The marked improvement in uniformity and excellence of play on the part of our nine during the next week confirmed Ray’s statement that all we needed to perfect ourselves was a few days’ more practice. My wrist give me little trouble in the early part of the week, so Wednesday morning I made the experiment of pitching a whole practice game through and found that I suffered nothing in consequence. Thursday and Friday, therefore, I took my regular practice with the others, and in proportion as my wrist recovered strength I recovered confidence. During these last two days I do not think any one would have known that I had suffered any injury. My enforced rest seemed, if anything, to have done me good, for Friday I certainly felt more in the spirit of the game, and pitched more effectively, than I had done before I hurt my wrist. “You needn’t come down this afternoon, fellows,” said Ray, as we left the grounds at one o’clock. “Keep quiet and remember to go to bed early to-night.” We had arranged to leave the next morning on the 9:30 train, but I was up by seven o’clock anxious to know what the weather had in store for us. To my delight, I found on opening my curtains that fortune again favored us, this time with bright sunshine and an almost cloudless sky. “It may be hot,” I thought, “but still what of that, so long as it doesn’t rain.” At the depot I found a large and interested crowd of students who had assembled, as was their custom, to see us off. The nine were all there, cheerful and in good spirits, Tony Larcom rushing around like a chicken with its head off, buying our tickets, checking our luggage, and answering all sorts of questions at the same time. “At last!” he exclaimed as he caught sight of me, and stopped a moment to mop the perspiration from his face. “I was afraid you were going to be late. Got your valise? Here give it to me, I’ll get it checked. Jim; Jim! come here and get this valise. Hullo, Jim! Where in thunder is that fellow?――oh there you are――get this checked right away and have it ready with the other things. Cæsar’s ghost! but isn’t it hot? Yes, Frank, I’ll telegraph the score immediately after the game, don’t you fear. Here, you fellows, get out of my way――how do you expect me to do anything with a dozen or more crowding and jamming――――” and off he rushed while I joined the other members of the nine. In a few moments the train arrived and we quickly clambered aboard, Tony making sure that we were all there before he ascended the platform. Then, as the train moved off, Tony waved his hat, while the crowd at the station gave three rousing cheers, and with this encouraging sound ringing in our ears, we set off for Halford.