“We’ll put on rubbers,” responded Stanley cheerfully. “It will be a heap better than staying indoors. Let’s see that batting list again, Ben.”
“I haven’t got it here, but I remember it. Steve first, then you, then me, then Cupples, Crandall, Gardner, Perkins, Waters and Grey.”
“It sounds pretty weak in the middle, Ben.”
“I know, but what can you do? Besides, Cupples isn’t so bad with the bat sometimes. And this new fellow, Bryant, may turn out to be something and I can use him in place of Gardner. Who are those fellows coming up the road?”
“Lanny and Bert and Kid. They’ve been to the village. They look about half drowned, don’t they? I don’t think it’s raining as hard as it was, though.”
“It’s raining hard enough,” growled Ben. “Got anything to read? I’m down to hard-pan.”
“I don’t believe so. I’m reading ‘Kidnapped’ for about the sixth time. Maybe Kid’s got something, though.” He walked around to his roommate’s side of the table and examined the dozen or so volumes there. “Hm; ‘Masterman Ready,’ ‘Aid to the Composition of English,’ ‘Student’s Dictionary,’ ‘Holy Bible,’ ‘Two Years Before the Mast’—ever read that?”
“Ages ago. What’s the big book?”
“This?” Stanley pulled it out and looked at the title. “It’s somebody’s botany; Kid had an idea last fall that he wanted to study botany, and—hello!” Something had fallen from the pages of the big book and Stanley picked it up and unfolded it. “‘Hairbreadth Harry, the Gentleman Scout,’” he read. “Well, what do you think of that young rascal? Supposing someone had found that!”