to shout something back. At that moment he tripped over a small
wooden box and fell flat.

"Oh, Ted!" called Dick hurriedly.

"Well?" growled Teall, rubbing his shins.

"Did you enjoy your little trip?"

"My---little---trip?" repeated Ted wonderingly. "Oh---pshaw!
Of course you'd think of something like that to say."

"If you're lamed any by your little trip," offered Tom, "I'll
leave left field to do your base running for you this afternoon."

"Yah! I'll bet you would," jeered Teall. "And if I let you,
I'd be down on the score card for three less than no runs at all."

"You will, anyway," said Reade gravely.

"Somehow," broke in Dan, "I feel unusually happy this afternoon."

"That's because you know we're going to win to-day," laughed Dick.

"Oh, that's a part of it, yes," Dalzell agreed. "But the real
cause of my happy feeling is that I'm going to find out what the
man on the clubhouse steps said. That's what I've been aching
to know ever since some time last winter."

"The time will pass shortly now, Danny Grin," Prescott remarked