ha-happened, Roy."

"The Porters got after Grant and bumped him to beat the band. Came
within one tally of tying the score. If you'd been there Eliot would
have shoved you in, and you'd had a chance to win all sorts of glory
saving the game."

"Perhaps he would, and perhaps he wouldn't," muttered Phil.

"Oh, it's a dead sure thing he would have done it."

"How do you know?"

"Didn't I tell you he tried to find you! Why, he even sent for me; he
was going to put me in."

"You?" breathed Springer incredulously.

"Yes, me; and I didn't have on a playing suit. If Grant hadn't managed
to steady down at the last moment, I'd gone onto the slab. What made
you skin out, Phil?"

After a few moments of silence, Springer forced himself by a great
effort to speak:

"I tut-told you I thought the game was o-over."

"You might have waited for the rest of the bunch. If you'd done that
you'd known it wasn't over. The fellows are pretty sore on you, for
they say you deserted."

Phil flushed and flared. "Let them be sore, I don't care! I'm the one
to be sore! I got a rotten deal to-day. I had every reason to suppose
I was going to pitch that game, but Roger Eliot ran Grant in. I want
him to understand he can't play that sort of fuf-funny business with
me; I won't sus-stand for it. I'm glad they hammered Grant! Did they
win?"

"No; we pulled through by the skin of our teeth--seven to six. It was
an awful snug rub. I believe I could have stopped the Porters if I'd
got the chance; I'm dead sure you could. That's why I say you made a
big mistake by scooting."

Herbert Rackliff, smoking, laughed sneeringly.

"Don't blame Springer a bit," he said. "He did get a rotten deal, and
he has a right to resent it. What ails you, Hook; are you going to let
Eliot softsoap round you? He'll do it if you'll let him, for he's got
to have some sort of a scrub pitcher to fall back on for part of the
work. Of course, this wild and woolly Texan will be the star and get
all the glory, but somebody must do the dirty work. Hook, you're a
lobster. I didn't think you'd fall for taffy like that. You give me a
cramp." He coughed behind a thin hand as he finished, his flat chest
torn and his stooping shoulders shaken by the effort.

"Now that will about do for you!" blazed Roy, turning on his erstwhile
chum. "I want you to know that, at least, I'm no traitor to my school
team, and, though you hinted for me to favor you to-day,