“Baker! Go ahead in! I told you once!”
The fellows on the bench grinned and Dud tried his best to make it appear that he wanted nothing better in life than to do that very thing! But, just the same, once behind the stand and out of view of those on the diamond, his feet moved very slowly along the path. I don’t believe that Dud was a coward, for one may have no stomach for physical combat and yet be brave enough in other ways, but I am quite certain that he wished heartily all the way across to the Field House that the tall and dignified form of Star Meyer would appear at the doorway and proceed homeward before he reached there! But nothing of the sort happened, and when Dud entered the locker-room he was just in time to hear Star finish an account of the recent episode for the benefit of three boys who lolled on the benches in various stages of undress.
“He was afraid to give me one I could hit and so he whanged one straight at me. I wasn’t looking for it and couldn’t get out of the way, and it got me right on the shoulder. He threw it as hard as he could, too, and that arm will be out of commission for days. Pete had the cheek to tell me that it was an accident! Accident! Yes, it was—not! You wait till I get a chance at that fresh kid!”
CHAPTER IX
JIMMY TAKES CHARGE
Dud’s first impulse was to turn back, but one of Star’s audience had seen him already, and so, after a moment of hesitation, he went on and, since Star had his back toward the door, reached his locker before the speaker saw him. Then there was an instant’s silence. Dud pulled open the locker door, took his towel out and dropped it on the bench. Then:
“Got canned, did you?” asked Star. “Maybe you’ll learn after a while that you can’t do that sort of thing and get away with it.”
“I didn’t mean to hit you, Meyer, honestly,” returned Dud. “I—I’m awfully sorry. There was a pebble or something——”
“Oh, forget your pebbles! You know very well you meant to hit me. You’ve been doing a lot of talking around school lately. I’ve heard it. And I’d have given you a mighty good spanking if you’d been big enough to notice.” Star had walked around the end of the bench and now faced Dud like an outraged Jove from a yard away. Dud tried hard to appear undisturbed, but the mere publicity was enough to send the blood into his cheeks and put a tremor in his voice as he answered.
“I haven’t been talking about you, Meyer,” he said as stoutly as he could. “And, anyhow, you needn’t try to bully me. I’ve apologized for that—that accident, and that’s all I can do.”