believe me; and when I say
such a thing I'm not meaning to throw bouquets either. Whee! but you did
shoot through the water like a fish. I've watched a pickerel dart at a
minnow, but no slinker ever had the bulge on you that time."

"I had to get along with all sail set," Jack told him, with a smile, for
it is always pleasant to have a friend hand out a meed of praise, even
to the most modest boy going. "I knew Joel was at the last gasp, and
even a second lost might mean he'd go down for the third time before I
could get there. And yet do you know, Toby, it seemed to me right then
and there as if I had a ton of lead fastened to me. Why, I felt as
though something was holding me back, just as you know the nightmare
grips you usually. But when I was within striking distance, I knew I
could save Joel. He made a gallant fight, and deserves a lot of praise."

"I wonder what we'll have happen next, Jack? Seems to me not a day
passes but you've got to play the rescue act with some member of our
team. There was Fred worrying you, and still acting queer; then along
comes Donohue threatening to give us the slip because his folks meant to
move out of town, and he couldn't pitch unless he lived in Chester. Now,
as if those things didn't count up enough to keep you awake nights, old
Joel had to go and try to kick the bucket, and force you to yank him out
of the lake."

Jack laughed and shook his head.

"It's hard to tell what another day may bring forth, Toby," he went on
to say. "Remember, this is only Thursday, and Friday is said to be a
very unlucky day in some people's lives, especially when it falls on the
thirteenth of the month, as happens this year. There are still a few
fellows in the nine who haven't shown up yet in the catastrophe ward.
Why, Toby, it might even be _you_ who'll wave the flag and call out
for help."

"I give you my affidavit, Jack, that I'm going to play mighty safe from
now on. No fishing or swimming for me, and I'll even run that old
flivver at slow speed, for fear it takes a notion to land me in a ditch,
and come in on top of me. But I hope, Jack, you're not getting
discouraged with all these things coming right along?"

"I might, Toby, if I were not built on a stubborn line. We'll go to
Harmony on Saturday and make a fight for that game even if we have to
lug along a crippled nine, some of them on crutches!"

Toby brightened up on hearing the leader grimly say this.

"That's the sort of stuff,