“Maybe you could be that at first, and then get a regular place,” suggested Clara.
“Um!” murmured Joe. He didn’t have a very high opinion of girls’ knowledge of baseball, even his sister’s.
When Joe reached home from school the following afternoon he saw his mother standing on the front steps with a letter in her hand.
“Oh, Joe!” she exclaimed, “I was just waiting for you. Your father——”
“Is there anything the matter with father?” the lad gasped, his thoughts going with a rush to one or two little scenes that had alarmed him lately.
“No, nothing at all,” answered his mother with a smile. “But he just hurried home from the factory with this note and he wanted you, as soon as you came home, to take it to Moorville. It’s for a Mr. Rufus Holdney there. The address is on it, and I guess you can find him all right. You’re to wait for an answer. Go on your wheel. It’s only a few miles to Moorville, and a straight road, so your father says.”
“I know where it is,” answered Joe. “Tom Davis has relatives there. He pointed out the road to me one day. I’ll go right away. Here, catch hold of my books, mother, and I’ll get my wheel out of the barn,” for a barn went with the house Mr. Matson had rented.
A little later the lad was speeding down the country road that pleasant spring afternoon. Joe was a good rider and was using considerable strength on the pedals when suddenly, as he turned a sharp curve, he saw coming toward him another cyclist. He had barely time to note that it was Sam Morton, the pitcher of the Silver Stars, and to utter a warning shout when he crashed full into the other lad.
In a moment there was a mix-up of wheels, legs and arms, while a cloud of dust momentarily hid everything from sight. At first Joe did not know whether or not he was hurt, or whether Sam was injured. Fortunately Joe had instinctively put on the brake with all his strength, and he supposed the other lad had done likewise.
Then, as the dust cleared away, and Joe began to pull his arms and legs out of the tangle, and arise, he saw that Sam was doing the same thing.