“I was there in a way,” said Carlton. “Mr. Sutherland called on me to recite――――” “I sincerely trust you did yourself proud,” suggested Hodge demurely. “Oh, let the little fellow tell his story,” protested Dan. “Go ahead, kid,” said Hodge good-naturedly. “Mr. Sutherland asked me what were the five great races of mankind,” related Carlton. “That’s dead easy,” remarked Ned. “Maybe it is easy for you fellows. I thought it was easy myself, but when I told him that the five great races were the hundred-yard dash, the two-hundred-and-twenty-yards, the four-forty, the half-mile run, and the mile he didn’t seem to be a bit pleased with my answer. I’ll leave it to you fellows if that isn’t the truth. But Mr. Sutherland sent me out of the room.” A shout of delight came from the boys and whatever of feeling may have existed apparently disappeared. “You surely are coming on,” laughed Ned as he ruffled the little fellow’s hair. “You’ll be on the nine yet.” “Do you really think I ever will?” said Carlton eagerly. “If you keep on this way you’ll take Dan’s place in the box.” “Speaking of the ‘box’――who’s going to take Dan’s place now?” asked Walter. “No one――we hope,” replied Ned. “Can he work next week?” asked Walter eagerly. “The doctor man says he thinks so, at least he’ll be good for a part of the game. The arm has a bad bump, but it’ll be all right pretty soon.” “Great!” exclaimed Carlton excitedly, his face beaming with the worship of his hero. “Then we’ll win the championship yet. There’s another game with the Military Academy――――” “On their grounds,” suggested Dan dryly. “That won’t make any difference――if your arm is all right.” “And our nine can hit enough to make a few runs,” suggested Ned. “It’s all well enough to have a good pitcher, but all he can do is to keep the other fellows from scoring. That doesn’t win a game.” “It keeps the other nine from winning, doesn’t it?” demanded Walter, now quick to come to the support of his roommate. “I guess it does,” laughed Ned, “but I’m telling you that we’ll have to do better work with the bat than we did to-day if we are going to win out in the new league.” “We’ll do it,” said Walter confidently. The confidence in a measure was shattered when the following Saturday it was found that Dan’s arm had not entirely recovered. The departure of Gus Kiggins had been variously interpreted by the school, a few siding with him after he was gone, thereby displaying the fact that a school world is not unlike the great world outside. However, while the great majority of the boys were not sorrowing over the departure of the bully, nevertheless the prevailing feeling of anxiety concerning the pitcher for the school nine, in case Dan was unable to play, was great. Indeed, when the game came and those in attendance saw that Dan was not in the box, there were many to prophesy that the high school would win.