ee upper classes present. Ripley nodded
to a few with whom he was on the best terms.

Settees had been placed at one end of the gym. There was an aisle
between two groups of these seats.

"Gentlemen, you'll please come to order, now," called out Coach
Luce, mounting to a small platform before the seats.

It took a couple of minutes to get the eager, half-turbulent throng
seated in order. Then the coach rapped sharply, and instantly
all was silence, save for the voice of the speaker.

"Gentlemen," announced Mr. Luce, "it is the plan to make the next
season the banner one in baseball in all our school's history.
This will call for some real work, for constantly sustained effort.
Every man who goes into the baseball training squad will be expected
to do his full share of general gymnastic work here, and to improve
every favorable chance for such cross-country running and other
outdoor sports as may be ordered.

"To-day, as we are so close to Christmas, we will arrange only
the general details---have a sort of mapping-out, as it were.
But immediately after the holidays the entire baseball squad
that enrolls will be required to start at once to get in general
athletic condition. There will be hard---what some may call
grilling---gym. work at the outset, and much of the gym. work
will be kept up even after the actual ball practice begins.

"Early in February work in the baseball cage must begin, and it
will be made rather severe this year. In fact, I can assure you
that the whole training, this coming year, will be something that
none but those who mean to train in earnest can get through with
successfully.

"Any man who is detected smoking cigarettes or using tobacco in
any form, will be dropped from the squad instantly. Every man
who enrolls will be required to make a promise to abstain, until
the end of the ball season, from tobacco in any form.

"In past years we have often been urged to adopt the training
table, in order that no greedy man may eat himself out of physical
condition. It is not, of course, feasible to provide such a table
here at the gym. I wish it were. But we will have training table
to just this extent: Every member of the squad will be handed
a list of the things he may eat or drink, and another list of
those things that are barred. The only exception, in the way
of departure, from the training list, will be the Christmas dinner.
Every man who enrolls is in honor bound to stick cl