Frank, Beth, Amy, and Grace sat down to watch the game played by the other eight.  Mr. Brooke chose Meg, Kate, and Fred. Laurie took Sallie, Jo, and Ned.  The English played well, but the Americans played better, and contested every inch of the ground as strongly as if the spirit of ’76 inspired them.  Jo and Fred had several skirmishes and once narrowly escaped high words.  Jo was through the last wicket and had missed the stroke, which failure ruffled her a good deal.  Fred was close behind her and his turn came before hers.  He gave a stroke, his ball hit the wicket, and stopped an inch on the wrong side.  No one was very near, and running up to examine, he gave it a sly nudge with his toe, which put it just an inch on the right side.

“I’m through!  Now, Miss Jo, I’ll settle you, and get in first,” cried the young gentleman, swinging his mallet for another blow.

“You pushed it.  I saw you.  It’s my turn now,” said Jo sharply.

“Upon my word, I didn’t move it.  It rolled a bit, perhaps, but that is allowed.  So, stand off please, and let me have a go at the stake.”

“We don’t cheat in America, but you can, if you choose,” said Jo angrily.

“Yankees are a deal the most tricky, everybody knows.  There you go!” returned Fred, croqueting her ball far away.

Jo opened her lips to say something rude, but checked herself in time, colored up to her forehead and stood a minute, hammering down a wicket with all her might, while Fred hit the stake and declared himself out with much exultation.  She went off to get her ball, and was a long time finding it among the bushes, but she came back, looking cool and quiet, and waited her turn patiently.  It took several strokes to regain the place she had lost, and when she got there, the other side had nearly won, for Kate’s ball was the last but one and lay near the stake.

“By George, it’s all up with us!  Goodbye, Kate.  Miss Jo owes me one, so you are finished,” cried Fred excitedly, as they all drew near to see the finish.

“Yankees have a trick of being generous to their enemies,” said Jo, with a look that made the lad redden, “especially when they beat them,” she added, as, leaving Kate’s ball untouched, she won the game by a clever stroke.

Laurie threw up his hat, then remembered that it wouldn’t do to exult over the defeat of his guests, and stopped in the middle of the cheer to whisper to his friend, “Good for you, Jo!  He did cheat, I saw him.  We can’t tell him so, but he won’t do it again, take my word for it.”

Meg drew her aside, under pretense of pinning up a loose braid, and said approvingly, “It was dreadfully provoking, but you kept your temper, and I’m so glad, Jo.”

“Don’t praise me, Meg, for I could box his ears this minute.  I should certainly have boiled over if I hadn’t stayed among the nettles till I got my rage under control enough to hold my tongue.  It’s simmering now, so I hope he’ll keep out of my way,” returned Jo, biting her lips as she glowered at Fred from under her big hat.