ll be on
guard at that third sack on Saturday, barring accidents, and trying to
put up the game of his young life. Why, I'm just bubbling over with joy;
and I feel like I ought to do my little part toward putting Chester on
the map as a center for all boys' sports."

And when later on Jack wended his way toward home, accompanied by Toby
and Steve, he felt more positive than ever that a great future was
beginning to loom up for the boys of Chester; and the winning of the
coming contest would be a gateway leading into the Land of Promise.

CHAPTER XVIII

HENDRIX AGAIN IN THE BOX

On Friday there was a light fall of rain that gave the boys of Chester a
fear lest the great game be postponed. It turned out that this was a
needless scare, for Saturday opened with fair skies, while even the air
seemed delightful for a day in the middle of summer, with a gentle
breeze blowing from the west.

The exodus began early in the day, and after noon traffic along the main
road leading to Harmony was exceedingly heavy, all sorts of vehicles
rolling onward, from sporty cars and laden motor trucks, down to humble
wagons and buggies, with plenty of bicycles and motorcycles in evidence.

Once they arrived at the Harmony Field Club grounds, they found that
there was to be a most amazing crowd of people to cheer the respective
teams on with all manner of encouraging shouts and class yells.

There would not be any change in the line-up of Chester, for luckily all
the boys had come through the grilling work of the past week without
encountering any serious injuries. Harmony had not been quite so lucky,
for their efficient third baseman, Young, had had his collarbone
fractured during practice, and would be incapacitated from service the
balance of the season.

In his place, a fellow by the name of Parsons was expected to guard
third. None of the Chester boys remembered ever having seen him work, so
they were utterly in the dark as to his abilities. The Harmony fellows
gave out mysterious hints about the "great find" they had made in
picking up Parsons, who was a most terrific batter, as well as a dandy
third-sacker. He was very likely, they claimed, to break up the whole
game by his way of slamming out three-baggers every time he stepped up
to bat.

Of course few Chester boys really believed all this high talk. They
understood very well that if a weakness had really developed in
Harmony's infield, it would be policy on the part