e
afraid--never mind that crowd--step into the ball and swing natural....
Next! Hurry, boys!"

Suddenly a deep-chested student yelled out with a voice that drowned
every other sound.

"Hard luck, Worry! No use! You'll never find a hitter among those misfits!"

The coach actually leaped up in his anger and his face went from crimson
to white. Ken thought it was likely that he recognized the voice.

"You knocker! You knocker!" he cried. "That's a fine college spirit,
ain't it? You're a fine lot of students, I don't think. Now shut up,
every one of you, or I'll fire you out of the cage.... And right here
at the start you knockers take this from me--I'll find more than one
hitter among those kids!"

A little silence fell while the coach faced that antagonistic crowd
of spectators. Ken was amazed the second time, and now because of the
intensity of feeling that seemed to hang in the air. Ken felt a warm
rush go over him, and that moment added greatly to his already strong
liking for Worry Arthurs.

Then the coach turned to his work, the batting began again, and the
crack of the ball, the rush of feet, the sharp cries of the players
mingled once more with the laughter and caustic wit of the unsympathetic
audience.

Ken Ward went back to his room without having removed his overcoat.
He was thoughtful that night and rebellious against the attitude of
the student body. A morning paper announced the fact that over three
hundred candidates had presented themselves to Coach Arthurs. It went
on to say that the baseball material represented was not worth considering
and that old Wayne's varsity team must be ranked with those of the
fifth-rate colleges. This, following Ken's experience at the cage on
the first day, made him angry and then depressed. The glamour of the
thing seemed to fade away. Ken lost the glow, the exhilaration of his
first feelings. Everybody took a hopeless view of Wayne's baseball
prospects. Ken Ward, however, was not one to stay discouraged long,
and when he came out of his gloom it was with his fighting spirit
roused. Once and for all he made up his mind to work heart and soul
for his college, to be loyal to Arthurs, to hope and believe in the
future of the new varsity, whether or not he was lucky enough to win
a place upon it.

Next day, going early to the training-quarters, he took his place
in a squad waiting for the physical examination. It was a wearisome
experience. At length Ken's turn came wi