“He would be,” nodded Mr. Luce, sadly, “if he were a better base runner at the same time.”

It seemed as though nothing else could be talked of in Gridley but the opening game.  Just because it was the starter of the season the local military band, reinforced to thirty-five pieces, was to be on hand to give swing and life to the affair.

“Are you going, Laura?” Dick asked, when he met Miss Bentley.

“Am I going?” replied Laura, opening her eyes in amazement.  “Why, Dick, do you think anything but pestilence or death could keep me away?  Father is going to take Belle and myself.  The seats are already bought.”

Prescott’s own parents were to attend.  Out of his newspaper money he had bought them grand stand seats, and some one else had been engaged to attend in the store while the game was on.

“You’ll have a great chance, Dick, old fellow, against a nine like Gardiner,” said Dave Darrin.  “And, do you know, I’m glad it’s up to you to pitch?  I’m afraid I’d be too rattled to pitch against a nine like Gardiner in the very first game of the season.  All I have to do is to keep at the side and watch you.”

“See here, Dave Darrin,” expostulated his chum, “you keep yourself in the best trim, and make up your mind that you may have to be called before the game is over.  What if my wrist goes lame during the game?”

“Pooh!  I don’t believe it will, or can,” Dave retorted.  “You’re in much too fine shape for that, Dick.”

“Other pitchers have often had to be retired before a game ended,” Prescott rejoined, gravely.  “And I don’t believe that I am the greatest or the most enduring ever.  Keep yourself up, Dave!  Be ready for the call at any second.”

“Oh, I will, but it will be needless,” Dave answered.

Dalzell and Holmes were other members of the school nine squad who had been picked for this first game.  Purcell was to catch, making perhaps, the strongest battery pair that Gridley High School had ever put in the field.  Half of Dick & Co. were to make up a third of the nine in its first battle.

“I’m getting a bit scared,” muttered Dan, the Friday afternoon before the Saturday game.

“Now, cut all that out,” Dick advised.  “If you don’t I’ll report you to the coach and captain.”

This was said with a grin, and Dick went on earnestly: 

“Dan, the scared soldier is always a mighty big drag in any battle.  It takes two or three other good soldiers to look after him and hold him to duty.”

“I’ll admit, for myself, that I wish the druggist knew of some sort of pill that would give me more confidence for this confounded old first game,” muttered Greg Holmes.

“I can tell you how to get the pill put up,” Prescott hinted.

“I wish you would, then.”  But Greg spoke dubiously.

“Tell the druggist to use tragacanth paste to hold the pill together.”