as soon as the end of recess is called to-day, let's every one
of us go back with our minds closed to baseball. Let us all keep
our minds right on our studies. Why can't we six help to prove
that interest in athletics puts the scholarship mark up, not down?"

"We can," nodded Dave Darrin. "Good! I like that idea. We'll
simply go ahead and put our scholarship away up over where it
is at present."

To this the other chums agreed heartily.

Luce, the coach for baseball, was one of the under submasters.
He had made a record at college, for both baseball and scholarship.
He was a complete enthusiast on the game of the diamond. The
year before he had trained the school nine to a record that beat
anything in the High School line in the whole state. His bulletin
announced that he intended to try to make the coming nine the
best yet. It didn't say that, in so many words, but the bulletin
implied it.

Fred Ripley did not hit upon the idea of improved scholarship.
Instead, that young man went into two classes, after recess,
and reported "not prepared." Then he settled back into a brown
study of his chances in baseball.

"I don't suppose Dick & Co. will have the nerve to try for anything
better than the second nine," muttered Fred to himself. "Still,
one can never tell what that crowd will have the nerve to do!"

School out, Fred hurried home faster than was his wont. He caught