“I’d like to show that second baseman up, just the same,” said Spaulding. “But I guess there’s no chance, Chub.” “Why not?” spoke up Billy Mac hastily. “We’ve got uniforms of one kind and another already, haven’t we? We don’t need grounds--we can practice up and beat the Carsonville Clippers on their own grounds, fellows!” “Yah! That’s the stuff!” shrieked Chub, dancing excitedly. “Wouldn’t that be a scream, though! A bunch of us l-l-lambastin’ the town cl-l-lub! Wow!” It was plain that Chub’s proposition appealed strongly to most of those present, but the difficulties seemed insurmountable. “It’d take down Colonel Carson a heap,” muttered McCarthy. “I’d do a good deal to pay him back fer the way he gobbled our pasture lots, when his cussed mortgage come due!” “Look here,” exclaimed Billy Mac, with eagerness. “It isn’t near so bad as it looks, honest! We got pretty near a full infield right here in this crowd. We could get to work and practice off days till the ball season gets going, then light into that bunch right.” “Sounds good,” admitted Spaulding. “But it won’t work, Billy. Those fellows are sluggers from Sluggville. We’d have to have a crackajack pitcher to hold ’em down. And you know as well as I do that we’d have a hard job hitting Carson.” “That’s all right,” retorted Billy Mac. “Mebbe we could get Chip Merriwell, here, to come down from Fardale and pitch!” At this proposal, every eye went to Merry. McQuade’s eager seconding sent Chub into spasms of delight. “Yah!” he piped shrilly. “Put Chip in the box, and watch him l-l-lam Carson! See him cl-l-lip the Cl-l-lippers! Yah!” “What do you think of the plan, Merriwell?” inquired Bud Bradley doubtfully. “Would you be willing to come over and pitch?” Merry nodded. Before he could speak, however, his eye was caught by a sudden movement on the part of Carson’s team. Three or four members had just arrived. Bully Carson, who must have heard the eager cries of Chub Newton, had immediately ceased practice. He had gathered the Clippers around him, and appeared to be talking vigorously, though his words were lost. “You’d better put on the soft pedal, Chub,” advised Merry. “Seems to me that Bully has it in for you and Billy Mac.” “Let him come!” sniffed Billy. “But what do you think about the idea, Chip?” The group closed in about Merriwell, every member anxious for his opinion, as Billy had more than once described the diamond wizard’s prowess to his home friends. Merry hesitated, as he glanced around the faces. It did not appear likely that the Clippers could be easily trounced, and, besides this, he did not like to appear to be stirring up ill feeling. He knew that there was a strong current of dislike against the Carson methods. At the same time, Colonel Carson controlled the town, and could possibly make it hot for those who opposed his son. Merry hesitated to give advice, under the circumstances, but finally nodded.