"He's afraid, even before the game starts," jeered a group of
Central Grammar boys. "That's right, Ted. Guard your life."

"Don't be afraid, Teall," Dick urged tantalizingly. "Trying to
hit some of my deliveries will be something like an education
for you."

"Bosh!" sneered Teall.

"Then why won't you try a few?"

"I will, if you really think you can throw a ball that will rattle
me any," Teall agreed, grinning broadly.

"Go at him, Dick!"

"Whoop! Show him what a cheap batter he is."

Laughing, balancing a ball in his hands, Dick glided out on to
the diamond.

"Ready, Ted? Just see what you can do with one like this," Dick
mocked.

It was a swift ball, but a straight one. To a batsman of Teall's
skill it was not a difficult one to hit. Ted swung his bat and
gave the ball a crack that sent it far out into outfield.

"Is that the best you can do?" jeered Ted.

"Oh, I've one or two better than that," replied Dick, pretending
to feel flustered.

Again Prescott sent in a swift one, and once more Teall sent the
leather spinning over the field. Hoots and cat-calls from the
Souths filled the air. The Central fans began to look a bit uneasy.
What was their champion pitcher doing, to let Teall get away
with his deliveries as easily as this?

A third ball Dick drove in, with the same result as before.

"Say, what you fellows need is practice," leered Ted.

"Look out that I don't catch you yet," mocked Dick Prescott, bending
to scoop up the returning ball from the ground. Then he wheeled
like a flash to confront the batsman.

This time, by a quick substitution, Dick held the home-made ball.
He twirled it for an instant, then sent it in toward the plate.

"Just---as---easy!" scoffed Ted, whirling his bat, then reaching
out for the ball.

Crack! Teall hit it soundly.

Bang! With such force had the batsman struck that he exploded
the large torpedo inside the home-made ball. There was a rattling
explosion, and Teall, unable to figure, in that first instant,
what had happened, sent the bat flying.

"Ow-ow-ow!" yelled startled Ted, leaping up into the air. When
he alighted he ran a dozen or more steps as fast as he could go,
then halted and looked around him. For an instant Teall's face
expressed panic.

Then mocking laughter from hundreds of throats greeted him.

"I knew any little thing out of the ordinary would rattle you,"
smiled Dick. "Don't lose your nerve. It wasn't anything."

"Just a fresh idiot