“That makes no matter. Neither is Sam, but they’ve got him playing goal. That’s the reason, I guess. If Sam lets go of the goal he always falls down.” Joe smiled politely as he paid for the lacing. Sam paid no attention to the slur. “Tom wants to sell you a hockey-stick,” he said calmly. “Just the same, if you’d like to try it, now’s the time. We need fellows.” “I’d like to, but I’d be ashamed to,” laughed Joe. “What I’d have to do first is learn to keep on my feet.” “Just watch Sam, then,” said Tom Pollock. “If he does a thing one way, you do it the other, and you’ll be all right. I suppose I can’t sell you a pair of gloves or a sweater, Faulkner?” “No, thanks. Not today, anyway. Maybe another time――――” “Don’t promise anything,” interrupted Sam. “There’s a good store up the street. Shall we start along?” “I’m all ready. Thanks for putting that lacing in, Pollard.” “Pollock is the name,” said Tom. “Think of a fish.” “A fish?” asked Joe vaguely. “Yes. A pollock’s a fish, you know.” “And a mighty ugly, mean-looking fish, too,” said Sam with one of his infrequent smiles. “Call him what you like, Faulkner. Anything’s good enough for him. Where’s that stick of mine, Tom?” “Just where you left it, on top of the case up there. Wish I could go along with you chaps. I haven’t seen you crack the ice this Winter, Sam.” “I’m getting so I can fall soft now.” He picked a hockey-stick, to which were attached boots, skates and leg-pads, from the showcase and moved toward the door. “See you later, Tom. Come on, Faulkner.” Joe nodded to Tom Pollock and followed his new acquaintance outside. CHAPTER IV JOE FINDS A FRIEND “Walk or ride?” asked Sam, when they were on the sidewalk. “Just as you like,” answered Joe. “Walk, if you don’t mind.” “I’d rather.” And Sam set off along the street at a brisk pace. “That’s the new Adams Building,” he said presently, nodding toward the tall structure across the street. “We’re rather proud of it, as it’s our only skyscraper. The old one――it wasn’t old, though――burned last Fall. I’ve been working for the architects who are putting that up.” “Really? It must have been a peach of a fire! Was the old building as big as that one?” “Bigger. It had fourteen floors and this has only twelve. The water pressure here isn’t good enough yet for high buildings. That’s why we left off seventeen feet this time. Still, this new building’s fireproof from top to bottom and I guess you could start a fire in it and have to lug fuel to keep it going! Rather good-looking, isn’t it?” “Awfully,” agreed Joe. “I suppose you’ve got office buildings in Akron that beat it, but we think it’s some building. We turn off here.” They left the busy part of town and walked briskly along a residence street until, at last, open country was reached. Sam, having exhausted the subject of the new Adams Building, didn’t have much to say and conversation was desultory until Joe, hunting for a topic, remembered baseball.