“Great work, old man!” exclaimed Jim Blake, the deposed pitcher, as he shook hands with Ned. “I was certainly off form to-day.”
“Well, maybe you’ll be all right next time,” said Ned.
The celebration over the victory proceeded, yells, cheers and songs being intermingled. The vanquished hastened away, not a little down-hearted, for after their decisive victory in the first game they had looked for a walkover in the second one. And they would have found it only for the timely playing of Ned, Bob and Jerry.
One might have thought that he would have given credit where it was due, but Frank did not. He did not approach the three lads he had publicly said he would make eat humble pie.
“Say, old man, don’t you think it’s about time you made up?” asked Bart, linking his arm in that of Frank as he walked with him off the diamond.
“With Jerry and his friends. They pulled us out of a hole to-day, and----”
“I’m willing to admit that,” broke in Frank. “I’ll give them all the credit in the world for playing ball, but, personally, I don’t care to have anything to do with them.”
“That’s no way to feel,” added Bill Hamilton.
“What is it to you how I feel?” snapped Frank. “You let me alone! I’m willing to have them play on the team, because they can put up a good game. But beyond that I won’t go!”
Frank was as obstinate as ever. Bart and Bill were about to give up, for the time being, the attempt to reconcile Frank to the three chums, when Ted Newton, having overheard what was going on, took a hand.
“Frank, you’re all wrong in this,” said the football hero, as he and Bart and Bill, with the baseball captain walked off to one side. “You’re making a big mistake!”
“Well then, let me make it!” exclaimed Frank, angrily. “I wish you’d let me alone! I know my own business. I know what I’m going to do. I say I won’t be friends with those fellows, and I won’t. That’s all there is to it.”
Ted shrugged his shoulders, and did not know what to answer. At this moment, off among a little group of lads, a voice was heard saying:
A hand pointed to where Frank stood disputing with Bart, Bill and Ted, and a man, detaching himself from those who had evidently been giving him directions, approached the baseball captain.