“Is this true?” asked Hughie. “Did you write this?” as he handed Hal a sheet of paper of the same kind he had handed McGrew. Hal took the paper and almost collapsed. On the paper was the following written in a very good imitation of his writing: “SIGNALS.” “When Hughie uses a player’s name after the word careful, as for instance ‘Careful Johnny,’ even though mixed up in a lot of talk from the coaching lines, it means that the coach has discovered that the opposing pitcher is about to throw a fast straight ball, and Johnny at bat is thus given the signal to hit at it. “With two men on bases if Hughie raises his cap, it is a signal for a double steal. “When Hughie pulls grass with his right hand it means hit the next ball pitched, and when he pulls the grass with his left hand it means try to get a base on balls. If he lifts his left foot and whistles it means that right field is the best place to hit it, and if he does the same but with his right foot it means that the left fielder is out of position and the best place to knock the ball is there. “When a batter walks up to the plate with two bats in his hand and one or more of his team mates on base, if he throws the extra bat behind him with his left hand, it means that he is going to hit the first ball pitched. “If he throws the extra bat away from him with his right hand it means that he has orders to try to get a base on balls. “If Hughie, on the coaching lines, unbuttons the top button of his sweater it means that the fellow on first must get ready to steal second. If Hughie, on the coaching lines, jumps in the air and waves his arms, yelling Eyah! Eyah! twice, it means to the batter ‘Bunt.’ If he only says Eyah! once it means hit it out as hard as you can.” “CATCHER’S SIGNALS.” “If the catcher in telling the pitcher what kind of a ball to serve up lays two fingers of his bare hand against the inside of his catching mitt, thumb outstretched, he is signaling for an outcurve. One finger means an incurve. With two fingers on the glove, thumb turned under, a low outcurve is wanted. If with one finger on the glove, thumb turned under, a low curve is asked for. The whole hand doubled up in the glove means ‘send one wide of the plate, I have detected a signal to steal.’ Holding out the gloved hand without touching it with the other means send a straight ball waist high right over the plate.” It was an exact copy of the signals which Hughie had given out in the morning. Hal was mad. He never was so mad before in all his life. He was mad enough to kill some one. “I can lick any fellow that suggests such a thing, and I am going to start in right now on the bunch of you.”