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CHAPTER V
THE RIVAL SCHOOL
One of the doors to the rooms occupied by the Rovers was quickly swung open and Gif Garrison strode in, followed by Dick Powell. Gif held a morning newspaper in his hand, one which had been delivered to the school only a short while before.
"You said you had important news, Gif," said Jack. "What is it?"
"There is an item here in the newspaper Gif wants to show you," put in Spouter. "I am sure it will interest every one of us."
"It's not much of an item so far as size goes," said Gif. "But it certainly is important – or at least it may be, especially to you Rovers – seeing that none of us has ever been particularly friendly with Nappy Martell and Slugger Brown."
"What! have you news of those two rascals?" demanded Randy.
"Did they run away from that detention camp in the South?" broke in Fred.
"They'd be fools to do that," returned Andy. "The military authorities would round them up in no time. It's no easy matter to keep out of the clutches of Uncle Sam if he wants you."
"No, they haven't run away. They have simply been given their freedom," answered Gif. "Here – you can read the news for yourselves."
The item he referred to was only twelve lines long and located at the bottom of a column on one of the inside pages of the newspaper. It was dated from a well-known detention camp in the South, and gave a list of six prisoners who had had another hearing and been given their freedom. Two of the names were Napoleon Martell and Slogwell Brown, Jr.
"Well, they're loose, all right enough," was Andy's comment, after they had perused the item. "I wonder what they'll do?"
"One thing is certain, being detained that way by the Government will certainly prove quite a stigma," said Jack. "I shouldn't like to have anything of that sort against me."
"I suppose they'll have it in for us," said Randy. "They always loved us a lot – I don't think!"
"Do you imagine they would dare show themselves around here?" questioned Fred quickly.
"Why not?" queried Spouter.
"I don't think they'll come here," answered Jack. "It's too slow for them around Haven Point. You know how sick they got of it the last time they were here. They'll probably head for some big city, where they can have a good time on whatever money they can get hold of."
Gif and Spouter passed on, to carry the news to other cadets who might be interested in it, and the Rovers hurried to get ready for roll-call and breakfast. While they were finishing their dressing they continued to discuss the news.
"I was hoping that we had seen and heard the last of Nappy and Slugger," said Fred; "just as I was hoping that we had seen the last of Werner and Glutts."
"They are like bad pennies – ready to turn up when you least expect it," said Andy. "Just the same, they had better keep out of my way if they don't want to get into trouble," he continued, his eyes flashing.
During the morning the boys had to attend a drill and then prepare a number of their lessons for the following week. But directly after lunch they had the time to themselves, and the four Rovers hurried off to town, and Gif and Spouter went with them.
As has been mentioned before, Haven Point possessed a first-class motion picture theater, run by a man named Felix Falstein, who on more than one occasion had shown his friendship for the cadets. Jack and Fred had communicated with their sisters, and Martha and Mary had agreed to meet them at a certain hour at the theater entrance.
"Not here yet," said Jack, when the crowd arrived.
"You can't expect girls to be on hand always," said Andy gaily. "You've got to give 'em a chance to get the hair-buns over their ears."
"And fourteen hooks hooked up on the shoulder where you can't reach 'em," added his twin, grinning.
"Here they come now!" interrupted Fred. "Do you want me to tell them about the hooks and the hair-buns?" he added slyly.
"You say a word, Fred, and you'll be killed in cold blood!" retorted Andy, while Randy shook a playful fist at his cousin.
In the crowd of girls coming around the corner of the street were not only the two Rovers and May Powell, the cousin of Spouter, but also Ruth Stevenson, Annie Larkins, and Alice Strobell.
"Have we been keeping you long?" questioned Martha Rover, as she came up to her brother.
"Only a couple of minutes, Martha," answered Jack.
"We haven't even had a chance to read the billboards," put in Andy.
"I was so glad to see it clear off," remarked Ruth Stevenson, as she quite naturally paired off with Jack, while May Powell turned to talk to Fred. And then she added, as she gazed admiringly at the young captain in his neat-fitting uniform: "I understand you and your cousins have been doing the hero act again."
"Who told you that?" questioned Jack quickly.
"Never mind who told me. We've heard all about how you rescued a man and his son from the Rick Rack River. Oh, Jack! it was a grand thing to do."
"But who told you, Ruth?"
"It was Mr. Franklin himself, if you want to know it."
"Where in the world did you meet Mr. Franklin?"
"Why, he works up at Bossard's lumber camp, and Bossard supplies our school with cordwood. Mr. Franklin and his son brought down a load of wood, and he told someone how the Rovers had come to their rescue. Then those folks pointed Martha and Mary out to them, and as we happened to be with your sister and your cousin at the time we heard the whole story. Mr. Franklin said it was a very brave thing to do, and he was awfully sorry that he couldn't offer you some reward – not but what I am sure, Jack, you wouldn't accept it," the girl continued quickly.
By this time all the boys and girls had paired off and soon the cadets had purchased tickets and all entered the showhouse. They found seats together, and sat down to enjoy themselves. A comic picture was being thrown on the screen, and at this the young folks laughed so heartily that it put all of them in the best of humor. Then came a slight intermission, and they had a chance to talk over their personal matters.
"I heard something a few days ago that interested me quite a good deal, Jack," said Ruth. "It was from that new school at Darryville, the Longley Academy."
The girl referred to a school which had been opened the Fall previous. It was supposed to be something of a physical culture academy where as much attention was paid to athletics as to mental studies. The school had been inaugurated too late to do anything in football, but had given out that they would be in the baseball field the following Spring.
"What did you hear about Longley, Ruth?"
"Why, there is a boy there I used to know quite well, Tommy Flanders. He says they have organized a first-class baseball club, and that they are going to put it all over Colby Hall – those are his exact words."
"Humph! that remains to be seen, Ruth."
"Have you received a challenge from them?"
"Not yet. But Gif Garrison is expecting one every day. We heard something of the talk. Do you know if this Tommy Flanders is much of a player?"
"He used to be considered quite a pitcher. In fact, he was so good as a boy pitcher that some of the local fans wanted him to sign up in one of the minor leagues. But of course they wouldn't let him do that because he was too young to leave school."
"That certainly sounds interesting, especially if this Flanders pitches for Longley."
"Tommy told me that they had not less than a dozen first-class baseball players at their academy. He boasted that they would wipe up the diamond with your school – I am now quoting his words."
"Evidently Tommy knows how to blow."
"Oh, but, Jack, he really is a first-class player. And you must remember that they have advertised Longley Academy as given over especially to athletics and gymnastics. Probably they'll pay more attention to baseball and football than they will to their studies."
"Well, if we get beaten we'll get beaten, Ruth, that's all. We'll do our best."
"And I certainly hope you win, Jack," said the girl, giving him a warm glance. "I would like to see you take some of the conceit out of Tommy Flanders."
After the performance was over the young folks adjourned to a nearby ice-cream parlor where they indulged in that dainty to their hearts' content. While eating their cream and munching the cake they had ordered with it, Jack mentioned what Ruth had told him regarding the boys at the new rival school.
"Yes, they said they were going to send a challenge soon," said Gif. "And I've been warned by others that they intend to put a first-class nine on the diamond to beat us."
"Then it will be up to you, Gif, to show them what Colby Hall can do," said Spouter. He himself was not much of a ball player, although he had been on the nine occasionally.
The young people had almost finished their ice cream and cake when they saw two girls and two boys come in. As they entered Ruth clutched Jack by the arm.
"There is Tommy Flanders now!" she whispered, pointing to the larger of the two youths.
Tommy Flanders showed that he was a good deal of a sport. He was dressed in a loud-looking suit, had pointed shoes, and he wore a cap set well back on his head. His face was rather red, and his forehead was overshadowed by a heavy mop of reddish-brown hair.
"Hello, Ruth! How are you?" he called out pleasantly, when still at a distance. "Glad to see you," and he smiled at all of the girls and bowed.
After this there was nothing to do but to introduce the newcomer, and he promptly introduced the two girls, who proved to be residents of Haven Point, and then introduced his friend, Pete Stevens.
"Pete is going to be my backstop on our nine," explained Tommy Flanders. "You know, I suppose, that I am the pitcher," he added in an off-hand manner.
"And he's one wonder pitcher, believe me!" piped in Pete Stevens. He was a stocky youth with small ferret-like eyes.
"I understand you're going to have quite a nine," remarked Jack politely.
"Say, it will be the finest baseball aggregation this part of the country has ever seen – that is, for a school nine," boasted Tommy Flanders. "You know, our school is long on athletics. We intend to put it over everything within traveling distance."
"That is, provided the other schools are not too scared to accept our challenges," added Pete Stevens.
"You won't find Colby Hall afraid to accept any reasonable challenge," retorted Gif, somewhat disgusted with the boasting manner of the newcomers.
"We've waxed a few schools around here, and maybe we can take a round out of Longley Academy," Fred could not help but add.
"You'll never take a round out of Longley, believe me," sneered Pete Stevens. "We'll put it all over you fellows just as sure as you're born."
"Well, we'll see," remarked Jack, and his face showed that he did not admire having this discussion before the girls.
"Say, I'll tell you what I'll do, Rover," said Tommy Flanders, advancing close to the young captain. "I'll bet you ten dollars that we win the first game of ball we play with you."
"You'll have to excuse me, Flanders, but I'm not betting," answered Jack.
"Afraid, are you?"
"I said I was not betting. And now if you'll excuse us, we'll finish our ice cream and cake," added the young captain coldly.
"Oh, well, if you're afraid to bet, we'll let it go at that," responded Tommy Flanders carelessly. Then he and his companion and the girls with them moved off to a table in the rear of the ice-cream parlor.
"Of all the conceited fools – " began Andy, when Jack caught him by the arm.
"Drop it, Andy," and Jack looked at his cousin and then at the girls, all of whom had been much disturbed over the possibility of a quarrel.
"Oh, sure, let's drop it," was Andy's quick answer. And then to change the subject he began a funny story and soon he had the girls shrieking with laughter. Then they finished their ice cream and cake and left the place.
"Oh, Jack, if you do play them I hope you beat them good," said Ruth, when the girls and the cadets were ready to separate.
"We'll do our best," was his reply.
"I hope when that match comes off we'll be able to see it," said Martha.
"Of course you'll all have to be on hand," answered her brother quickly. "We'll want you girls to encourage us."
"I want to see you beat Longley Academy," declared Mary.
"So say we all of us!" came in a chorus from the others.
CHAPTER VI
PLAYING HIXLEY HIGH
"Now for some real baseball practice, boys!"
"Right you are, Jack! I'm mighty glad it has cleared off at last."
"If we are going to have our annual game with Hixley High two weeks from to-day we had better get busy," put in Gif Garrison. "I had no idea they would ask for a match so early in the season."
"It's on account of the game they expect to have this year with Longley Academy," remarked Walt Baxter. "You see, they are to play the new school too."
"Yes, and I heard that those Longley fellows were boasting they were going to do up Hixley, just the same as they were going to do us up."
"Gee, but that Tommy Flanders makes me sick!" broke in Fred. "I really think he's the most conceited fellow I ever met."
"Just the same, I've heard he's a pretty good player," remarked Gif. "He is not only a good pitcher, but quite a good batsman. And they say that his crony is also quite a good all-around player."
The regular nine, minus two players who had left the school the term previous, were out on the diamond practicing. A little later, with two substitutes, they were to play a match of five innings against a scrub team picked from the most available of the ball players left.
Jack Rover was in the box and was putting some swift ones over the plate. As yet he did not have perfect control of the horsehide, and as a consequence it occasionally went over the catcher's head.
Three games of baseball had been arranged for Colby Hall, one with Hixley High, another with Columbus Academy, and a third with Longley. They were to take place in the order named and at intervals of one week.
The practice soon came to an end, and then the five-innings game with the scrubs started. This proved to be quite a contest, and Fred Rover distinguished himself by knocking a three-bagger, while Jack struck out six batsmen, much to his satisfaction. When the contest came to a close the regular nine had won by a score of 11 to 3.
"Well, that shows the old nine is still in the running," remarked Dan Soppinger, when the boys were rushing to the gymnasium to get under the showers.
"Right you are, Dan," answered Jack. "Just the same, that scrub team isn't Hixley High, or Columbus or Longley, either, please don't forget that."
"Oh, I know that just as well as you do, Jack. We've got to play much better than we did to-day if we expect any victories in the regular games."
"Don't forget that we'll be up against Dink Wilsey again," said Gif.
"I don't believe that any of us are likely to forget it," grinned Dan. All remembered Dink Wilsey very well. He was the pitcher for Hixley High and a fellow who was destined to become talked about in baseball circles. He had a puzzling delivery, and sometimes struck out even the best of the batsmen with ease.
From that day forth Jack and the other members of the ball team put in every spare moment at practice. Gradually the young pitcher obtained better control of the sphere, and then he did what he could to increase his speed and make his curves more puzzling.
The contest with Hixley High was to take place on the latter's grounds, and almost all the pupils at Colby Hall made the journey to see the game. Many girls were also present from Clearwater Hall and from the town.
"Oh, Jack, I hope you win!" said Ruth Stevenson, as he strode forward to greet her and the others who had arrived from the girls' school.
"We're going to do our best, Ruth," answered the young pitcher. And then, as he noticed something of a cloud on her face, he added jokingly: "You don't have to look so glum about it."
"I'm not glum over the game, Jack. I was thinking of something else," she answered soberly.
"Why, what's the matter, Ruth – has anything gone wrong?"
"Yes, Jack. But – but maybe I'd better not tell you anything about it," she faltered.
"Has anybody been annoying you?"
"I can't tell you now – I'll tell you after the game if I get a chance," whispered Ruth, as several of the other boys and girls came closer.
At that moment came a blare of tin horns and the noise of many rattles, and then the Hixley High boys let out a wild yelling:
"Hixley High! Hixley High! Hixley High forever!" and this was repeated over and over again.
"Wake up, fellows!" came suddenly in a bellow from Ned Lowe. "Everybody wake up for Colby Hall!" And then there boomed out this refrain:
"Who are we?
Can't you see?
Colby Hall!
Dum! Dum! Dum, dum, dum!
Here we come with fife and drum!
Colby! Colby! Colby Hall!"
"That's the stuff! Give it to 'em again!" yelled Fatty Hendry, wiping the perspiration from his forehead, and once more the school refrain boomed forth.
"Oh, isn't that grand!" remarked Mary Rover.
"The best ever!" answered her cousin Martha.
"It makes me feel just as if I was being raised off my feet," remarked May Powell.
The game began with Hixley High at the bat. There was a wild cheering for Rigby, the center-fielder, when he came up, stick in hand, and also yells of encouragement for Jack.
"Put him out in one-two-three order, Jack!"
"Don't let him get a smell at first!"
"Knock the cover off it, Rigby! Make a homer!"
After two strikes, one of them a foul, Rigby managed to get a safe hit to first. But then Jack tightened up and presently the side was retired without a run.
"That's the stuff! Hold 'em to goose eggs all the way through!"
"Now, then, Colby, go to it and make a couple!"
But alas for this hope! One player got as far as third, but there the inning ended.
Goose eggs also went up for both sides in the second, third and fourth innings. Then two players of Hixley High managed to make singles, and on a fumble by one of the new men playing for Colby one of these hits was turned into a run.
"Hurrah! Hurrah! That's the stuff! Score one for Hixley!"
"Hold 'em down! Hold 'em down! Don't let 'em score again!" came from the Colby Hall supporters. And the players from the military school did "hold 'em down" to the single tally which had been made.
With the score 1 to 0, the game ran along to the eighth inning. Then Dan Soppinger managed to knock out a two-bagger, and he was followed at the plate by Randy. Two men were already out, so it was a crucial moment in more ways than one.
Dink Wilsey was still in good form, although the strain was evidently telling upon him. He sent in two swift balls, which were called strikes, one being a foul. Then came two wide ones, which were put down as balls by the umpire.
"Hit it, Randy!" sang out Gif. "Paste it for all you know how!"
Randy was on the alert, and although the next ball pitched was a bit low, he swung for it, sending it down toward right field.
"Run, Dan! Run!"
"Leg it, Randy!"
And both players did run for all they were worth. Dan had started as Randy swung for the sphere, and consequently touched third a few seconds later. Then, as he saw the ball was still down in right field with the fielder chasing madly after it, he came in to the home plate. Randy had meanwhile reached first and was halfway to second, which he reached safely by sliding.
"Hurrah! One run for Colby Hall!"
"And Randy Rover made it a two-bagger!"
"Some playing, I'll say!"
The excitement was now intense as Colby Hall saw a chance to win. But this chance went glimmering a few seconds later when a pop-fly was gathered in with ease by the Hixley pitcher.
"Never mind, we've tied the score, and that's something," said Gif. "Now all we need do is to hold them down and make one more run."
In the ninth inning Hixley High fought desperately to score, and Colby Hall did the same. But neither side got further than first.
"A tie game! A tie game!" was the cry.
"Now, then, it takes only one run to win!"
The excitement was now at a fever heat, and this continued through the tenth and eleventh innings. By this time it was growing dark, so that the fielders had difficulty in seeing the ball.
"I think we had better call it a tie and let it go at that," said the Hixley captain to Gif. "What do you think about it?"
There was a brief consultation, and several of the regular school coaches were called in. In the meanwhile it grew darker rapidly, and presently the contest was called off.
"It's too bad we couldn't finish it," remarked Jack, as he shook hands with Dink Wilsey.
"We'll have to finish it next year," said the rival pitcher, with a grin.
There was a good deal of talk about the contest, but gradually the crowd dispersed, and many of the Colby boys started for the Hall. The Rovers and some of their chums rejoined the girls, and walked with them to the automobiles which were to take Martha and Mary and the others back to Clearwater Hall.
"I'm so sorry you fellows didn't win that game," pouted May Powell, on the way.
"Well, we did our best," answered Fred. "And believe me, it's something to hold down a school like Hixley with such a pitcher as Dink Wilsey."
"You don't mean to say he can pitch any better than Jack!" put in Ruth quickly.
"Oh, I'm not saying anything against Jack," answered Fred. "Just the same, Dink's a great pitcher, and Jack will say so himself."
"He certainly is," was the reply from the oldest Rover boy. "He'll be on one of the professional teams one of these days. If Longley Academy has any such pitcher in Tommy Flanders, we've got our work cut out for us."
Most of the boys and girls went on to where the automobiles were in waiting, but Jack kept to the rear until the whole crowd were out of hearing.
"Now, then, Ruth, tell me what is troubling you," he said in a low voice.
"Oh, Jack, I don't believe I ought to tell you! I should have torn it up and forgotten all about it," returned the girl.
"Torn it up? What do you mean? Was it a letter?"
"Yes, a letter that came yesterday. It is nothing but a scrawl, and it's unsigned. It was sent from New York."
"What did the letter say? Did somebody threaten you, Ruth?"
"No, Jack. Somebody threatened you. If it hadn't been for that, I wouldn't think of bothering you about it."
"Humph! this is interesting. Have you got the letter with you?"
"Yes. Here it is," and the girl brought forth the letter from her handbag. As she had said, it was postmarked New York City, and was addressed to her at the school. The envelope was a plain one, and inside was a single sheet of plain white paper. On this, evidently in a disguised hand, had been scrawled the following:
Ruth Stevenson: If you know when you are well off you won't have much to do with Jack Rover or his cousins. They are a bum lot and some day you will be ashamed of every one of them. Jack Rover never treated anybody square, and some day you can take it from me that I intend to pound his handsome face into a jelly. Better listen to my warning, or you will be very sorry you had anything to do with that crowd.
"A Friend."
