One day, as Dick and Paul came in from the campus, they saw a notice on the bulletin board. It was to the effect that candidates for the 'Varsity baseball team would report in the gymnasium that night. "That's the stuff!" cried Dick enthusiastically. "Are you going to play?" asked Paul. "Sure. Why not?" "Well, you didn't get much show at football last year." "Can't help it. I may this time." "Dutton is just as much against you as ever." "I know it, but I may get a chance just the same. I'm going to begin training, and I'll keep at it until the last game." Dick was as good as his word. He rather hoped he might make the regular nine, but he learned that Dutton and his set were against him, and the best he could do was to be named as a substitute shortstop. The season opened rather badly for Kentfield, for they lost the first game, and that against a small college team. It was because Captain Rutledge was so confident that he did not play his men with any vim, and several bad fumbles cost them the game. They won the first of the championship contests with Mooretown academy, and lost the second, making it a tie, and so the third game, which would be played at Kentfield that spring, would be an important and the deciding one. Dick got an opportunity to play on the regular team once during the last few innings, but as the game, which was with a small college, was won by the cadets before he went into it, his performance did not receive much credit. "If I only get a chance to play against Mooretown," he said to Paul, "I'll be satisfied. Anyhow, I'm one of the subs." It was the day of the great and deciding game with Mooretown. Dick was struggling into his trousers and blouse in his room, when Toots brought him word that there was a visitor for him in the reception room. "Who is it, Toots?" he asked. "I haven't much time. Most of the fellows are already on the diamond." "He says his name is Honeybee, as near as I can make out." "Honeybee," repeated Dick, much puzzled. "Oh, it must be Larabee. It's my Uncle Ezra!" Then a look of annoyance came over his face. "If I go down to see him he'll keep me from the game," he thought. "I haven't any time to spare. He'll lecture me about the waste of time in playing baseball, or the danger of it, or something like that. Or he may want me to show him around the academy. No, he's not likely to do that, for fear he'd wear out his shoes. I wonder what in the world he can want, anyhow? But if I see him now I'll never get a chance to play. I'll not see him." "Toots," he said, "tell my uncle that I have an important engagement, and ask him to wait until I come back." "All right, Mr. Hamilton," replied the janitor. "Shall I tell him what it is? Maybe he'd like to see the game," and Toots softly whistled "Just Before the Battle, Mother."