“We felt your presence, Rob, quick enough,” said Beecham.
“It was quite striking,” added Shealey.
“What's the news? It must be of tremendous importance to cause such absorption.”
“It is important,” said Shealey. “Jack has just received a nice letter from those nice fellows of Blandyke College. They write elegantly—perfect gentlemen.”
“What have they to say?”inquired Jones.
“It isn't a challenge for next spring, or anything of that sort,” said Jack, “but a sort of recapitulation of this year's games we played together, and a chat over the prospects of next year. Listen to this: 'We met with few defeats this summer, and I am instructed by the nine to say that if we were to be defeated—and we were once or twice, as you remember—we preferred to have been defeated by
no one but the St. Cuthbert's team, not only because you, gentlemen, were considered worthy of our steel, but also because every player on your team was a gentleman whom it was a pleasure and an honor to meet.'”
“Now isn't that nice,” exclaimed Beecham. “But let us see what more he has to say. They are capital fellows, these Blandykes,” and Jack read on: “'We intend to meet you early next summer, if we can arrange some games with you. We have great pleasure in telling you that we intend to wipe out all defeats of this season. With this in view, we have, already, men daily in the pitching cage, and our captain intends to keep his men in training all the winter months.'”
“They must feel pretty sure of victory to tell us all their plans,” remarked Beecham. “Pshaw! isn't it a pity that Henning has gone back on us! I wonder what we shall do without him,”
“I don't know. I can't imagine,” remarked Jones.. "Whatever we do, we must not be behind the Blandykes. We, too, must get a cage and practice pitching and catching. We can't afford to dim the glory of last summer's record. You remember we won two out of the three games we played with the Blandykes. Next spring we must capture the three.”