l
around long enough for it to become chronic. He keeps them up and
doing."

After they had been there nearly an hour, Bart felt for his watch and
found he had left it at the boathouse.

"What time is it, Carson?" he asked.

The young Westerner drew forth a hunting-case watch and opened it.

"Nearly three," he said. Then he sat staring at the watch.

But Bart observed it was not the face of the watch at which his
companion was gazing with a dreamy, far-away look in his eyes. Leaning
forward a bit, Hodge discovered that on the reverse side of the open
front case there was a pictured face--that of a girl.

Finally, with a faint sigh, Carson closed the watch and slipped it into
his pocket.

"You and Frank are very fortunate, very happy, Bart," he said. And
again began dabbling in the water with his fingers.

"I know your secret now," thought Bart. "There's a girl behind it. By
Jove! Berlin, old man, you're hard hit."

CHAPTER VII.

A BLACK SAMSON.

The sound of boyish voices at a distance finally aroused them.

"It must be the baseball squad over on the field," said Bart. "Don't you
wish to go over, Carson?"

"Eh? Did you speak to me?" asked Berlin, glancing up from the pellucid
water.

"Hear those chaps over on the field?"

"Yes."

"We haven't looked that field over, you know. It's very interesting. You
haven't begun to inspect things yet, my boy. You want to see how Merry
has fitted up for all sorts of sports here. You ought to see the
bathhouse and the little clubhouse, the stand, the track, the diamond,
and the field in general."

"I suppose so."

Carson displayed very little desire to move.

"Well, come on," urged Hodge.

Without protest Berlin stepped from the boat to the float and followed
Bart. In a short time they were on the athletic field.

"What do you think of it?" asked Hodge, with a sweep of his hand. "Just
take a good look."

"It's a splendid field, I should say; but I don't see where the people
are coming from to fill that stand over yonder."

Bart laughed.

"That does look like a problem, doesn't it. The stand is almost large
enough for a city race track. All the same, it has been crowded more
than once this season."

"It doesn't seem possible."

"Certainly it doesn't."

"Why, it looks as if the stand could accommodate the whole of Bloomfield
and have room to spare."

"Merry doesn't draw on Bloomfield alone. There are lots of towns around
here, and they're