“How many men are going in the two teams?” inquired Clara.
“I imagine each team will carry about fourteen men,” replied Joe. “That will give them three pitchers, two catchers, an extra infielder and outfielder, beside the other members of the team. That ought to be enough to allow for sickness or accident.”
“How much do you fellows expect to get out of it for yourselves?” asked Reggie.
“That’s just a matter of guess work,” Joe replied. “I understand that what is left after all expenses are paid will be divided equally among the players. On the last World’s Trip I think it amounted to about a thousand dollars apiece. But then again, it may not be a thousand cents. All we really know is that we’ll have a chance to see the world in first-class style without its actually costing us a dollar.” 56
“Oh, you lucky men!” said Clara, with a sigh. “You can go trotting all over the world, while we poor girls have to stay at home and look for an occasional letter from your highnesses—that is, if you deign to write to us at all.”
“I’ll guarantee to keep the postman busy,” said Jim, fervently.
“Same here,” said Joe, emphatically, as his eyes met Mabel’s.
“Do you know just what route you’ll follow?” Reggie asked.
“Our first stop will be at Hawaii,” replied Joe, consulting his letter. “So that the first game we play outside of the States will still be under the American flag. We’ll see Old Glory again, too, when we strike the Philippines. But that will come a little later. After we leave Hawaii, we won’t see dry land again until we get to Japan.”
“I fancy we’ll get some good games there, too,” broke in Jim. “Those little Japs have gone in for the game with a vengeance. Do you remember the time when their Waseda and Keio University teams came over to this country? They gave our Princeton and Yale fellows all they could do to beat them.”