oy found himself a
hero indeed. The returning students listened to the tale with wildest
delight and Horace Burlen's supremacy was a thing of the past. Only the
veriest handful of loyal subjects remained about his fallen throne.
Ferry Hill acknowledged a new leader, and his name was Roy Porter.

Horace accepted his overthrow with apparent good grace, but that he was
far from reconciled subsequent events proved. Roy took his honors coolly
and modestly. A youth less well-balanced might have been badly spoiled.
The younger boys followed Roy about and hung breathless on his lightest
word. Quarrels and arguments were laid before him for adjustment and
there were always one or more worshiping subjects at hand eager to run
his errands. But Roy did his own errands and refused to be spoiled by
the adulation of his friends. Horace's overthrow, however, pleased him
well. He had never forgotten or forgiven that youth's insult to his
crimson sweater, and revenge was sweet.

Meanwhile April passed into May and May ran swiftly toward June. Hammond
came over and played the first of a series of three games on the
diamond and won decisively by twelve runs to five. Neither Post nor
Kirby proved effective in the pitcher's box and the playing of the other
members of the team was listless and slow. Ferry Hill made as many
errors as runs and secured only four hits off of Rollins, the opposing
pitcher; who, by the way, proved to be the "Jim" of Roy's midnight
adventure. Chub was in despair. Mr. Cobb rated the players soundly after
the game and threatened all sorts of dire punishments if they didn't do
better. Roy had one error to his credit, but aside from that had played
a fairly good game. The second Hammond game was two weeks away and in
the meanwhile every effort was made to better the team. Practice became
stiffer, and stiffer substitutes were tried in almost every position. Up
to the last week of May there had been little to choose between Post and
Kirby, but in the game with Highland Academy on the twenty-eighth of the
month, Post showed such excellent form that it was decided to save him
for the next Hammond contest.

Affairs on the river were meanwhile promising far better. The first Four
was rowing finely, Whitcomb at stroke, Hadden at 2, Burlen at 3 and
Gallup at bow. Otto Ferris had failed to get out of the second boat,
where, with Fernald, Walker and Pearse he was daily making the first row
its hardest to win out in the Practice