jects?"

"I surely am," replied Ken. "I've had four months of nothing but study."

"The reason I ask is this: That faculty has made another rule, the
one-year residence rule, they call it. You have to pass your exams,
get your first year over, before you can represent any athletic club.
So, in case I can use you on the team, you would have to go up for your
exams two months or more ahead of time. That scare you?"

"Not a bit. I could pass mine right now," answered Ken, confidently.

"Kid, you and me are goin' to get along.... Well, good-night, and don't
forget what I said."

Ken was too full for utterance; he could scarcely mumble good-night to
the coach. He ran up-stairs three steps to the jump, and when he reached
his room he did a war dance and ended by standing on his head. When he
had gotten rid of his exuberance he sat down at once to write to his
brother Hal about it, and also his forest-ranger friend, Dick Leslie,
with whom he had spent an adventurous time the last summer.

At Carlton Hall, next day, Ken saw a crowd of students before
the bulletin-board and, edging in, he read the following notice:

BASEBALL!

CALL FOR CANDIDATES FOR THE VARSITY BASEBALL TEAM

The Athletic Directors of the University earnestly
request every student who can play ball, or who
thinks he can, to present himself to Coach Arthurs
at the Cage on Feb. 3rd.

There will be no freshman team this year, and a
new team entirely will be chosen for the varsity.
Every student will have a chance. Applicants are
requested to familiarize themselves with the new
eligibility rules.

V

THE CAGE

Ken Ward dug down into his trunk for his old baseball suit and donned
it with strange elation. It was dirty and torn, and the shoes that went
with it were worn out, but Ken was thinking of what hard ball-playing
they represented. He put his overcoat on over his sweater, took up his
glove and sallied forth.

A thin coating of ice and snow covered the streets. Winter still
whistled in the air. To Ken in his eagerness spring seemed a long
way off. On his way across the campus he saw strings of uniformed
boys making for Grant Field, and many wearing sweaters over their
every-day clothes. The cage was situated at one end of the field
apart from the other training-quarters. When Ken got there he found
a mob of players crowding to enter the door of the big barn-like
structure. Others were hurryi