t they did! They batted Wyndham's new pitcher, Newbert, off the
slab."

At this Rackliff laughed. "Tell it to the marines. I happen to know
Dade Newbert; we were chums. I own up I was surprised when I heard how
the Porters had biffed him. Wrote him asking about it. He'd been out
the night before the game--out with a hot bunch playing poker till
daylight. He didn't want to pitch anyhow, but the captain just shoved
him in; so when he got tired and Wyndham seemed to have a safe lead, he
just lobbed the ball over and let Clearport hit. Of course he was
taken out, and that gave him a chance to look on while Twitt Crowell
did the heavy work."

"If that's right," said Phil, "Newbert can't be trusted. Why, he might
have thrown the game away."

"Oh, he reckoned Crowell was good enough for the Porters, that's all.
The result proved his judgment correct."

"Still a fellow who'll tut-take such chances is liable to do anything.
He cuc-can't have any real loyal interest in his team. If he took a
notion, he'd throw a game."

"You must remember," reminded Rackliff, "that Newbert doesn't belong in
Wyndham, and it really doesn't make any great difference to him whether
that team wins or not. Of course, if he's pitching, ordinarily he'll
do as well as he can on his own account. And let me tell you, Spring,
old fel, he's a lulu; there's nothing down in this neck of the woods
that can pitch with him. I'm betting that he makes the Oakdale batters
look like monkeys."

"You haven't had very good lul-luck betting, have you?"

"Might have done better," admitted Herbert, shrugging. "I'll even it
all up next Saturday, though, if these pikers around here have sand
enough to give me another show."

"Perhaps you will, and, then again, perhaps----"

"I'll bet you five or ten, even money, that Wyndham wins."

"Thought you went bub-broke last Saturday."

"I'll have some more money by to-morrow."

"Well, I don't want to bet. I hope Wyndham does win. It will make me
happy."

"Then you'll be happy, all right, Bo."

"Looks like the fight for the championship will be between Wyndham and
Oakdale. If Wyndham takes the first game from Oakdale, the chances for
this town will be mum-mighty slim."

Herbert rose to his feet.

"Oakdale hasn't one chance in a hundred to win next Saturday," he
declared in a manner which seemed to denote that he positively believed
what he was saying. "It's dead lucky for you, old man, that you're