s home was not going to prove such an easy snap as
the conditions seemed to imply. Hugh found himself wondering just
how the fellow would take it. Brother Lu was becoming something
of a mystery to Hugh, and he was already making up his mind that
it would afford him great pleasure to study the rogue still further,
and see what that sly gleam or twinkle in his blue eyes really stood
for.

"Come over tonight, Thad, and we'll talk matters over again---baseball
matters, I mean, of course," Hugh called out as his chum started away.

"Just as you say, Hugh, though I was expecting that you'd favor me
with a call. There are a few little things that had ought to be
straightened out before we hit that slugging nine over in Belleville.
I hope Alan Tyree keeps up his good work in the box. Lately he's
seemed to be doing finely, and Mr. Saunders declares he could mow
down a lot of heavy hitters in the college league. Well, we'll
know more about a heap of things when Saturday night comes around.
See you later, then, Hugh!"

CHAPTER V

SCRANTON TACKLES BELLEVUE HIGH

There was quite a big crowd at Belleville when the time came for the
game to start on Saturday afternoon. Scranton had sent a hustling
delegation of many hundreds of enthusiastic people, most of whom were
young folks, deeply interested in the fortunes of their school team,
led by Hugh Morgan.

The scene was a pretty one, for, it being a warm day, the girls were
out in force, dressed in all the colors of the rainbow, and waving
their school pennants with a patriotic fervor that did them full credit.

Then there were the groups of students belonging to each of the rival
high schools, with some fellow to lead them in cheering; they
promised to make it a day long to be remembered with their collective
noise and hearty concerted shouting.

Already the two teams were in evidence, Scranton being at practice,
with the use of the field for fifteen minutes. Some were knocking
out flies and fierce ground balls to the fielders; while the catcher
varied the monotony of things by sending down speedy balls to second
to catch an imaginary runner from first, after which Julius Hobson or
Owen Dugdale would start the ball around the circuit like lightning
before it reached the hand of the batter again.

All this preliminary work was being watched with more or less interest
by the vast crowd of spectators. There were many who pretended to be
able to gauge the capaci