“You’ve done wonders with those chaps already, Chip! Crockett was a dandy captain, but he seemed content to keep the men in their old positions. This change of yours is going to give the fans a big surprise.” “And a pleasant one, I hope.” Merry’s smile suddenly died away. “Only I’m not quite certain about the pitching end.” “What!” Coach Trayne’s face expressed sudden concern. “Aren’t you going in?” “I hope so. But I was thinking what would happen if anything went wrong with me, or if I got pounded badly. You see, Randall is our best substitute man, and he’s been acting badly lately. He refused to come out to practice the last two days, and virtually announced that he was through with baseball.” “I know,” and the coach looked worried. “Personally, I’d like to kick him around the block, Chip! But for the school’s sake we ought to try to placate him.” It was late Saturday morning, the day of the game with the Carsonville Clippers. Everything looked bright for Fardale. The Clippers were due to arrive on the noon train, and, as their reputation was great, a record crowd was expected. Word had spread around that this might be Chip Merriwell’s last game for the season, and excitement was intense. “I wouldn’t worry, though,” advised the coach. “You’re all right, old man, and those Clippers will never get to you. We won’t need Randall.” “I don’t know, Mr. Trayne. The Clippers are amateurs, but they’re crack players. Still, I wasn’t thinking of the game alone. I may go away next week, and if Randall can only be brought into a right frame of mind, he’d make a great captain.” Trayne flung him a keen look. “Do you mean it? After the way he’s acted toward you----” “Yes,” said Chip soberly, “I think that he’s merely viewed things wrongly, and I feel now that he’d make the best captain of any one on the team. I think I’ll run up to his room right now, Mr. Trayne. I’ll have a frank talk with him, and it may be that I can win him around.” “That’s not a bad idea, Merriwell. If you can do so, it’ll surely be a great good thing for Fardale. We can’t afford to have a man of his caliber brooding over his imagined wrongs. Good luck to you, and let me know how he shows up.” “I will,” said Chip, and he turned away toward the barracks. As regarded his leaving Fardale, Chip himself knew very little. He had heard from his father that they were going West, together with Dick Merriwell, and that he must hold himself in readiness to leave when his father sent for him at a moment’s notice. Therefore, it was possible that this was his last diamond work for Fardale. The cause of this summons was a mystery to him, but he knew that he would find out in due course. In fact, he was looking forward to the trip with no little anticipation. Frank Merriwell, junior, was a chip of the old block in nickname and in fact, and he knew that with his father and his Uncle Dick he was apt to experience a lively time.