“And now,” yelled Buck Hart, “let’s give the same to Jeff Thatcher because I think of us all he has been the most tolerant.”
And Jeff Thatcher heard his name go echoing through the night on the end of nine rousing “rahs.”
CHAPTER XXIV
THE BIG GAME
The days immediately preceding the final examinations were long dreary days of hard work and very little time for thoughts of baseball for Jeff or any of the other fellows at Pennington. They were not even relieved by a mid-week game nor was the afternoon practice carried on for any extended period. All of the fellows were too much worried and fretted by their school work. But they did have events of real importance to look forward to after the examinations were held and they were, in the order of their importance to Jeff, the final game of the season with Lawrencetown and the commencement “hop” and various other “spreads” that immediately preceded or followed the game.
That Lawrencetown game loomed up to Thatcher as the most important event in his school career so far, and he looked forward to it with a tremendous lot of interest. Perhaps it was this enthusiasm that carried him through the deadly examination week and kept him from growing gray with study. Still, he was mighty glad when the last exam was over and he could fare forth to the gym. and the baseball field, light hearted and unburdened with worries about his scholastic standing.
The last examination occurred on Wednesday afternoon, and Jeff answered the last problem with a suppressed cheer and turned in his paper. He felt as if a load had dropped from his shoulders with that act, and he made haste to quit the study hall and hurry over to the gym. to get on his baseball togs.
He found Wade and Honey Wiggins in the locker room ahead of him and they were as jubilant as he was, and while he was getting into his duds more and more members of the team came straggling in, all bearing happy grins to know that the unpleasant period was behind them.
“Whew-w-w. That’s all over, thank goodness,” said Captain Tad Sloan. “All over but the shouting. They will announce our marks after chapel to-morrow morning. Let’s hope we all pass. Anyhow, now for a real practice. Come on. Let’s go.”