“Why, you see it’s this way,” explained Ned. “These four schools are near one another and they put up the best article in the way of athletics in the State. We have games every year anyway, but by this new arrangement we have a league, you see. There’ll be regularly scheduled games and the nine or the team that wins out will get a pennant. It will be able to claim too, the championship of the State. It’s a great scheme and there’s only one drawback; I don’t mean a drawback exactly, I mean there’s only one question——”
“What’s that?” demanded Walter.
“Why, it’s the question of Dan. If he can make good as the pitcher of the Tait School nine it will be all right——”
“You don’t want to go into the league unless you can get that pennant? Is that it?” asked Dan quietly.
“I’d rather go in if we can win,” laughed Ned.
“Somebody will have to come out last,” suggested Walter.
“‘Strange but true,’” laughed Ned. “I am aware of that marvelous fact, but after Red’s work last year—why, Dan, the Military Academy got only one hit and that was on account of an accident in the ninth inning——”
“So you’ve told us a million times or more,” broke in Walter irritably. “Don’t tell us that old story again. I’ll back Dan. He’ll give you all you want.”
“I’m sure, for the sake of the nine, I hope he will,” said Ned good-naturedly. “That’s all I want.”