comfortingly.

By this time a score of spectators had arrived. Then came a few
High School boys, among them Ben Tozier, who was again to umpire.
"Tozier, what's the High School delegation for?" Dan asked.
"To find out who'll be handy for the High School nine next year?"

"Perhaps," Ben replied gravely. "There's some good, young material
in the two nines, all right. The trouble is that a lot of you
fellows won't go to High School."

"All of Dick & Co. are going to attend High School," Dave proudly
informed Tozier.

Two more High School boys now appeared who were not as welcome.
Fred Ripley and Bert Dodge walked on to the field side by side.

"What are they doing here?" asked Dave.

"We are in luck," spoke up Tom, "if they haven't come here to
start mischief."

"If they do, if they even try it," Dick predicted grimly, "they'll
be the ones out of luck. We'll turn the boys of two Grammar Schools
loose on them and run them off the field."

Down the street sounded a noise that could come from only one
cause. Central Grammar School had "let out." All the boys and
many of the girls were now hurrying toward the ball field. It
was natural to take the biggest sort of interest in this game,