"They're getting them all right," said Iredell. "The papers are full of the names of players who have jumped or are going to jump." "You don't mean players," said Joe. "You mean traitors." The others winced a little at this. "'Traitors' is a pretty hard word," objected Curry. "It's the only word," returned Joe stiffly. "You can't call a man a traitor who simply tries to better himself," remarked Burkett defensively. "Benedict Arnold tried to better himself," returned Joe. "But it didn't get him very far. The fellows that jumped, in the old Brotherhood days, thought they were going to better themselves, but they simply got in bad with the public and nearly ruined the game. This new league will promise all sorts of things, but how do you know it will keep them? What faith can you put in men who try to induce other men to be crooked?" "Well, you know, with most men business is business, as they put it." "I admit business is business. But so far as I am concerned, it is no business at all if it isn't on the level," answered Joe earnestly. "A great many men think they can do something that is shady and get away with it, and sometimes at first it looks as if they were right about it. But sooner or later they get tripped up and are exposed." "Well, everybody has got a right to make a living," grumbled Curry. "Sure he has--and I'm not denying it." "And everybody has got a right to go into baseball if he feels like investing his money that way." "Right again. But if he wants to make any headway in the great national game, he has got to play it on the level right from the start. If he doesn't do that, he may, for a certain length of time, hoodwink the public. But, as I said before, sooner or later he'll be exposed; and you know as well as I do that the public will not stand for any underhand work in any line of sports. I've talked, not alone to baseball men, but also to football men, runners, skaters, and even prize fighters, and they have all said exactly the same thing--that the great majority of men want their sports kept clean." There was no reply to this and Joe rose to his feet. "But what's the use of talking?" he added. "Let the new league do as it likes. There's one bully thing, anyway, that it won't touch--our Giants. Whatever it does to the other teams, we will all stick together. We'll stand by Robbie and McRae till the last gun's fired. So long, fellows, see you later." He strode off down the corridor, leaving three silent men to stare after his retreating figure thoughtfully. CHAPTER XVII "MAN OVERBOARD" Baseball Joe found Jim waiting for him near the clerk's desk. "Been having quite a confab," remarked the latter. "Yes," replied Joe carelessly. "Burkett and Red came along and we had a fanfest."