fic short-field hitter and remarkably
sure. Raymond could not bat, but he had developed into a wonder in reaching
first base, by bunt or base on balls, or being hit. Reddy Ray was a hard
and timely batter, and when he got on base his wonderful fleetness made
him almost sure to score. Of the other players Graves batted the best;
but taking the team as a whole, and comparing them with Place or Herne,
it appeared that Reddy and Homans were the only great hitters, and the
two of them, of course, could not make a great hitting team. In fielding,
however, the coach said he had never seen the like. They were all fast,
and Homans was perfect in judgment on fly balls, and Raymond was quick
as lightning to knock down base hits, and as to the intercollegiate
sprinter in left field, it was simply a breath-taking event to see him
run after a ball. Last of all was Ken Ward with his great arm. It was a
strangely assorted team, Worry said, one impossible to judge at the moment,
but it was one to watch.

"Boys, we're comin' with a rush," he went on to say. "But somethin's
holdin' us back a little. There's no lack of harmony, yet there's a
drag. In spite of the spirit you've shown--and I want to say it's been
great--the team doesn't work together as one man _all_ the time. I advise
you all to stick closer together. Stay away from the club, and everywhere
except lectures. We've got to be closer 'n brothers. It'll all work out
right before we go up against Herne in June. That game's comin', boys,
and by that time the old college will be crazy. It'll be _our_ turn then."

Worry's talks always sank deeply into Ken's mind and set him to thinking
and revolving over and over the gist of them so that he could remember
to his profit.

He knew that some of the boys had broken training, and he pondered if that
was what caused the drag Worry mentioned. Ken had come to feel the life
and fortunes of the varsity so keenly that he realized how the simplest
deviations from honor might affect the smooth running of the team. It must
be perfectly smooth. And to make it so every player must be of one mind.

Ken proved to himself how lack of the highest spirit on the part of one
or two of the team tended toward the lowering of the general spirit. For
he began to worry, and almost at once it influenced his playing. He found
himself growing watchful of his comrades and fearful of what they might
be doing. He caught himself being ashamed of his suspicions. He