"Oh, cheer up, Ted," d.i.c.k smiled. "All"s well that ends well, you know."
"But this matter isn"t ended yet," cried Ted Teall excitedly, shaking his fist at Hi Martin"s receding back. "It isn"t ended---no, sir!---not by a long shot!"
Chapter XII
THE NORTH GRAMMAR CAPTAIN GRILLED
Nor was Teall long in finding his opportunity to be revenged.
On the following Tuesday, immediately after school, the North and South Grammar nines met on the field. It was an important meeting, for, under the rules governing the Gridley Grammar League, whichever of these two teams lost, having been twice defeated, was to retire vanquished; the victor in this game was to meet the Central Grammar to contest for the championship.
On the toss Captain Ted Teall won, and elected that his side go to bat forthwith.
The instant that Ted stepped to the plate a score of North Grammar fans yelled:
"Bang!"
From another group of Norths came:
"Ow-ow-ow!" This was followed by some fantastic jumping.
"Huh! Those fellows don"t show much brains!" uttered Teall wearily.
"They have to steal a josh from the Centrals."
It did not annoy Ted to-day. He had expected this greeting, and had steeled himself against it.
d.i.c.k & Co., with a lot of other fellows from Central Grammar, looked on in amus.e.m.e.nt.
"It"s a pity one of Hi"s fellows hasn"t ingenuity enough to work up a new "gag,"" Tom remarked dryly.
"They"ll never rattle Teall again with a "bang,"" smiled Prescott.
When the Souths went to gra.s.s, however, and the Norths took to the benches, all was in readiness for Hi, who came forth third on the batting list. The first two men had been struck out.
"Come on in!" yelled a dozen tormentors from South Grammar onlookers.
"The water"s fine!"
In spite of himself Hi frowned. He had been expecting something, but had hoped that the events of the preceding Sat.u.r.day afternoon would be left out.
Hi made a swing for the ball, and missed.
"Who"s seen my duds?" went up a mighty shout.
"Confound the hoodlums!" hissed Martin between his teeth.
As mascot, the Souths had brought along a small colored boy, who attended to a pail of lemonade for the refreshment of Ted"s players.
Ere the ball came over the plate a second time this mascot was seen running close to the foul lines. Over one arm he carried jacket and trousers; in the other hand he bore a pair of shoes and of socks. That the clothing was patched and the shoes looked fit only for a tramp"s use did not disguise the meaning of the scene from any beholder, for the news of that Sat.u.r.day afternoon had traveled through the school world of Gridley.
"Cheer up, suh!" shrieked the colored boy shrilly. "I"se bringing yo" duds!"
Then the ball came from the box, but Hi was demoralized by the roar of laughter that swept over the field.
A moment later the rather haughty captain of the North Grammar nine had been struck out and retired. His face was red, his eyes flashing.
"Teall, we might expect something rowdyish from your crowd of muckers," declared Martin scornfully, as the sides changed.
"If I were you, Martin, I wouldn"t do much talking to-day," grinned Ted. "It"s bad for the nerves."
A half a dozen times thereafter the colored boy was seen scurrying with "the duds." He took good care, however, to keep away from the foul lines, and so did not come under the orders of the umpire.
Whenever the mascot appeared with his burden he raised a laugh.
Hi could not steel himself against a combination of anger and hurt pride. Some of the North Grammar girls in whose eyes he was anxious to stand well were among those who could not help laughing at the ridiculous antics of the colored lad.
Toward the close of the first half of the third inning Teall again came to bat. There were no men out in this inning, and two men were on bases.
"Now we"ll see how you will stand a little jogging," muttered Hi under his breath as he crossed his hands in signal to some of the North Grammar fans.
Just as Ted picked up his bat a dozen boys squeaked:
"What time is it?"
This was followed by:
"Who stole my watch?"
Another lot of North tormentors---those who had them---displayed time pieces.
"That"s almost as bad as a stale one," Ted told himself scornfully.
Just then the ball came just where Teall wanted it.
Crack! Ted hit it a resounding blow, dropped his bat and started to run. Amid a din of yells one of the Souths came in, another reached third and Ted himself rested safely at second base.
In that inning the Souths piled up five runs. Thereafter the game went badly for the North Grammars, for most of the players lost their nerve. Hi, himself, proved unworthy to be captain, he had so little head left for the game. The contest ended with a score of nine to two in favor of the South Grammars.
"That will be about all for the Norths," remarked Ted, with a cheerful grin, as be met Hi Martin at the close of the game.
"Your nine doesn"t play any more, I believe."
"I"m glad we don"t," choked Hi. "There"s no satisfaction being in a league in which the other teams are made up of rowdies."
"It is tough," mocked Ted. "Especially when the rowdies are the only fellows who know how to play ball."
Hi stalked away in moody, but dignified silence. Yet, though he could ignore the players and sympathizers of other nines, it was not so easy to get away from the grilling of his own schoolmates.
"Huh!" remarked one North boy. "You told us, Martin, that you"d prove to us the benefit of having a real captain for a nine.