“It’s too late to back out now,” said Dick. “If I had known there was any talk of making this arrangement I would have gone before the committee and fought against it.” “The committee knew what it was doing,” put in big Bob grimly. “It knew all about our trouble with the U. A. A. baseball-team, and it knew we had declared we would never have anything further to do with that association.” “For years,” said Dick, “Fardale has desired to enter into contests with U. A. A. because of the money there is in it. Eaton has had the privilege, and this school has been very jealous of Eaton. Last spring Uniontown gave us a baseball-game to fill in an open date, and we beat their team.” “Wasn’t it a shame!” exclaimed Smart. “We were so sorry to do it!” “We beat them,” said big Bob; “but think of the fight we had! Uniontown is full of gamblers who bet on their team. The Union Athletic Association is not a straight amateur organization, no matter what it claims. It rings in professionals. Its members and officers make money betting on their teams and their men. That is a well-known fact.” “No one denies it,” said Dick. “They expected to find us easy, but there was one fellow who took a fancy to put me out of the game, thinking that would make it a sure thing for Uniontown.” “Sus-sus-so it would,” asserted Chip, “You were the only pup-pup-pup-pup——” “The other feller was the ‘pup,’” laughed Obediah Tubbs. “He! he! he! Wasn’t that a funny joke!” “The only pup-pup-pitcher we had,” stuttered the lank boy, completing the sentence after a terrible struggle to give it utterance. “Well, this thug failed to knock you out,” said Singleton. “His drug was taken by me by accident, instead of you. And then——” “And then,” said Smart, “he sprinkled Captain Dick on the field with one of those buttonhole-bouquet arrangements that squirts water in your eyes.” “Only his arrangement was not filled with water,” said Dick. “Hardly!” exclaimed Singleton. “He had something in it that made you blind, and you pitched the last inning when you could scarcely see the batter.” “And cuc-cuc-cuc-cuc——” “Cut-cut-cadawcut!” cackled Smart. “Cuc-cuc—whew!—caught a hot liner right off the bat, putting out the last man,” said Jolliby. “That was what bub-bub-broke their hearts.” “No; it was giving up the biggest share of the gate-money that broke their hearts,” laughed Dick. “We can do ’em again!” piped Obediah Tubbs.