itted Teddy. "But I'm going to make a fight for it."

"There's Ned Wayland and Professor Raymond over there now, sizing the
fellows up," said Fred. "They're from Missouri and will have to be
shown. Get out there and I'll knock you some hot grounders."

Ned Wayland was the captain of the team. He played pitcher and had made
a splendid record in the box the year before. He had a good fast ball
and a puzzling assortment of curves. Contrary to the usual run of
pitchers, he was also a heavy batter, and could usually be relied on to
"come across" when a hit was needed.

Most of last year's team had returned to the school, so that a fairly
good nine was assured from the start. But there were also a lot of
promising youngsters among the newcomers, who, in Professor Raymond's
judgment, would "bear close watching."

He and Ned were standing a little to one side of the diamond, looking
over the old material and the "new blood," as they cavorted like so many
colts about the base lines. The boys knew that they were under
inspection, and they played with snap and vim, each hoping that he would
be chosen for some coveted position on the team.

"Pretty good stuff to choose from, don't you think, Professor?" remarked
Ned.

"Unusually so, it seems to me," replied the other, as his keen eye
followed a great pick-up and swift throw to first by Teddy. "Unless all
signs fail, we ought to have a cracking good team this year."

"We need to have if we're going to beat out Mount Vernon," said Wayland.
"I hear that they're going great guns in practice."

"We're all right in the outfield," mused the professor. "Duncan at
right, Hawley in centre and Melton at left are all good fielders, and
they're heavy hitters, too."

"We could make our infield stronger than it is, though. I don't think
that----"

"Great Scott!" exclaimed Wayland. "Look at that!"

CHAPTER XXVIII

AN EXCITING BATTLE

The "that" was a brilliant bit of fielding "pulled off" by Teddy.

Fred had varied the grounders by sending up a high fly into short centre
field. It was away over Teddy's head, and it seemed impossible for him
to reach it. But he had started for it at the crack of the bat, and,
running like a deer, he just managed to get under it with his ungloved
hand. He clung to it desperately, however, and, although he rolled over
and over, he rose with the ball in his hand. It was a neat bit of
fielding and Teddy got a round of hand clapping from those w