"

"Just as you say, Sid," Chub answered gravely. "All you'll have to do
will be to beat Bacon out for the position. You're sure you wouldn't
rather pitch? Post and Kirby, you know, aren't so much of a muchness but
what you could beat 'em with a little practice."

"Well, anyhow, I don't see why I couldn't be a fielder," answered Sid
good-naturedly. "You'll give me a show, won't you, Chub?"

"Course I will, Sid," answered Chub heartily. "You come along out and
we'll see what you can do. First of all, though, we'll take a little of
that fat off you."

"I've been trying to get rid of it," Sid replied earnestly and sadly,
"but it doesn't seem to do any good. I haven't eaten any bread or potato
or puddin' for days and days!"

"Never mind the bread and potato, Sid," said Chub with a laugh. "I know
a better way."

"What?" asked the other interestedly.

"Chasing flies, my boy!" was the answer.

March was kind to them. It gave them a clear two weeks of fair weather
at the end. To be sure, the wind howled dismally sometimes and it was
often cold enough to make fingers stiff, but it allowed them to stay out
of doors and that was the main thing. April, however, started in meanly.
Ten days of drizzle and wet fields affected even Chub's temper. But
everything, even a spell of rainy weather, must come to an end some
time, and the second week of April brought back sunny skies and mild
days. And after that affairs went briskly on the diamond.

Roy had kept his promise to his chum, a promise made on the occasion of
their first meeting and re-made several times since. For Chub had got it
into his head that Roy had the making of a baseball player and never
allowed him to forget for a moment all winter long that he had agreed to
try for the team.

"You ought to make a good baseman," Chub said once, looking over his
friend with the eye of a connoisseur. "Maybe third--or even first.
You've got height and a good long reach; and you're quick and heady.
Patten's the only fellow I know of who's after first base. He was
substitute last year. He's not bad, but he's not an expert by a long
shot. Just you come out, old man, and see what you can do."

And Roy promised for the twentieth time.

Training table was started the middle of April, with Mr. Cobb in
command. By that time the candidates had been weeded out until there
were but fourteen left. The "culls," as Chub called them, went toward
the making up of the second team. There was