It was not unusual for him to drive his ball clear off the table.

His keen eye told him infallibly where each of the three balls was; instinctively he knew which to shoot with.
In Kent, however, he had no mean adversary.

The young reporter, though he had never played before, had studied his book to some purpose.

His strategy was admirable.

Keeping his ball well under the shelter of the cushion, he eluded every stroke of his adversary, and in his turn caused his ball to leap or dart across the table with such speed as to bury itself in the pocket at the side.
The score advanced rapidly, both players standing precisely equal.