"I did once—-pardon these blushes. Dick Prescott was my old trainer in baseball."
"Oh, bother Prescott! We can't have him."
"I don't play well without him," remarked Greg blandly.
"Come over to practice this afternoon, won't you?"
"Yes; but I don't believe I'll try for the nine."
"Come over and let us see your style, any way."
Greg turned up late that afternoon for practice. What he showed the captain and coaches had them fairly "rattled" with desire to slip Greg into the nine.
"I'm much obliged to you all," Greg insisted gently, "but I told you I wasn't going to try for the nine. I never played a game without Prescott, and I know I'd be a hoodoo if I did."
Though a great lot of pressure was brought to bear upon him, Holmes still held out. It was his privilege to refuse to play, if he so chose. Above all, the coaches, who were Army officers, could not urge him.
"That man Holmes is just the fellow we need to round out the team," complained one of the players to Durville.