ntest with Esmore Academy from Daytonville
and held on the Oak Hall grounds. Quite a crowd was present, including
some of the town folks. Gus Plum was in the pitcher's box for the
Hall, and Sam Day was on first base, and Chip Macklin on third.

"I hope we win!" cried Dave.

"I hope you do," answered Vera Rockwell, who was present with some
other girls. "But why are you not playing?" she went on.

"Not this term," said our hero, with a smile, and then he spoke of his
studies.

"I suppose it is noble of you to give up this way," she said.
"But--I'd like to see you play."

The contest proved a well-fought one, and was won by Oak Hall by a
score of eight runs to five. At the conclusion there was a great
cheering for the victors.

"This means bonfires to-night!" cried Roger, as the gathering broke
up.

"Yes, and a grand good time!" added Buster Beggs.

CHAPTER XI

BONFIRE NIGHT AT THE HALL

It was certainly a night long to be remembered in the annals of Oak
Hall,--and for more reasons than one.

At the start, several bonfires were lit along the bank of the river,
and around these the students congregated, to dance and sing songs,
and "cut up" generally. None of the teachers were present, and it was
given out that the lads might enjoy themselves within reasonable
bounds until ten o'clock.

"Let's form a grand march!" cried Gus Plum. "Every man with a torch!"

"Yes, but don't set anything on fire," cautioned Roger.

"Say, that puts me in mind of a story," came from Shadow. "A fellow
went into a powder shop to buy some ammunition. He was smoking a pipe,
and the proprietor----"

"Whoop! Hurrah for Shadow!" yelled somebody from the rear, and the
next instant the story-teller of the Hall found himself up on a pile
of barrels which had not yet been set on fire.

"Now then, tell your yarns to everybody!" came the cry.

"Speak loud, Shadow!"

"Give us all the details."

"Tell us the story about the old man and the elephant."

"No, give us that about the old maid and the mouse."

"Let us hear about the fellow who was shipwrecked on the Rocky
Mountains."

"Or about how the fellow who couldn't swim fell into a flour barrel."

"Say, what do you take me for?" roared Shadow. "I don't know any story
about the Rocky Mountains, or a flour barrel either. If you want to
hear----"

"Sure we do!"

"That's the very yarn we've been waiting for!"

"Say, Shadow, won't you please tell it into a phonograph, s