acting
victory from seeming defeat.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting so long, fellows," Jack remarked, as he
joined them, "but a man stopped me on the street, and his business was
of such importance that I couldn't break away in a hurry. But let's
adjourn to a quieter place; over there in the little park under the
trees I can see a bench that's empty. I've got something to tell you
that nobody must hear except you two."

"Does it have a bearing on the great game with Harmony, Jack?" begged
Toby, who was a bit impatient after his way.

"It may mean everything to us in that battle!" Jack admitted, as he
headed for the bench in the small park.

CHAPTER II

A WEAK LINK IN THE CHAIN

When Jack dropped down on the bench, the others crowded as close up on
either side as they could possibly get. No one was near by, save a
couple of nursemaids chatting and gossiping while they trundled their
baby carriages back and forth; and they were too much engrossed in
exchanging views of the gallant policeman on the block to notice three
boys with their heads close together, "plotting mischief," as they would
doubtless believe.

"Now break loose and give us a hint what it's all about, please, Jack!"
urged Toby.

"Because both of us have noticed that something's been bothering you
latterly," added Steve; "and as you're not the fellow to borrow trouble
it's got us guessing, I tell you. Who's the weak brother on the team
you're afraid of, Jack?"

"I see your guessing has been in the right direction, Steve," the other
went on to remark, with an affectionate nod; for in the few months he
had known them, these new chums had won a warm place in Jack Winters'
heart. "Don't be startled now when I tell you it's Fred who's keeping me
awake nights."

Both the others uttered low exclamations of surprise.

"What! Fred Badger, our bully reliable third baseman, equal to that
crackerjack Harmony boasts about as the best in the State!" gasped Toby.
"Why, only yesterday I heard you say our Fred was getting better right
along, and that his equal couldn't be easily found. We don't even need
to keep a substitute back of Fred, his work is that gilt-edged."

"That's just what's troubling me," admitted Jack, quietly. "If I was
able to lay my hand on some one right now who could fill Fred's shoes
even fairly well, I wouldn't be so bothered; but there isn't a boy in
Chester who can play that difficult position so as not to leave a
terrible g