lest she encounter
a friendly greeting from Sid while her escort was with her, and John
became absorbed in the affairs of the morrow. Strangely enough, he
experienced a feeling of relief when he left her at the apartment
building and was able to race back to the shack where Silvey was
waiting.

There the two planned and boasted of combats to take place under his
leadership on the renovated baseball field, until a warning conscience
reminded John that it was nearing paper time.

CHAPTER XVI

MORE ABOUT "THE GREATEST GAME IN THE WORLD"

One by one, the boys filed in through the Silvey gateway, to squat
outside the club-house entrance until their roster was complete. Bill
glanced nervously at Sid and cleared his throat.

"It's baseball time," he began abruptly. "And we've got to elect our
captain and manager. Any--" he paused and looked at John.

"Nom'nations?" said the latter promptly.

There was an awkward silence. Sid tightened his grasp on a handful of
the fresh, green turf. John looked meaningly at Red Brown, who spoke up
as he had been instructed.

"I nom'nate John Fletcher. He was captain last year 'n he ought to be
this."

"Any one else?" asked Silvey.

"I want to be captain," said Sid, curtly.

"Can't nom'nate yourself," ruled the president. "Somebody's got to do it
for you."

"Somebody's got to second it, too," supplemented John.

Sid gazed helplessly about. Truly this newly made maze of parliamentary
law was bewildering. "Nobody's seconded John's," he said at last.

"Second John's nom'nation," said Skinny Mosher promptly.

"All those in favor of John as captain--"

Sid sprang to his feet. "Wait a minute," he snapped. "You fellows think
you're smart, but let me tell you something. I said I was going to be
captain, and I am."

"You!" sneered John. "Why, you lost the game with Room Six's team 'cause
you couldn't stop an easy grounder. Let it roll between your legs, you
did."

"Don't care," was the stubborn reply. "I'm going to be captain. Whose
league ball did the team use last year?"

"Yours," admitted Silvey, reluctantly.

"And the two bats, the second baseman's glove, and two fielders' mitts
were mine, too, weren't they? Didn't my dad buy 'em for me? Well, go
ahead and have Johnny for your old captain if you want. But if I can't
run the team, the team can't use my things!"

There was an astounded silence. Those astute politicians, John and Bill,
had never dreamed of such a b