ely certain!" Captain Ted rejoined.

"We're going to set off a big bonfire this evening, Ted," Captain
Prescott rejoined. "If we win to-day will you agree to be on
hand to light the fire?"

"Yes; if you win," agreed Ted. "But you can't!"

Chapter XVI

"TED'S TERRORS" FULL OF FIGHT

The umpire's quiet voice called the captains of the nines apart.

"Who'll call the toss?" asked Ben.

"Let Teall do it," Dick answered.

"You do it, Prescott," urged Captain Ted.

"Well, which one of you is going to call?" inquired Tozier.

"Teall," Dick again answered.

"Oh, all right, then," nodded Ted. "I suppose, Prescott, you
feel that, whichever way I call, I'd wish I'd taken the other
way."

The coin spun upward in the air, for Ben Tozier was a master of
the art of flipping.

"Tails," announced Teall.

"It's heads this time," announced Umpire Tozier. "Captain Prescott?"

"We'll go to bat, then," decided Prescott. "We might as well
begin to pile up the score that we're going to make."

"We'll show you how you're not going to make it," Ted grinned.
"Remember, Prescott, that I and Wells are the battery to-day."

"What you need," laughed Dick, "is a good right fielder and a
star third baseman."

"Huh!" grunted Teall.

"Get to your places," ordered Tozier briskly. "We want to end
this game some time to-day."

The umpire inspected a new ball, then sent it grounding to Teall.
Back and forth between the members of the South Grammar battery
the ball passed three times.

"Play ball!" called the umpire sharply.

Tom Reade already stood by the plate. He swung his stick idly,
watching Teall. Along came the ball. Tom judged it and hit at it.

"Strike one!" called Tozier, shifting a pebble to his left hand.

Ted grinned derisively as he twisted the leather for the next
throw.

"Ball one!" and a bean followed the pebble into the umpire's left
hand.

"Strike two! Ball two! Ball three!"

Ted Teall began to feel angry over the growing pile of called
balls. He delivered one with great care.

Whack! Tom never waited to see whether the ball was headed inside
or outside of foul lines. He simply dropped his willow, then
gave his best exhibition of the sprinting that he had learned
in the spring.

It was a fair ball that struck inside of left field. South's
left fielder had to run in for the leather, which struck the ground,
then rolled to one side. Thump! The ball landed neatly in the
first baseman's hands, b