at if my wrist goes lame
during the game?"

"Pooh! I don't believe it will, or _can_," Dave retorted. "You're
in much too fine shape for that, Dick."

"Other pitchers have often had to be retired before a game ended,"
Prescott rejoined, gravely. "And I don't believe that I am the
greatest or the most enduring ever. Keep yourself up, Dave!
Be ready for the call at any second."

"Oh, I will, but it will be needless," Dave answered.

Dalzell and Holmes were other members of the school nine squad
who had been picked for this first game. Purcell was to catch,
making perhaps, the strongest battery pair that Gridley High School
had ever put in the field. Half of Dick & Co. were to make up
a third of the nine in its first battle.

"I'm getting a bit scared," muttered Dan, the Friday afternoon
before the Saturday game.

"Now, cut all that out," Dick advised. "If you don't I'll report
you to the coach and captain."

This was said with a grin, and Dick went on earnestly:

"Dan, the scared soldier is always a mighty big drag in any battle.
It takes two or three other good soldiers to look after him and
hold him to duty."

"I'll admit, for myself, that I wish the druggist knew of some
sort of pill that would give me more confidence for this confounded
old first game," muttered Greg Holmes.

"I can tell you how to get the pill put up," Prescott hinted.

"I wish you would, then." But Greg spoke dubiously.

"Tell the druggist to use tragacanth paste to hold the pill together."

"Yes?-----" followed Greg.

"And tell the druggist to mix into each pill a pound of good old
Yankee ginger," wound up Prescott. "Take four, an hour apart
before the game to-morrow."

"Then I'd never play left field," grinned Greg.

"Yes, you would. You'd forget your nervousness. Try it, Greg."

The three were walking up Main Street, when they encountered Laura
Bentley and Belle Meade.

"What are you going to do to-morrow?" asked Laura, looking at
the trio, keenly. "Are you going to win for the glory and honor
of good old Gridley?"

"Dick is," smiled Greg. "Dan and I are going to sit at the side
and use foot-warmers."

"You two aren't losing heart, are you?" asked Belle, looking at
Dick Prescott's companions with some scorn.

"N-n-not if you girls are all going to take things as seriously
as that," protested Greg.

"Every Gridley High School girl expects the nine to win to-morrow,"
spoke Laura almost sternly.

"Then w