THE ROPES 104
XVI. A JOLLY CROWD 111
XVII. TEDDY'S JOKE 118
XVIII. KICKING THE PIGSKIN 125
XIX. THE MAN WITH THE SCAR 133
XX. A RATTLING GAME 147
XXI. A DESPERATE STRUGGLE 155
XXII. ANDY SHANKS GETS BUSY 162
XXIII. THE BLOW FALLS 168
XXIV. A PUZZLING CASE 175
XXV. TO THE RESCUE 182
XXVI. SID WILTON TELLS 190
XXVII. THE BASEBALL TEAM 196
XXVIII. AN EXCITING BATTLE 202
XXIX. ANDY SHANKS "GETS HIS" 218
XXX. THE CAPTURE--CONCLUSION 231

THE RUSHTON BOYS AT RALLY HALL

CHAPTER I

A RASH IMPULSE

"Get back, Jim. It's over your head."

The ball had left the bat with a ringing crack that made it soar high
into the air toward left field.

Jim Dabney, who was playing left, made a hard run for it, but stumbled
over a clump of grass, and the ball just touched the end of his fingers.

"Wow!" he yelled, wringing his hand, "there's another nail gone."

"Never mind your hand, Jim!" yelled the second baseman. "Put it in here.
Quick!"

Fred Rushton, who had hit the ball, was streaking it for second, and
Jim, forgetting his injured hand, picked up the ball and threw it in.
Fred saw that it was going to be a tight squeeze and made a slide for
the base. The ball got there at almost the same time, and for a moment
there was a flying tangle of arms and legs. Then Fred rose to his feet
and brushed the dust from his clothes.

"Never touched me," he remarked, with a slight grin.

"No," agreed Tom Benton, the second baseman. "It was a pretty close call
though."

He threw the ball to the pitcher and Fred danced about between second
and third.

"Bring me in now, Jack!" he shouted to Jack Youmans, the batter. "Hit it
right on the trademark."

Jack made a savage swing but met only the empty air.

"Never mind, Jack," called Fred cheerfully. "Better luck next time. What
did I tell you?" he added, as the ball, meeting the bat squarely, went
whizzing past just inside third.

Jim Dabney, who was playing close up, made a clever pick-up and