“Take last inning, Tommy,” advised Patsie Cook, “then we’ll have a better chance to win.”
“I will not!” cried our hero. “I’m going to get our raps in first, and then if any of the fellows want to quit we won’t get left. We’ll take first whacks.”
“All right,” agreed Dan. “Now, boys, we’ll see who wins. We’ll only play two bases, and that will leave one fellow to run after the balls. I’ll pitch, Sammie can catch, and Pete Johnson can race after the balls.”
“I will not!” cried Pete. “I want to be on base.”
“Jake Carroll and Harold Mott are going to be on the bases,” declared the captain.
“Then I won’t play!” came from Pete.
“Yes, you will, too. I’m captain, and what I say goes! You get out and race after the balls, and maybe I’ll let you catch next inning.”
“Oh, will you? All right!” cried Pete, much pleased.
“Hey, somebody has taken our home plate!” cried Tommy, who, assuming the right because he was captain, had come to bat first. “That nice flat stone we had for home is gone.”
“I guess Billy Newhouse took it just to be mean!” exclaimed Dan. “I saw him walking around here this morning, and he threw something in the brook. Maybe it was our stone.”