CHAPTER XIX
SPRING PRACTICE
"I'm the fellow who did it," admitted Sparrow modestly.
"Sparrow, old scout, you're a wonder!" cried Mouser, clapping him on theback.
"It hit him right where he lived," chuckled Skeets.
"That pays him up for scattering ashes on the hill," grinned Fred.
"He'll never hear the last of it as long as he stays in school," saidShiner. "Every once in a while a dead mouse will turn up on his desk andmake him hopping mad."
"He'll never be much madder than he was this morning," put in Skeets."His eyes were fairly snapping."
"Bronson and Jinks got theirs, too," said Pee Wee. "I guess they'llthink twice before they pick on the other fellows again."
"They've been rather quiet since the goat tumbled them over at our lastinitiation," laughed Bobby, referring to an incident of the previousterm, "but since Hicksley came they've been getting ugly again. I guesswhat they got this morning will hold them for a while."
As a matter of fact, the bullies did seem to be somewhat dashed by thestout resistance that the smaller boys had put up and they did not referto the valentine again. They were only too willing to have it forgotten,and Tom Hicksley ground his teeth more than once at not having kept itto himself.
Spring was now at hand, coming this year a little earlier than usual.The snow disappeared from the ground, the ice vanished from the lake,and the soft winds that blew up from the south turned the thoughts ofthe boys to track games and baseball.
Fred and Bobby had done a good deal of practicing in the gymnasium andwere in prime condition. But actual practice on the diamond was the realthing they wanted, and they were delighted when the ground had dried outenough to play in the open air.
Frank Durrock had been busy for a month past, getting all the detailsperfected for the entrance of Rockledge into the Monatook Lake League.But now everything was ready and he could devote himself to picking themembers of the team.
This proved to be no easy matter. An unusually large number of goodplayers were at Rockledge, and the struggle for places on the nine wasinteresting and exciting.
It seemed that Bobby should play in the pitcher's box and Fred at shortstop. They had both done exceedingly well at those positions theprevious spring and fall. But there was a new boy, Willis by name, whohad been a good short stop on his home nine before he had come to theschool, and it seemed to be a toss up between him and Fred as to whocould do better in the position.
Bobby, too, had rivalry to face in the person of Tom Hicksley.
On the first day that they actually had field practice, Hicksley cameout on the ball ground in an old uniform that proclaimed that he hadonce been a member of the "Eagles" of Cresskill, his native town.
Frank knew that he had been a pitcher, and so he put him in the box andhad him toss up some balls for the rest of the team in batting practice.
And Hicksley did exceedingly well. Whatever his defects in character, hecertainly knew how to pitch. He had a good outcurve, a fair incurve anda high fast ball that Bobby himself generously declared to be a "peach."
Hicksley's height and strength, too, were greater than Bobby's, whichwas not to be wondered at when it was considered that he was three yearsolder. But he was inclined to be a little wild, and his control was notas good as Bobby's.
But what made his work of special interest to Frank was that he pitchedwith his left hand. Most of the pitchers in the new league wereright-handed, and the boys were used to hitting that kind of pitching.
Frank felt that with a left-handed pitcher he would have the otherfellows all at sea when it came to "lining them out," and for thatreason he watched Hicksley with the closest attention.
"He puts them over all right," conceded Bobby, as he watched Hicksleywinging them over the plate.
"Yes," said Fred, "when he gets them over at all. But lots of them don'teven cut the corners. He'll give too many bases on balls."
"And a base on balls is as good for the fellow that gets it as a basehit," commented Mouser.
"His arm seems to be all right, but we don't know how he'll act when hegets in a pinch," said Skeets dubiously.
"That's what makes Bobby so strong as a pitcher," said Shiner. "Nomatter how tight a hole he finds himself in, he's cool as an iceberg."
"That's so," remarked Pee Wee, who was too fat and too slow to playhimself, but was an ardent rooter for the home team. "I've never seenBobby get rattled yet."
"That's because there isn't a bit of yellow in him," said Fred, throwinghis arm affectionately about his chum's shoulder.
"And I'll bet that Hicksley has a yellow streak in him a yard wide,"snapped Sparrow.
"Oh he may not be that way when it comes to baseball," remonstratedBobby who always tried to be fair. "At any rate he ought to have achance to show what he can do before we make up our minds about him. Youfellows know that I don't like him a bit more than you do, but thatdoesn't say he may not be a good baseball player."
Jinks was not on the nine, but Bronson, who was a good batter and a fairfielder, was expected to play center field. They were both delighted atthe showing that their crony was making and were loud in their applause.Their praise was so extravagant in fact that it was clear that they didit to depreciate Bobby.
"You're the best pitcher we ever had at Rockledge, Tom," cried Bronson,casting a side glance at Bobby to make sure that he heard.
"You lay over them all," crowed Jinks. "There's no one else can hold acandle to you."
"Here, cut that out, you fellows," called Frank Durrock sharply. "Blakehas proved what he can do and I don't want any talk like that. He wonboth of the last games he pitched against Belden, and any one who can dobetter than he did will have to be going some."
"You bet they will," cried Fred loyally, and there was a round of handclapping from the other boys, with most of whom Bobby was a primefavorite.
Frank's hearty defense put Bobby on his mettle, and when his turn cameto put the balls over, he did so with a snap and skill that delightedhis friends.
The practice all around was sharp and spirited, and Frank was greatlyencouraged as he saw how well the team took hold. But it would not do toplay too long on the first day, and after an hour or so, he called ahalt.
"We want to keep an eye on those fellows, Bobby," remarked Fred a littleuneasily as they were going toward the school. "They're going to crowdyou out if they can."
"Let them try," replied Bobby. "I'm going to try my best to hold up myend with Hicksley and beat him if I can. But if he can prove that he's abetter pitcher than I am, I won't kick if I have to play second fiddle.I'd be willing to do anything to help Rockledge win."