“Back at Farnham Hall,” went on the red-headed chap, enthusing more and more as the idea took firmer hold of him, “they’re thinking of skates, and toboggans, and ice hockey, and here we’re planning to go out on a diamond and bang the horsehide through the balmy air. Chip,” and he turned to his chum, “if that letter came from the East before the game, I guess we could delay our start for the North long enough to take a fall out of the Gold Hillers, couldn’t we?”
“Sure,” Merry heartily agreed. “I suppose this game would be pulled off in a few days, colonel?”
“Why, yes,” was the answer, “just as soon as you can pick up a nine. We had thought of playing next Saturday, on the theory, you understand, that we’d have to hurry matters if we succeeded in getting a game with you before you left. If you can stay longer, make it a week from next Saturday, if that suits you better, or any other day that tallies with your convenience.”
“This is Wednesday,” Frank mused, “and that would leave only two days for getting a team together and practicing a little in case we play on the last day of this week. But we’d better make it next Saturday,” he added.
“Good!” exclaimed the colonel. “You’ve run up a long score of athletic victories since you’ve been in Ophir, Merriwell, and I give you fair warning that Gold Hill is going to do its best to give you a parting shot you’ll long remember.”
“Of course,” said Merry, “if Gold Hill didn’t work hard to win, the game wouldn’t be worth while.”
“We’ll have the advantage of you, unless the Ophir Athletic Club can give you all the players you need who are up to snuff. Our boys will come direct from our own club, and they have been playing ball ever since that football game a few weeks ago. Bleeker, and the rest of those who had gone into camp in the gulch, got back to Gold Hill several days ago, and they have been gingering up on the diamond ever since.”
“It’s a cinch, then, that your team will have a big advantage. I can use a few from the Ophir Club; Clancy, Ballard, and I will play, and then we’ll have to go hunting for the rest of our material. It will be quite a job to get the team together and pound it into any sort of shape in two days; but—well,” and Merry smiled, “there’s a spice about doing things on short notice, colonel, and it rather appeals to me. We——”
At this moment, Pophagan, palm-leaf fan in one hand and a handkerchief in the other, came slowly out on the veranda. He appeared surprised to find those on the veranda paying so little attention to the weather.
“Howdy, kunnel,” said he. “Ain’t you feelin’ the heat none?”