When the Fardale Military Academy arranged to play a baseball game with the Great Northern A. A. it was generally believed that the cadets would be “snowed under.” The Great Northern was a semi-professional organization, and it had been necessary to give the team a large guarantee in order to bring it to Fardale. Captain Merriwell, of the Fardales, had taken no part in the arrangements for this game. He had advised neither for nor against it. The success of the Fardale team had been such that the athletic committee of the school, on receiving the proposition from the Great Northern, had decided to make the game, even though it was known that the schoolboys would be pitted against semi-professionals who were much older and many of whom made a regular business of baseball. It was generally believed among the cadets that their team had risen superior to the school nines with which they were scheduled to play. This being the case, there was a great rejoicing at the academy when it was known that the Great Northern A. A. would appear there. There were a few who predicted overwhelming defeat for Fardale. These, however, were greatly in the minority; the main body of cadets were confident of victory. When Captain Merriwell’s opinion was sought in advance, he simply declared that Fardale was going to capture the game if possible. On being asked if he did not consider it almost a sure thing, he replied that no baseball game could be a sure thing unless one team greatly outclassed the other, for that element called “luck” often decided the result of a contest on the diamond. Brad Buckhart, Merriwell’s chum and roommate, was the only one who knew Dick was in no condition to pitch his best. Dick’s side had been injured by an assault upon him in a billiard room, when he had been thrown against a table. It had not recovered, and if he went into the box with the idea of pitching nine innings when the Great Northern appeared, it was quite likely he would retard his recovery to such an extent that he might remain out of condition for the rest of the spring season. It was Brad who urged Dick to let some one else pitch against the athletic organization. The Texan chose the opportunity to do this privately in their room. “If you get knocked out for fair and can’t pitch any more this season, I certain see where we land in the ditch,” said Brad; “this yere game don’t amount to such a lot, pard; what if we do lose it? It won’t hurt our standing any at all in the school series, and it certain will be the natural thing any man with a good nut on him will expect. What if you did go in against these Great Northern chaps and win, but knocked yourself out so you had to stay on the bench and see Fairport, Rivermouth, Hudsonville, Springvale, and the rest of them eat us up? Wouldn’t that be fine! Wouldn’t that make you tired! You didn’t have anything to do with arranging for this game, and so there’s no responsibility on your shoulders.” Dick shook his head.