“A piece of rope is easy enough to get,” mused Dick.

“Yep; and a lie is easy enough for some fellows to tell.  But some of the fellows are inclined to believe Rip, so they’ve started a yarn that Gardiner High School is up to tricks, and that some fellows have been sent over in advance to cripple our box men for to-day.”

“That’s vile!” flushed Prescott indignantly, as he got up to make the circuit of the room.  “The Gardiner fellows have always been good, fair sportsmen.  They wouldn’t be back of any tricks of that sort.”

“Well, Fred has managed to cover himself, anyway,” returned Dave rather disgustedly.  “He called his father and mother out to see the rope before he cut it away from the stakes.  Oh, I guess a good many fellows will believe Ripley’s yarn!”

“I’m afraid you don’t, Dave;”

“Oh, yes; I’m easy,” grinned Darrin.

“Can you see two young ladies, Richard?” asked Mrs. Prescott, looking into the room.

“Certainly, mother, if I get a chance.  My vision is not impaired in the least,” laughed Dick.

Mrs. Prescott stood aside to admit Laura and Belle, then followed them into the room.

“We came to make sure that Gridley is not to lose its great pitcher to-day,” announced Laura.

“Then your father must have told you that I’d do,” cried Dick, eagerly.

“Father?” pouted Miss Bentley.  “You don’t know him then.  One can never get a word out of father about any of his patients.  But he said we might call.”

The visit of the girls brightened up twenty minutes of the morning.

“Of course,” said Laura, as they rose to go, “you mustn’t attempt to pitch if you really can’t do it, or if it would hurt you for future games.”

“I’m afraid the coach won’t let me pitch, unless your father says I can,” murmured Dick, with a wry face.

Few in Gridley who knew the state of affairs had any idea that Dick Prescott would be able to stand in the box against Gardiner.  But the young pitcher boarded a trolley car, accompanied by Dave Darrin, and both reached the Athletic Field before two o’clock.  Dr. Bentley was there soon after.  In the Gridley dressing room, Dick’s left leg was bared, while Coach Luce drew off his coat and rolled up his shirt sleeves.  Under the physician’s direction the coach administered a very thorough massage, following this with an alcohol rubbing.

When it was all over Dick rose to exhibit the motions of that leg before the eyes of the doubtful physician.

CHAPTER XVII

WHEN THE HOME FANS QUIVERED

“Is Prescott going to toss!”

“They say not.”

“It’s a shame.”

“And there’s a suspicion,” whispered one of the High School speakers, “that the other name of the shame is Fred Ripley.”

“He ought to be lynched!”

“But he claims that an attempt was made against him, also.”