today."

Don bit his lips. Evidently, Tim was in one of his sour, irritating
moods. He served the ball and resolved to pay no attention to the
catcher. By and by he threw his first curve.

"They'd kill that," said Tim.

Don pitched again.

"Oh, come on! _Come on!_"

Ted Carter walked out between the boys, "That will be all from you, Tim.
When you come out on this field, you come out to play ball. If you can't
play ball, you quit."

Slowly Tim pulled off his mitt. He was the only regular catcher. Ted was
trying to bluff him. And his temper was flaring because he had been
rebuked in front of Don.

"Think you can get anybody to play any better for you than I play?" he
asked flippantly.

"You bet I can," said Ted. "I can use a fellow who'll be in the game
every minute."

"Get him," Tim said indifferently.

"I will," said Ted. "You're through. Get off the field."

Tim was jarred. He hadn't expected anything like this. He looked at Ted.
There could be no escaping what he saw--the captain meant it.

"Where--where are you going to get another catcher?" he asked weakly.

"Is it worrying you?" Ted asked. "I'll go behind the bat myself. I guess
I can get somebody to play first base. Now get off the field; you're in
the way."

Tim walked over to the maple tree and stood there in its shade. He was
raging. Chased from the field! Routed out as though he didn't amount to a
rap, and he the best catcher in the village!

"I'll play with some of the other teams," he vowed. "I'll offer to catch
for them. I'll come here and make these fellows feel sick. I'll--"

But he knew that he'd do nothing of the sort. Breaking into teams out of
your own town was almost impossible. He was out of it, on the shelf,
discarded.

"I ought to go out there," he muttered fiercely, "and whack Don one in
the eye." He saw the pitcher begin to throw to Ted. The sight was too
much for him. He swung around and plunged down the road, the big mitt
under his arm, and did not once look back.

Had he stayed, he would have seen that Ted Carter called the pitching to
a halt in a very few minutes. The captain was no fool. The first six
balls Don threw him proved to him that the pitcher was upset.

"Don't let this bother you," he said. "Tim had it coming to him. It
wasn't your fault. Go home and forget it, and tomorrow you and I'll work
out and get acquainted."

Don went home, but he did not forget. He was sure that this latest twist
would only pile