"It"s a pity you can"t print some other things about Ripley that you know to be true," grumbled Hazelton.
"True," agreed d.i.c.k, thoughtfully. "I"m only a green, amateur reporter, but I"ve already learned that a reporter soon knows more than he can print."
Prescott was thinking of the meeting he had witnessed, the night before, between Fred and Tip.
After sleeping on the question for the night, d.i.c.k had decided that he would say nothing of the matter, for the present, either to the elder or the younger Ripley.
"If Fred found out that I knew all about it, he"d be sure that I was biding my time," was what d.i.c.k had concluded. "He"d be sure that I was only waiting for the best chance to expose him.
On the other hand, if I cautioned his father, there"d be an awful row at the Ripley home. Either way, Fred Ripley would go to pieces.
He"d lose what little nerve he ever had. After that he"d be no good at pitching. He"d go plumb to pieces. That might leave me the chance to be Gridley"s crack pitcher this year. Oh, I"d like to be the leading pitcher of the High School nine! But I don"t want to win the honor in any way that I"m not positive is wholly square and honorable."
Then, after a few moments more of thought:
"Besides, I"m loyal to good old Gridley High School. I want to see our nine have the best pitcher it can get---no matter who he is!"
By some it might be argued that d.i.c.k Prescott was under a moral obligation to go and caution Lawyer Ripley. But d.i.c.k hated talebearers.
He acted up to the best promptings of his own best conscience, which is all any honorable man can do.
CHAPTER XII
TRYING OUT THE PITCHERS
"Oh, you Rip!"
"Good boy, Rip!"
"You"re the winning piece of leather, Rip!"
"Get after him, d.i.c.k!"
"Wait till you see Prescott!"
"And don"t you forget Dave Darrin, either!" Late in March, it was the biggest day of Spring out at the High School Athletic Field.
This field, the fruit of the labors of the Alumni a.s.sociation for many years, was a model one even in the best of High School towns.
The field, some six acres in extent, lay well outside the city proper. It was a walled field, laid out for football, baseball, cricket and field and track sports. In order that even the High School girls might have a strong sense of ownership in it, the field also contained two croquet grounds, well laid out.
Just now, the whole crowd was gathered at the sides of the diamond.
Hundreds were perched up on one of the stands for spectators.
Down on the diamond stood the members of the baseball squad.
As far as the onlookers could see, every one of the forty-odd young men was in the pink of physical condition. The indoor training had been hard from the outset. Weeks of cage work had been gone through with in the gym. But from this day on, whenever it didn"t rain too hard, the baseball training work was to take place on the field.
Coach Luce now stepped out of the little building in which were the team dressing rooms. As he went across the diamond he was followed by l.u.s.ty cheers from High School boys up on the spectators"
seats. The girls clapped their hands, or waved handkerchiefs.
A few already carried the gold and crimson banners of Gridley.
Besides the High School young people, there were a few hundred older people, who had come out to see what the youngsters were doing.
For this was the day on which the pitchers were to be tried out.
Ripley was known to be the favorite in all the guessing. In fact, there wasn"t any guessing. Some, however, believed that d.i.c.k, and possibly Dave, might be chosen as the relief pitchers.
d.i.c.k himself looked mighty solemn, as he stood by, apparently seeing but little of what was going on. Beside him stood Dave.
The other four chums were not far off.
Another wild howl went up from the High School contingent when two more men were seen to leave the dressing room building and walk out toward Coach Luce. These were two members of the Athletic Committee, former students at Gridley High School. These two were to aid the coach in choosing the men for the school team.
They would also name the members of the school"s second team.
"Now, we"ll try you out on pitching, if you"re ready," announced Mr. Luce, turning to a member of the junior cla.s.s. The young fellow grinned half-sheepishly, but was game. He ran over to the box, after nodding to the catcher he had chosen. Luce took the bat and stood by the home plate. To-day the coach did not intend to strike at any of the b.a.l.l.s, but he and the two members of the Athletic Committee would judge, and award marks to the candidates.
"Oh, we don"t want the dub! Trot out Rip!" came a roaring chorus.
Coach Luce, however, from this time on, paid no heed to the shouts or demands of spectators.
The candidate for box honors now displayed all he knew about pitching, though some nervousness doubtless marred his performance.
"Now, run out Rip!" came the insistent chorus again, after this candidate had shown his curves and had gone back.
But it was another member of the junior cla.s.s who came to the box for the next trial.
"Dead ball! Throw wild and cut it short!" came the advice from the seats.
Then a soph.o.m.ore was tried out. But the crowd was becoming highly impatient.
"We want Rip! We demand Rip. Give us Rip or give us chloroform!"
came the insistent clamor. "We"ll come another day to see the dead ones, if you insist."
Coach Luce looked over at Fred, and nodded. The tumultuous cheering lasted two full minutes, for Gridley was always as strong on fans as it wanted to be on players.
Fred Ripley was flushed but proud. He tried to hold himself jauntily, with an air of indifference, as he stood with the ball clasped in both hands, awaiting the signal.
Ripley felt that he could afford to be satisfied with himself.
The advance consciousness of victory thrilled him. He had worked rather hard with Everett; and, though the great pitcher had not succeeded in bringing out all that he had hoped to do with the boy, yet Everett had praised him only yesterday. One reason why Fred had not absolutely suited his trainer was that the boy had broken his training pledge by taking up with coffee. For that reason his nerves were not in the best possible shape. Yet they didn"t need to be in order to beat such awkward, rural pitchers as Prescott or Darrin.
For a while Coach Luce waited for the cheering for Ripley to die down. Then he raised his bat as a signal. Fred sent in his favorite spit-ball. To all who understood the game, it was clear that the ball had not been well delivered. The crowd on the seats stopped cheering to look on in some concern.
"Brace, Ripley! You can beat that," warned the coach, in a low tone.
Fred did better the second time. The third ball was nearly up to his form; the fourth, wholly so. Now, Fred sent in two more spitb.a.l.l.s, then changed to other styles. He was pitching famously, now.
"That"s all, unless you wish more, sir," announced Fred, finally, when the ball came back to him.
"It"s enough. Magnificently done," called Coach Luce, after a glance at the two members of the Athletic Committee.
"Oh, you Rip!"