ense this year to sell fireworks at
his store?"

"Yes," nodded several of the boys.

"Well, yesterday, Dad had a lot of samples come in from the
manufacturers. There were a few of the extra big and noisy
torpedoes," Dick explained. "I got one of them and wrapped this
string and leather around it."

Then, in low tones, Dick confided to his comrades the use to which
he hoped to put the ball. There were a good many grins as the
plot dawned on the young diamond enthusiasts.

"That'll be a warm one, if it works," grinned Reade.

"Say, but I shall be hanging right around to see it happen," declared
Darrin.

Originally this Saturday game had been scheduled for two in the
afternoon. However, so many of the schoolboys in town wanted
to have Saturday afternoon for other fun that the time had been
changed to nine in the forenoon.

"Hadn't we better be starting?" asked Dick, looking at his watch.

"Yes; I want to be in at the death of Teall," agreed Reade.

All in uniform the Central Grammars started down the street, though
this time they did not march. As they moved along other boys
joined them, some from the Central and others from the North Grammar.
By the time that Dick's nine and substitutes neared the field
more than a hundred fans trailed along with them.

Nearly three hundred other boys were walking about on the field,
or lying down under the trees.

Already the South Grammar boys were on the field, practicing by
way of warming up.

"Hello! Here come the bluebells!" yelled a group of South Grammar
fans and rooters.

"Blue? You bet they'll be blue when the game is over!"

"Hey, Prescott! What'll you take for the letters on your shirt?"

"Gimme that yellow curl over your forehead? I saw it first."

"Oh, my, don't the Little Boys Blue look sweet?"

In silence the Central players marched by their tormentors. Dick
gazed across the field to see Ted Teall swinging a bat at the
home plate.

"Teall!" called Dick, as he and the others dropped their jackets
at the batters' benches.

"Hello!" returned Ted. "I'm glad to see that you fellows really
had the nerve to come to-day."

"I saw you doing some pretty wild batting, Teall," laughed Dick
Prescott. "That kind of work won't save you when I get started.
Shall I throw you in a few real ones---hard ones---before we
get at it in earnest?"

"Go on!" retorted Ted scornfully.

"Oh, I won't hurt you," Prescott promised.

"You bet you won't," boasted Teall.