"So am I satisfied," put in Frank.
"I'm going after all the flies," said Paul. "I'll run my best to get 'em."
The only lad who was not satisfied was Augustus De Vere, who was a good deal of a dude and played very indifferent ball.
"Now this isn't fair, don't you know," he drawled. "Why didn't you put me in as first baseman, or something like that?"
"I did what I thought was best," said Joe, briefly. "You'll have first show, if any of us drop out or fail to appear on the field on time."
"It's beastly, don't you know," grumbled De Vere.
"Sure, an' it's yourself is ahead av me on the list," piped in Teddy Dugan, cheerfully. The Irish lad was modest and had expected nothing better.
"Ye-as, an' ahead o' me, my crickey!" came from Ike Suttervane, who was a genuine country boy and who had been made a member because of the fun of it. "Here I be down to the very bottom o' the list. Reckon it's goin' to be a hull month o' Sundays before I git to the top. But I don't care—I can't pitch no more'n a keow. But I kin hit th' ball all right," he added, brightening.
The positions definitely settled, team work went on nearly every day with great regularity. In the meantime the uniforms and other needed things were sent for, and one afternoon a big box arrived by express and was taken to the clubroom.
"Now we are the real thing!" cried Link, as the articles were taken from the box and passed around for inspection. "Here's the catcher's mask and another for the umpire, if he wants it, and here's the catcher's protector, and here are the gloves."