Cut away, you needn't stay." Wake departed cheerfully, and announced that the whole thing was a "put- up job," as Arthur would have called it, and that Felgate was at the bottom of it.

Whereupon Ainger's face grew dark, and he walked, bat in hand, to the house.

The mutineers, with the exception of Felgate, who, with the usual prudence of a professional "patriot," had retired to his study, were loafing about the common room just where Wake had interviewed them.
"What's the meaning of all this ?" demanded the captain; "what do you mean by not turning up to cricket and sending word you weren't coming when Wake came for you ?" It was much easier defying Ainger in his absence than in his presence, and now that he stood there and confronted them, the delinquents did not quite feel the hardy men of war they had been five minutes ago.

Munger, however, tried to carry the thing off with a bluster.
"We don't see the fun of being compelled to go every time.

We don't care about cricket; besides--we don't mean to go.