“How do you make a back-stop?” asked Joie Grubb when the procession, which had been made larger by the addition of a number of admiring smaller lads, reached the diamond. “I never built one before.”
“Neither did I,” replied Tommy, “but I looked at the one on the big diamond. There are just some posts stuck in the ground, and then boards nailed on them crossways.”
“Then we’ve got to get some posts,” said practical Teddy.
“There are a lot of fence rails in that pile,” added Billie. “If Mr. Bashford would let us take them they’d do fine!”
“I’ll go ask him,” volunteered Tommy. “I know him pretty well now. You fellows can be knocking the sides off the boxes, and be careful to save the nails, and don’t split the boards.”
The boys became busy as their captain ran off to make his request of the farmer. Not only did Mr. Bashford say they could take as many posts as they needed, but he loaned them a post spade with which to dig the holes.
“Whew! It’s hard work!” exclaimed Tommy when, after nearly a half hour’s work, he had not got a hole deep enough to hold the post firmly. The meadow land was rather heavy to dig.
“Let me try,” suggested Sammie Sandlass.
He was struggling with the spade, and Tommy was wondering how long before he could arrange for a regular game, when a strange voice exclaimed:
“You boys don’t know how to dig holes. Let me try!”