"We will now speak of a little tussle between Bob Somers' Bear Cats and Dan Brown's 'Hopes.' "It was certainly the greatest ball game ever played--in Kingswood. Thousands upon thousands of spectators were on the field--anyway, the figure runs up to a good many hundred--but that doesn't look well in print. For eleven innings they fought in a most desperate fashion, both sides winning by the score of three to three--because, if neither side actually won the game, each won a lot of praise for staving off defeat. Three more games have to be played, and a few mean people are pained to think that an admission fee can't be charged. "The writer has said as many nice things about the team as he can, hoping to get on the good side of the editor. That scribe doesn't write so much better himself. "Another thing I must mention: No team has been able to beat the Stars with Tony Tippen in the box. The 'Hopes' have tried it twice; and each time it was dangerous to speak to Owen Lawrence for at least two hours after a certain little row of ciphers had been chalked down in the run column. Tippen is a pippin. "Coming back to the Kingswood High: The writer can almost picture in his mind a nice level field with a grand stand and crowds of spectators watching a game. "May this be no trick of the imagination!" "Whew; maybe that isn't a whopping long article!" cried Tom. "Not so bad, eh, Dave?" "It's Benny Wilkins all over," chuckled the editor. "That chap has certainly boomed the circulation of the paper." * * * * * As a prophet Benny was in great favor. Now that his article had been accepted he became a most enthusiastic champion of the team, and his delight at each victory was only matched by his disappointment when defeat came to the earnestly-striving ball players. "Never mind--they're going to get there just the same," he always asserted. The games between the "Rambler Club's ball nine" and the "Hopes" attracted even more attention than those in the inter-scholastic series. Each was bitterly fought, the Somersites winning two and the "Hopes" one, with the fourth a tie. Neither "Crackers" Brown nor Owen Lawrence would ever concede the superiority of the others, while big Earl Roycroft expressed the opinion that they were about as evenly matched as teams could be. It was certainly a great year for baseball at the Kingswood High. With the school now solidly back of them, the nine continued to improve, and at the end of the season Mr. Rupert Barry was the first to shake Coach Steele and Bob Somers by the hand. "Let me congratulate you," he said, heartily. "You have won not only the ball park and grand stand, but my highest esteem, as well." * * * * * Other Stories in this Series are: