It was Walter’s turn at the bat and as his name was called he turned abruptly to the home plate. “You’re next,” said Ned to Dan, as Walter made a hit and gained his base. “Can you bunt? If you can, let me see you sacrifice Walter to second.” Dan’s “sacrifice hit,” however, consisted in a long high fly to deep center. The fielder, evidently an inexperienced player, misjudged the ball and Walter ran home, while Dan rested on third base. “You ought to have done what I told you,” said Ned sharply when Dan came home a little later. “You would have been out if there had been a good fielder in center and the chances are you’d have doubled up Walter too.” “I took the chance,” said Dan quietly. “I knew the fellow couldn’t field.” “Well, watch my signals now,” said Ned tartly, as the side was out and he and Dan started for their position in the field. CHAPTER XVII A TRY-OUT It was so early in the school year that opportunities for talking over the new boys had of necessity been limited. The fact that Walter had a new roommate who was somewhat “green” had been noticed and smilingly commented upon, but what he was able to do in the school life was unknown. Indeed, with the exception of two or three of Walter’s closest friends, to whom he had enthusiastically described Dan’s success as a pitcher, the matter had not been referred to. As the football team claimed the chief interest of the school at this time there were only a few besides the two scrub nines present when the game began, a fact for which Dan was deeply thankful. “Your agricultural friend is as strong as an ox and he has a good swing with his bat, but he hasn’t any more idea of team work than he has of trout-fishing in Mars,” Ned in a low voice had said to Walter as the latter passed him to take his position as short-stop. “We’ll see now what he can do.” “Yes; you keep your eyes open,” retorted Walter confidently. Dan caught the ball which Walter threw him and then in turn began to throw it about the diamond. He had not had an opportunity to warm up and several weeks had elapsed since he had had a ball in his hand. To most of the players, the game was only a “scrub” anyway, but to Dan, as no one realized more fully than he, there were larger issues at stake. His quiet manner, however, was unchanged and only Walter was aware how eager his friend was to do well. The opposing batter now advanced to the plate and Dan caught the ball, settled back in the pitcher’s box, swung his arm once or twice, and then pitched the ball. His action was not graceful and the ball was not swift.