Two days later Andy burst in on the others like a whirlwind, his face glowing with excitement.
“Come on downstairs, everybody!” he called out. “Colonel Colby has just arrived! Come on, and ask him what he can tell us about our fathers.”
At this announcement there was a general stampede. All of the others dropped the textbooks they had been studying and made a simultaneous rush for the corridor and the stairs. Down, pell-mell, went the whole crowd, to join a group of cadets in the lower hall, everyone of whom was doing his best to shake Colonel Colby’s hand first.
The owner of the school was dressed in his uniform as a United States officer, and looked taller and more bronzed than ever. His face wore a broad smile and he gave each of his pupils a hearty handshake.
“Oh, Colonel, we are so glad to see you back!” cried Jack, with genuine pleasure as he wrung the officer’s hand. “And I hope you have good news of my father and my uncles?”
“I am as glad to see you as you are to see me, Captain Rover,” returned Colonel Colby. “And it is a genuine pleasure to get back to this school after having endured such arduous days in France.”
“And what about our folks?” added Fred, as he too came in for a handshake.
“When our troopship left France your folks were expecting to follow in about ten days or two weeks. Most likely they are already on the way.”
“And they were well?” asked Randy anxiously.
“Quite well. Of course, you know that your father and your Uncle Sam were wounded by some flying shells, and that your Uncle Dick suffered from a gas attack. But they are all recovering rapidly, and I don’t doubt but what they will soon be as well as ever.”
“Somebody said that dad had won a medal of honor,” said Jack, his eyes lighting up with expectancy.
“It is true. He did win such a medal. And he deserved it. Probably he will give you all the particulars when he arrives.”
That was all Colonel Colby could say at the time, because many others wanted to shake his hand, from Captain Dale down through all the teachers and the cadets to the school janitor, and even the women working in the kitchen and the men in the stables. He had been on good terms with all his hired help, and now they showed a real affection for him which touched his heart deeply.
“Just think of it! Our fathers may be back in ten days!” exclaimed Andy. “Isn’t it the best ever!” And he commenced to dance a jig just to let off steam.
The boys lost no time in telephoning to the girls, and it may be imagined that Martha and Mary were indeed glad to hear the news.
The next day, just as the session was closing, the Rovers were informed that a man and a boy were out on the campus waiting to see them. They hurried out and found themselves confronted by John Franklin and his son Phil.
“I’ve been promising myself right along that I’d come and see you fellows,” said John Franklin. “But somehow I couldn’t get around to it. But now that my son and I are going back to Texas I felt I’d have at least to say good-bye and thank you once again for what you fellows did for us.”
“And as my father wasn’t able to reward you, I thought maybe you wouldn’t mind if I made each of you something out of wood with my jackknife,” put in Phil Franklin, somewhat awkwardly. “You know, handling a jackknife is one of my specialties,” he added, with a grin. “So please accept these with our compliments. You can divide them up to suit yourselves.”
He handed over a package done up in a newspaper, and, unfolding this, the Rovers found four articles carved out of hard wood. One was an inkstand, another a miniature canoe, a third an elaborate napkin ring, and the fourth a tray for holding pins and collar buttons.
“Why, those are real fine, Phil,” said Jack, as he looked the articles over.
“You don’t mean to say you did all of this work with a knife?” questioned Andy admiringly.
“Every bit of it,” was the reply.
“They are beautiful,” was Randy’s comment, after an inspection.
“Better than you could buy in the stores,” added Fred.
“I’m pleased to know that you like my son’s handiwork,” said John Franklin.
“They are real good,” said Jack. “But we don’t feel like taking these things without giving you something in return,” he added hastily.
“Oh, that’s all right!” cried Phil Franklin. “You’ve done enough for us already. You keep the things and don’t say anything more about it.”
“And so you’re really going back to Texas?” questioned Fred, after the presents had been inspected again.
“Yes, we’re going to start to-morrow noon,” answered John Franklin. “I’ve got a little money together now, and I’m going back to see if I can’t put a crimp in those oil-well sharpers who did me out of my farm.”
“Well, I certainly hope you get the best of those fellows if they swindled you,” said Randy heartily.
The conversation lasted half an hour longer, and during that time Randy and Jack excused themselves and slipped off to their rooms. When they came back they had a small package containing two of their best story books.
“Here are a couple of books which perhaps you’ll like to read on the trains,” said Jack. “We want you to accept them with the compliments of all of us.”
“Oh, story books!” And Phil Franklin’s eyes lit up with pleasure. “I love to read. Are you sure you can spare them?” And when they said they could he continued: “That suits me immensely.”
A little later father and son took their departure.
“Pretty nice people,” was Jack’s comment. “I certainly hope they get their rights.”
This meeting took place on the day when Longley Academy played Columbus Academy. The cadets, remembering the score between Hixley High and Longley, were very anxious to know how the Columbus team would fare against the new school.
“Well, Longley wins again!” exclaimed Ned Lowe, who came in with the news.
“What was the score?” questioned Gif with much interest.
“Eleven to two.”
“You don’t mean it!” cried Spouter. “Why, that’s worse than the game they took from Hixley High!”
“One thing is certain: The Longley team knows how to play,” said Jack decidedly. “We may not like Tommy Flanders and his bunch, but, just the same, you’ve got to hand it to ‘em for knowing how to put it across.”
“It looks to me as if we might be in for a defeat,” remarked another cadet.
“Defeat! Don’t talk that way, Leeds,” stormed Gif. “Colby Hall is going to win!”
“Well, I hope so, but I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed,” answered Leeds. He was a new pupil, and was of a decidedly pessimistic turn of mind.
The victories of Longley over Hixley and Columbus served one good purpose. It caused Gif to call his team together and read them a stern lecture.
“We are evidently up against a bunch of real ball players,” said the captain. “We’ve got to buckle down in this contest and do our very best, and then some. I want every man to practice all he can from now on. And when the time comes I want every man to play the game with all the brains and all the nerve that are in him.”
Longley Academy being devoted, as mentioned before, very largely to physical culture and athletics, had an extra fine baseball grounds with a beautiful new grandstand and bleachers. The new school was anxious to show off these grounds, and so had insisted that the game be played there, and this had been agreed to after it was announced that one half of the stands should be set aside for the cadets of Colby Hall and their friends.
It had been noised about that this game was to be “for blood,” so that when the time came for the contest the grounds were overflowing with people. Everybody from Colby Hall and Longley was there, and in addition quite a respectable crowd from Hixley, Columbus, and from Clearwater Hall. There wa
s also a scattering of people from the town and the surrounding districts.
“Oh, Jack, aren’t you nervous?” questioned Martha, when he met the girls from Clearwater.
“If I am I’m not going to show it,” he replied to his sister.
“Jack, I’m going to root harder than I ever did in my life,” said Ruth, as she held up a banner marked Colby Hall and another marked Clearwater Hall.
“We’re all going to root,” declared May Powell.
The stands were speedily filled to overflowing, and there was a large crowd assembled behind the foul line on either side of the diamond. There was a loud cheering when the Colby Hall nine appeared, and a like cheer when the Longley players put in an appearance.
“Hurrah for Colby Hall!”
“Three cheers for Longley Academy!”
“Here is where the cadets walk off with another one!”
“Not much! Here is where Longley snows you under!”
And so the gibes and comments ran on, while every once in a while wild cheering rang out, mingled with the noise of horns and rattles.
The toss-up sent Longley to the bat first, and with a cheer from his friends Jack took the ball and walked down to the box.
“Now then, fellows, swat it good and plenty!” cried Tommy Flanders. “We want about half a dozen runs the first inning.”
“He doesn’t want much,” murmured Fred.
The first man up was a heavy hitter named Durrick. He had one strike and two balls called, and then sent a low one to left field which gave him first base with ease.
“Hurrah, boys! Keep it a-going!” cried Tommy Flanders, dancing around joyously.
The second man up knocked two fouls and then a short fly to third. But then came another safe hit to right field which took the batter to first while the other runner gained third.
“Take it easy, old man,” cautioned Gif, as he came up to speak to Jack. “Don’t let them rattle you.”
“They are not going to rattle me,” answered Jack sturdily.
He gritted his teeth, and then sent in three swift balls so quickly that the next batsman was taken completely by surprise and was declared out almost before he knew it.
“That’s the stuff, Colby! Two out! Hold ‘em down!”
“Knock it out! Bring Durrick in!”
The next player up was a tall, lanky chap named Wilks. He swung savagely at the sphere as if intending to knock it over the back fence.
“If he ever connects with it it will be a homer with three runs in,” thought Gif.
Two strikes were called, and then three balls. Then Jack took a sudden brace and sent in a swift high one. Wilks leaped for it, and the crack of the bat could be heard all over the grounds.
It looked like a safe hit to center field, but as the crack of the bat sounded on the air Jack Rover was seen to leap high up with hand out-stretched. The next instant he came down with the sphere safe within his grasp.
“Fly ball! Batter out!”
Longley Academy had played its first inning without scoring.
CHAPTER X
A GLORIOUS VICTORY
“Good for Jack Rover!”
“That was some stop, all right!”
“Maybe it didn’t sting his hand!”
So the cries ran on, and when the Colby Hall nine came in from the field the young pitcher was wildly applauded.
In the meantime, however, Gif ran to him anxiously.
“It was the best ever, Jack, but did it hurt your hand—I mean enough to stop your pitching?”
“It’s not going to stop my pitching, Gif,” answered the young pitcher. His hand stung as if burnt by fire, but he was not going to admit it.
“Oh, wasn’t that a glorious play!” burst out Ruth Stevenson, and her glowing face showed her pleasure.
“I hope Jack wasn’t hurt,” answered the young captain’s sister solicitously.
There was another cheering when Dan Soppinger stepped to the plate with his bat in hand. Dan had two strikes called on him, and then sent a fly to left field which was gathered in with ease.
“One out! Keep it up, Longley!”
“Don’t let ‘em see first!”
Gif was the next player up, and by hard work he managed to rap out a single between short and second, which carried him to first in safety. But the next two players failed to connect with the sphere, and the goose egg went up on the board for the cadets.
After that there was a good deal of seesawing for four innings, and without any results so far as scoring was concerned. Longley made four hits, and so did the Colby boys. But no runner got further than second base.
Of course the catching of the red-hot liner had done Jack’s pitching hand no good. It was a little swollen in the palm, and this prevented the fingers from working quite as freely as would otherwise have been the case.
“Now listen, Jack,” said Gif, taking him to one side after Jack had pitched through the fifth inning. “If your hand hurts you, say so, and I’ll put another fellow in the box.”
“Never mind my hand, Gif, as long as I can treat them to goose eggs,” answered the young pitcher.
“But I don’t want you to ruin your hand.”
“That’s all right. When I feel I can’t do any more pitching I’ll let you know.”
In the sixth inning there came a break. But this could not be called Jack’s fault. The first Longley player up, a chap named Mason, managed to dribble the ball toward third, and before either the baseman or the shortstop could send it over he had reached first. Then, on a wild throw to second, the runner not only covered that bag, but went on and slid in to third.
“Now we’ve got ‘em a-going, fellows!” was the Longley yell.
“Right you are!”
“Nobody out, and a man on third! This is the time we wipe up the diamond with them! Everybody on the job!”
The next player went out on a pop fly. Then came Tommy Flanders, who did his best to line out a single. This was stopped by the second baseman, who, however, threw the ball to the home plate, thus cutting off the possibility of a run.
“Hurrah! Two men on base, and only one out!”
“Here is where Longley does some big scoring!”
“Jack, are you sure you can hold ‘em?” Gif questioned anxiously, as he came up to the pitcher.
“I’ll do it or die in the attempt,” was the answer, and Jack gritted his teeth.
It was certainly a trying situation, but the young pitcher refused to allow his nerves to get the better of him. He gave a signal to the backstop, and then sent in an outcurve, which the batter swung at in vain. Then he sent in a straight ball, following this by another outcurve, and almost before he knew it the batter was struck out.
“Hurrah!” came from Spouter Powell. “That’s the way to do it! Two men out! Now for the third man!”
The Longley player to come up was one of their best batsmen, and Jack realized that to give him anything like a good ball to hit would be fatal, so he fed the man nothing but those which were high and wide. As a consequence the fellow had two strikes called on him and four balls, and took his base, moving Flanders to second.
“Hurrah! Three men on base!” was the Longley yell. “Now, then, Simmons, bring ‘em all in!”
Simmons came forward with a do-or-die expression on his face. He had one strike called on him, and then knocked a low one toward centerfield. At once he started for first, while the fellow on third dashed forward for the home plate. The ball was gathered in as quickly as possible, and the runner from first to second was put out. But the runner from third had come in just before.
“Hurrah! That’s one run, anyhow!” shouted the Longley supporters.
“I told you we could do it,” said Tommy Flanders. He was glad of the run, yet tremendously chagrined to think that he had not been p
ermitted to score.
“Now we’ve got to tie that score or better,” said Gif, when the Colby Hall boys came to the bat.
All of those who came up, including Fred and Jack, did their best, but were unable to get further than first or second.
“Hurrah! That’s the stuff!” cried Pete Stevens. “Let us hold ‘em down to a whitewash!”
“Sure I’ll hold ‘em down!” boasted Tommy Flanders. “Not a one of ‘em are going to see the home plate off of me to-day.”
“He’ll certainly win the game if conceit can do it,” murmured Ned Lowe in disgust.
It must be admitted that so far Tommy Flanders had done wonderfully well. But there were signs that he was overdoing it by pitching too hard.
“I think he’ll break before the game is over,” said Dan.
“Just my opinion,” returned Walt Baxter. “No young pitcher can stand up under such a strain as that.”
The break they had looked for came in the eighth inning. By a supreme effort Longley managed, on a fumble by one of the new players for Colby Hall, to bring in another run, at which the cheering on their side was tremendous.
“That’s the stuff! Two to nothing! Wallop ‘em good and plenty, Longley!”
“We’ll wallop ‘em all right enough,” exulted Tommy Flanders. “They are going to get the worst whitewashing they ever had—you mark my words.”
Alas for the conceited young pitcher! His overconfidence made him a trifle wild, and almost before he realized it the first Colby Hall batter had got a safe hit to first and the second man up went to first on balls, advancing the other to second.
“Tighten up there, Tommy! Tighten up!” called out one of the Longley sympathizers.
“I’ll tighten up, all right enough,” answered Flanders, with a scowl.
The next player up got another single, the ball being fumbled by the fielder, and as a consequence the bases were filled.
“Be careful, Tommy!” cautioned the Longley captain, as he came up to the pitcher. “Be careful! We don’t want to spoil the score.”
“They won’t get in. You just watch me and see,” answered Flanders, and scowled more than ever.
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