out what sort of crowd Scranton High can put in the field."

"Oh! there's nothing queer about that, Thad," Hugh remonstrated,
quickly. "You can easily see it stands to reason those fellows over in
Belleville are anxious to get a line on what we expect to do, so as to
know just how much push they ought to put in their own work. He isn't
trying to spy things out, or he wouldn't come up so boldly. See,
there, he's starting to speak to Mr. Leonard now, and the old Princeton
athlete is shaking hands with him. Like as not O. K. has a dad who
used to be a college-mate of Mr. Leonard."

Hugh himself, followed by Thad, walked that way. Hugh had been told by
Mr. Leonard that he was to be the field captain of the Scranton High
team. In fact, that seemed to be taken for granted by all the boys,
who were very well satisfied to have such a general favorite and
all-round good athlete for a leader. Consequently, Mr. Leonard had
caught Hugh's eye, and made a beckoning motion with his hand, evidently
wishing him to meet the Belleville boy.

But the two had run across one another on several previous occasions,
it happened. Hugh shook hands with O. K. cordially, as did also Thad.
The latter was already ashamed of having entertained such thoughts in
connection with this friendly visit of the owner of the motorcycle,
whom he had always known to be a fine chap.

"Our fellows are practicing this afternoon, just as your crowd is,
Captain Morgan," O. K. was saying. "I would have been with them, only
yesterday I happened to hurt a finger a bit, for you see I'm the
catcher of our nine, and it was thought best for me to lay off a few
days so as to let it mend."