“I’m going into the game just as I am,” said Dan in a low voice. “I notice that some of the boys are not wearing uniforms.”
“They don’t need to. They can’t play ball. But it’s different with you, Dan. I’ve been backing you up——”
“Never mind, Walter. If I don’t show any signs of greatness it will be all right, however it comes out. If I don’t show that I can do anything I’ll feel better——”
“All right. Have it your own way,” retorted Walter sulkily. “I can’t do anything more. You’d do better if you had the shoes——”
It was Walter’s turn at the bat and as his name was called he turned abruptly to the home plate.
“You’re next,” said Ned to Dan, as Walter made a hit and gained his base. “Can you bunt? If you can, let me see you sacrifice Walter to second.”
Dan’s “sacrifice hit,” however, consisted in a long high fly to deep center. The fielder, evidently an inexperienced player, misjudged the ball and Walter ran home, while Dan rested on third base.
“You ought to have done what I told you,” said Ned sharply when Dan came home a little later. “You would have been out if there had been a good fielder in center and the chances are you’d have doubled up Walter too.”
“I took the chance,” said Dan quietly. “I knew the fellow couldn’t field.”
“Well, watch my signals now,” said Ned tartly, as the side was out and he and Dan started for their position in the field.