth.
"A great putt!" cried Dick.
"All square and one to play," cried the Admiral.
Bob felt his heart bound as he addressed the ball for the last drive.
What if after all he should miss it! A mist hung before his eyes. But
no, he would not miss, and a second later he watched the ball as it
soared over the hazard. Trevanion's was only a few yards behind. It
required but a chip shot to reach the green, which lay in a hollow just
over a turf-grown hedge, and guarded by a bunker. They had now reached
the final stage of the game. One shot might win or lose the match.
Evidently Trevanion realised this as he took his mashie. More than one
saw his cigarette tremble between his lips; there could be no doubt
that he was greatly excited. Perhaps his nerves played him tricks, or
perhaps in his anxiety he looked up before he hit his ball. Anyhow he
missed it, and he found himself badly bunkered. Bob's chance had come,
and he took advantage of it. His ball pitched over the hedge, and then
rolled towards the hole. He had a possible three. Trevanion, on the
other hand, failed to get out of the bunker at the first shot, and got
too far with the second. Bob had won the match.
"Jolly hard luck, getting into the bunker, Trevanion," he said; but the
other did not speak. For the moment he was too chagrined.
"Nancarrow wins the match on the last green; now for tea," shouted the
Admiral. "Bob, my boy, you've played a great game. I congratulate
you."
"A very fine game, Nancarrow," said Trevanion, who, like the sportsman
he was, had got over his disappointment. "You played the last fourteen
holes like a book."
"Pardon me," said a voice, "I hope I shall not be considered to
indrude, but may I alzo congratulate you, sir. I am not English, I am
sorry to say, but I take advantage of the _Entente Cordiale_. You haf
given me much pleasure in watching you."
The stranger bowed as he spoke, and produced his card. "Allow me," he
continued, as he presented it to Bob.
"Thank you, Count von Weimer," replied Bob, as he read the card. "It
is very kind of you."
"Forgive me as a stranger in speaking to you," went on the Count, "but
I felt I must. Never haf I seen such a feat of skill, and I cannot be
silent. I take advantage of the _Entente Cordiale_. I bear a German
name, but I am from Alsace, and my heart beats warm to you and your
country," then with another bow he walked away.
"Who is that old buffer?" asked Dick.
"You know as much about him as I," replied Bob; "evidently he wanted to
be friendly."
"What did you say he was called?" asked the Admiral.
"Count von Weimer, Château Villar, Alsace, and Continental Club,
London," said Bob, reading the card.
"Von Weimer is a good name," said the Admiral, "and the Continental is
a good club; I've been there several times. I shall be civil to him if
I meet him again. But now for tea. By Jove, Trevanion, but the boy
has given you a twisting!"
"Oh, Bob, I am glad!" whispered Nancy, as they went towards the Club
House. "At one time I--I; oh, Bob, I _am_ glad you've beaten him."
"So am I," replied Bob, "but I'm not thinking so much about the golf."
"Now for tea," said Trevanion, with a laugh. "You've won on this field
of battle, but in the next my turn will come."