"If only it doesn't rain," said Fred, and got up at five o'clock on Saturday morning to take a look at the sky. It was somewhat cloudy and he heaved a mountainous sigh. But by nine o'clock the clouds rolled away and the sun came out brightly for the rest of the day.
Joe had called the club together for practice at ten o'clock and quite a few were present to watch the boys on the ball field.
"They do first rate," said one who was watching. "But I don't know as they are doing any better than Voup's crowd."
"I don't think they do as well," answered somebody else.
These remarks reached Link's ears and troubled him not a little. As soon as the practice was over he told some of his chums of them.
"You mustn't pay attention to all you hear, Link," said Fred. "Why, folks say all sorts of things when there are rivals in the field. Just look at it when we have a Presidential election. Some men will say all sorts of bad things about one candidate and others say bad things about the other candidate. After the election the defeated candidate is considered a pretty good fellow anyway."
It is more than likely that some of the members of the club ate but little dinner on that all-important Saturday. By two o'clock all were at the clubroom, getting into their uniforms and listening to Joe's final words of advice.
"Above all things, don't get rattled," Joe was saying. "If you allow yourselves to get rattled you'll surely go to pieces and lose. Try to keep cool no matter what happens. And if you see me getting rattled don't hesitate to tell me so. If any two of you want another pitcher or catcher, I'll make the change."
At last they were ready to leave the clubroom and marched off by twos, with Teddy Dugan carrying the bats and a colored youth named Sam Snuff the other paraphernalia and a pail for drinking water.
"Dis am de time dat dis club wipes up de floah wid dem Excelsiors," said Sam Snuff. "Da won't be enuf left ob dem to hab a funeral wid."