ellin' mob will be new to Peg. But, fellows,
I'm only askin' one game from Herne and one, or a good close game,
from Place. That'll give Wayne the best record ever made. Look at
our standin' now. Why, the newspapers are havin' a fit. Since I
picked the varsity we haven't lost a game. Think of that! Those
early games don't count. We've had an unbroken string of victories,
Peg pitchin' twelve, and Schoonover four. And if wet grounds and
other things hadn't cancelled other games we'd have won more."
"Yes, we're in the stretch now, Worry, and running strong. We'll
win three out of these four big games," rejoined Reddy.
"Oh, say, that'd be too much! I couldn't stand it! Oh, say, Cap, don't
you think Reddy, for once, is talkin' about as swift as he sprints?"
"I'm afraid to tell you, Worry," replied Homans, earnestly. "When I
look back at our work I can't realize it. But it's time to wake up.
The students over at college are waking up. They will be out to-day.
You are the one to judge whether we're a great team or not. We keep
on making runs. It's runs that count. I think, honestly, Worry, that
after to-day we'll be in the lead for championship honors. And I hold
my breath when I tell you."
It was remarkably quiet about the training-house all that morning. The
coach sent a light lunch to the boys in their rooms. They had orders to
be dressed, and to report in the reading-room at one-thirty.
Raymond came down promptly on time.
"Where's Peg?" asked Worry.
"Why, I thought he was here, ahead of me," replied Raymond,
in surprise.
A quick survey of the uniformed players proved the absence of
Ken Ward and Reddy Ray. Worry appeared startled out of speech,
and looked helplessly at Homans. Then Ray came down-stairs, bat
in one hand, shoes and glove in the other. He seated himself upon
the last step and leisurely proceeded to put on his shoes.
"Reddy, did you see Peg?" asked Worry, anxiously.
"Sure, I saw him," replied the sprinter.
"Well?" growled the coach. "Where is he? Sulkin' because I called him?"
"Not so you'd notice it," answered Reddy, in his slow, careless manner.
"I just woke him up."
"What!" yelled Arthurs.
"Peg came to my room after lunch and went to sleep. I woke him just now.
He'll be down in a minute."
Worry evidently could not reply at the moment, but he began to beam.
"What would Gallagher say to that?" asked Captain Homans, with a smile.
"Wayne's varsity pitcher asleep before a Herne
|