Miss Elting laughed merrily.
“Your description is graphic, indeed,” she said. “I think Margery will have no difficulty in returning her opponent’s service after that.”
“Buthter ith too fat to play anything but football,” averred Tommy. “Thhe would be a thuctheth in football becauthe thhe could fall on the ball and hold it down tho nobody elthe could get it. Do I hit the ball firtht?”
“Does she hit it first?” groaned Bill. “You ‘serve’ it. That’s the polite way to express what Sam would call the opening swat.”
“Then what do I do?” questioned Margery.
Miss Elting here took a hand in the instruction.
“When your opponent serves the ball into your court, you let the ball strike the ground, bound up into the air, then you volley it back into your opponent’s court. Then, the ball being in play, you do not have to let it strike the ground again unless you wish to do so.”
“But how can I help its striking the ground if it wants to?” cried Buster.
George groaned dismally at this question.
“By hitting it!” he shouted. “Keep the ball going as long as there is any ‘go’ left in it. Play!”