e to be Gridley's crack pitcher this year. Oh, I'd
like to be the leading pitcher of the High School nine! But I
don't want to win the honor in any way that I'm not positive is
wholly square and honorable."

Then, after a few moments more of thought:

"Besides, I'm loyal to good old Gridley High School. I want to
see our nine have the best pitcher it can get---no matter who
he is!"

By some it might be argued that Dick Prescott was under a moral
obligation to go and caution Lawyer Ripley. But Dick hated talebearers.
He acted up to the best promptings of his own best conscience,
which is all any honorable man can do.

CHAPTER XII

TRYING OUT THE PITCHERS

"Oh, you Rip!"

"Good boy, Rip!"

"You're the winning piece of leather, Rip!"

"Get after him, Dick!"

"Wait till you see Prescott!"

"And don't you forget Dave Darrin, either!" Late in March, it
was the biggest day of Spring out at the High School Athletic
Field.

This field, the fruit of the labors of the Alumni Association
for many years, was a model one even in the best of High School
towns.

The field, some six acres in extent, lay well outside the city
proper. It was a walled field, laid out for football, baseball,
cricket and field and track sports. In order that even the High
School girls might have a strong sense of ownership in it, the
field also contained two croquet grounds, well laid out.

Just now, the whole crowd was gathered at the sides of the diamond.
Hundreds were perched up on one of the stands for spectators.

Down on the diamond stood the members of the baseball squad.
As far as the onlookers could see, every one of the forty-odd
young men was in the pink of physical condition. The indoor training
had been hard from the outset. Weeks of cage work had been gone
through with in the gym. But from this day on, whenever it didn't
rain too hard, the baseball training work was to take place on
the field.

Coach Luce now stepped out of the little building in which were
the team dressing rooms. As he went across the diamond he was
followed by lusty cheers from High School boys up on the spectators'
seats. The girls clapped their hands, or waved handkerchiefs.
A few already carried the gold and crimson banners of Gridley.
Besides the High School young people, there were a few hundred
older people, who had come out to see what the youngsters were
doing.

For this was the day on which the pitchers were to be trie