Apparently this
concluding remark was caused by the appearance of Rackliff, who came
strolling into the light of the window and paused.

Herbert looked them over. "Several prominent members of the great
Oakdale baseball team, I observe," he said. "Been talking of the
coming game, I presume."

[Illustration: "Several prominent members of the great Oakdale baseball
team, I observe," said Rackliff.]

"You're presuming, as usual," returned Cooper.

"That remark is very stale; I think I've heard you use it before. Your
efforts at wit are painful. I suppose you're pretty confident, after
beating both Barville and Clearport? Now I'm confident myself; I have
confidence----"

"You look like a confidence man," interrupted Chipper.

"I have confidence," pursued Herbert, trying to ignore the little chap,
"that Wyndham will win; and I'm ready to back my conviction with real
money."

"Dinged if I didn't think yeou'd got abaout enough of it bating against
Oakdale!" exclaimed Crane.

"Wonder where he gets so much money?" said Fred Sage.

"He's bluffing," was the opinion of Jack Nelson. "He's dead broke, but
he wants to make believe that he's a dead game sport, and so----"

"If you think I'm dead broke," said Herbert, "and you can raise five or
ten bones to wager on Oakdale, just produce the currency and watch me
cover it. I have about twenty-five dollars I'd like to put up on
Wyndham."

"Twenty-five dollars!" spluttered Tuttle. "That's some wealth for one
fellow to be packing around."

"Go on," advised Crane, waving his long arm at Herbert; "don't bother
us. We're tired takin' your spondulicks away from ye; it's too easy."

"You're quitters," declared Herbert with a cutting sneer. "There isn't
one of you who has a real drop of sporting blood in his veins, that's
what's the matter. You've won my money, and now, being pikers and
quitters, you don't propose to give me a chance to win it back. You
know Wyndham's going to put it all over you Saturday, and you're
shivering in your shoes. I don't blame you for being frightened, as
you haven't one chance in a hundred to take that game. It wouldn't
surprise me if you were beaten about twenty or thirty to nothing; I
sincerely hope it won't be worse than that."

Crane rose to his feet in the midst of this speech, which was far more
provoking and insulting than cold type can convey.

"Looker here, yeou," cried Sile; "I've got some money I won batin' with
you, and