the bargain.
The field itself could hardly have been surpassed. It was unusually
level, and stretched away to such a distance that it must needs be
quite a slugger who could make a home-run hit on those grounds.

Still it had been done. There was at least one member of the team who
had shown an ability to send the ball out over the head of a fielder,
and to such an astonishing distance that by the time it was recovered
and returned to the diamond, he had raced completely around the circuit
for a home run.

Mr. Leonard had by now completed his choice of the team. He had
watched the play of the boys, and decided on just who best seemed
fitted to fill the various positions. Of course, as time passed, this
schedule of players was subject to possible changes, but on the whole
the physical instructor believed he had built up the strongest team
Scranton could put in the field that season.

Much must depend on the pitching staff. It remained to be seen how the
twirlers would "pan out" under fire. At present Mr. Leonard was
working strenuously, trying to put more "ginger" into their work; and
also teaching them some of the wrinkles of the game, as known to
semi-professionals like himself.

Greatly to the surprise as well as delight of Owen Dugdale, he had been
notified that he was to cover short. Indeed, others were not as much
astonished as Owen himself, because they had been admiring the splendid
way in which he fielded his difficult position there, accepting chances
that many fellows would have allowed to let get by them for fear of
making an error, and with wonderful success.

Once Owen got his hands on the ball, and he could shoot it across to
first like a rifle bullet. His accuracy and speed were simply grand;
everybody cheered when he sent the ball "screaming" across to the man
guarding the initial sack; or on occasion hurled it to Hugh on third
for a double.

Then again, Owen was improving in his batting. Hugh had gone to great
pains to give him many pointers, and the fruit of this was seen by the
clever way in which Owen could lay down a pretty bunt, the ball rolling
along just inside the line in a tantalizing fashion, and headed for
first or third, as the occasion might require. The player who can be
depended on to bunt successfully two times out of three attempts is
always a valuable accessory to a club; since he is thus able to push a
runner along; and perhaps get his own base in the bargain, when th