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others are busily engaged in trying to catch the fellow on the bases.

Short-stop must always be an agile chap, who is especially quick both
at decisions and throwing. Even though he snatch up the ball, and thus
make a fine stop, if his judgment is poor or his throwing arm lame, he
can often bungle his work, and prove of little help to his team.

There would still be another full week before the first game with
Belleville. If fair weather favored them the Scranton boys hoped to
put in daily practice, and speed up in their team work, as well as
signals. The pitchers, too, needed considerable more practice before
they could be said to be at their best; in fact, they would all be
better off for two more weeks of hard work, which, however, could not
be obtained.

Two teams were made up for this afternoon, one of them the regulars,
and the other a "scrub," though with some fair players aboard, mostly
substitutes. Mr. Leonard himself meant to play at various positions
for the latter team. He chanced to be one of those remarkable
all-round handy men, capable of filling a job as catcher, first
baseman, second, short-stop or fielder. He even astonished the boys
during the afternoon play by taking his place as a slab-artist in the
pitcher's box; and some of his shoots and drops puzzled the hard
hitters on the regular team, so that they whiffed at thin air, and thus
passed out on strikes.

The pitchers had been evenly divided, and all showed considerable
ability after their caliber. Some seemed to have considerable "stuff"
with them, and mystified the batters with their delivery. Others were
hit freely, and runs were either earned or else made with the
assistance of errors more or less glaring.

The weak places in the team's play were being noted by Mr. Leonard, who
would take measures to stop the leaks after a fashion of his own;
through advice and practical instructions, if he could; and should
these means fail, then by a radical change in the line-up.

As Hugh had been made field captain, he would have charge of the
playing to a considerable extent. On this account, he took an
especially keen interest in all that went on. When Nick Lang, who
played centre field, made a difficult catch of a great fly from Mr.
Leonard's bat, no one applauded more than did Hugh; while Thad behind
the bat stood and scowled, for somehow he disliked the idea of the town
bully having any part in the team's work.

When he took occa