exhibition of their strength.

"Gee," he said, "you might as well forfeit this game, Danby! You
haven't got a chance against the Raccoons, especially when Homer
Lawrence begins pitching for them. Look at the way they beat the
Whip-poor-wills, and the trouble you had with them. You only beat them
four to three, and you wouldn't have done that if you hadn't made that
lucky catch in the ninth inning."

"That wasn't a lucky catch," protested Pete Stubbs. "Jack knew that
the ball might be hit that way, and he took a chance, because if the
ball had been hit to his regular position it would have meant a run
anyhow. That isn't luck--that's baseball strategy!"

"There wasn't any luck about the twenty runs the Raccoons made anyhow,"
said Norman, with a sneer. "And I'll bet you five dollars they beat
you. Money talks--there you are!"

"We can't afford to bet," said Jack, quietly, while Pete Stubbs looked
angry enough to cry, almost. "We only get small salaries, Norman, and
we have to use all the money we make to live on. We support ourselves,
you know."

"Oh, I suppose that's right," said Norman, contemptuously. Like many
other boys who are fortunate enough to have wealthy parents and to be
relieved from the need of starting out when they are little more than
children to earn their own way in the world, Norman had an idea that he
was, for that reason, superior to boys like Jack and Pete, when, as a
matter of fact, it is just the other way around.

"Scouts don't bet, anyway," said Dick Crawford, who had overheard the
conversation, and showed, by his manner, that he had little use for
Norman, of whom he had heard many things that were far from pleasant.
"We don't want to win money from one another, and betting on friendly
games leads to hard feelings and all sorts of trouble. It's a good
thing to let alone. Come on to lunch, now, fellows. It's all ready."

The members of the Crow Patrol and two or three volunteers who were
trying to prove that they were really qualified to be Scouts, though
they had to wait for vacancies before they could join, had prepared
lunch while the second baseball game was being played.

"Guess I won't eat much today," said Pete Stubbs, sorrowfully. "I like
eating, but if I eat too much I'm never able to play a good game of
ball afterward."

"Satisfy your hunger, Pete, and don't eat too much," advised Jack.
"Then you'll be all right. The trouble with you is that when you get
hold of