The Chums of Scranton High | Page 4

good and

valid reason for his action in this respect. He had taken none of them
into his confidence, however, and they could only surmise what it
might be. The general consensus of opinion was that possibly at some
time in his younger years, Hugh may have shown signs of an
ungovernable temper, and his wise mother had made him solemnly
promise never to allow himself to be drawn into a fight unless it was to
protect some one weaker than himself who was being rudely treated by
a bully.
He nodded his head as he drew near the group, for by now the eager
boys had left their lofty perch, and gathered in an excited bunch to
learn what was in the wind.
"News, fellows!" exclaimed the latest addition to the group, "great
news for the Scranton lovers of baseball!"
"Then the committee have finished making out their programme, and
mebbe even decided on the lucky candidates who'll have a chance to
show what they've got in them to put the school on the map this year?"
"A pretty good guess for you, Eli, so go up head," laughed Hugh; "for
I've just been told that is what has come about. Their deliberations have
closed, and presently there will be a general call issued for a full
meeting, at which their report is to be read. Then everybody will know
whether or not they have been deemed worthy of making a try for
honors in the diamond this season."
"We'll all be mighty glad when it's over, and those of us who are
unfortunate enough to get left high and dry can know the worst," said K.
K.
"Huh! you needn't lose any sleep over that, K. K.!" exclaimed Sandy
Dowd. "Everybody knows you're a jim-dandy at the bat, and a clever
fielder in the bargain. Wish I had as much chance as you and Hugh here
of making the nine. But then we must put faith in our committee, and
believe they'll select the ones they firmly believe are best fitted for the
job of holding down those heavy sluggers of Allandale. The rest of us
can root for the glory of old Scranton, and even that counts."

"But the committee, it seems, have gone even further," continued Hugh,
looking around at the eager faces of his chums, and also some who
could hardly be classed under that head.
"Go on and tell us the news, Hugh! Don't ye see we're just dying to
know?" pleaded Andy McGuffey.
"Have they been in touch with Allandale and Belleville?" asked the
sagacious Eli.
"It seems that last night they went over to Allandale to meet the
committee of that place, as well as the one representing Belleville,"
continued Hugh. "Matters of every kind were taken up and discussed.
The meeting ended with a programme being laid out that is to be
rigidly adhered to. Two weeks from tomorrow, Saturday, we will find
ourselves up against Belleville; and on the following Saturday it's to be
Allandale. Those two clubs have found a way of having their meetings
come off on Wednesday afternoons at three, a special favor granted by
the directors of the respective schools on account of there being but
three clubs in the league."
"Two weeks, and as yet we don't even know who's going to be on our
team!" burst out Eli. "Seems to me that's an awful short time to get
settled down into our best stride. Allandale will have a terrible bulge on
us, Hugh, because I hear they've kept almost the same team that carried
off the honors last year."
"If anything it's said to be some stronger," added Sandy Dowd,
ponderously, for he had a habit of looking solemn at times, in spite of
his blue eyes, red hair and mottled face. "An Allandale fellow told me
they expected to wipe up the earth with both Belleville and Scranton
this term."
"Huh! better spell able first," grunted Eli. "I hope there's no more delay
than is necessary about notifying the candidates who've been selected
to appear on the athletic field after school every day, and keep hustling
till supper time. We've just got to make the sand fly, if we expect to
catch up with those older teams."

"Well," Hugh assured him, "you'll know all about it by tomorrow night,
because the last knot will have been untied by then, and everybody
notified to come out to the meeting. Then beginning on next Monday
afternoon, hard practice for the lucky ones, to be continued every
decent day during the week, with a game against a picked nine on
Saturday."
"Will Mr. Leonard coach the team as he promised, Hugh?" asked K. K.
Mr. Leonard was the assistant of the head of the Scranton schools, a
pretty fine