But the drawing nearer of the big games of the season caused a lot of excitement around the university, so much, in fact, that even fellows like Parker began to be affected by it. On the day of the game with Chadwick College which was the last game at home before the first game with Jefferson now only a week off, Hal met Parker coming in just as he was going out to the grounds. Hal was not in the game that day. He had developed a bad boil on his left hand and Hughie wasn’t taking any chances on having that hand out of commission a week later, by having it further crippled. So Hal was given a lay off from the team to give his hand a chance to heal, and as he was very anxious not to miss those great games, he made no kick against Hughie’s orders. At the same time it was tough to think of sitting in the stand while Hans and the other boys were enjoying themselves in the game with Chadwick which was generally an easy game for Lowell to win. Chadwick College was not in the same grade as Lowell, but sentiment for the founder, Father Chadwick, known as the Father of Baseball, and the memory of what he had done for the great sport served to keep the game on the regular schedule, and it had always taken place just before the first great game with Jefferson. “Come on along to the game,” said Hal as he met Parker. “I have a good notion to. For once I haven’t much to do to-day. Been thinking for some time I’d go out and see a game. I’ll go if you’ll find some one to explain it to me,” answered Parker. “I’ll explain it to you myself,” said Hal. “I’m not allowed to play to-day on account of this boil on my hand.” “All right, then, I’ll surely go.” When they got out to the grounds Hal found a couple of seats in the stand back of first which was his favorite place when watching a game, as from there he could see all of it and watch all the plays. When play started, though, he didn’t have much time to think of the game, he was so busy answering Parker’s questions. When Parker had told him he didn’t know anything about the game of baseball, Hal thought of course, he didn’t mean that he knew nothing at all about it. He supposed Parker would know what the idea of the game was, but when Parker asked him what they had those big bean bags out there for, Hal commenced to realize that here was a fellow who didn’t know as much as a girl even about the great American game. Once he had taken a girl cousin to see a game in California, and the foolish questions she asked him made him vow never to take a girl to a ball game again. “What has that fellow got the cage on his face for?” was one of the first questions Parker asked. “That’s Gibbie, the catcher,” answered Hal. “He stands behind the plate and he might get hit by a foul tip.” “What’s a foul tip?” was the next question.