“I’ve got a hunch you’ll do it for us to-day,” whispered Beckwith in Prescott’s ear.

“Look out.  A little hunch is a dangerous thing,” retorted Dick, with a grim smile.

CHAPTER XVIII

DAN DALZELL’S CRABTOWN GRIN

Six minutes later, the umpire called the captains to the home plate for the toss.

“There they are—–­the same old chums!” cried Dick, hitting Greg a nudge.

Darrin and Dalzell, of the Navy nine, had been trying to catch the eyes of the Army battery.

Now the four old chums raced together to a point midway between pitcher’s box and home plate.  There they met and clasped each others’ hands.

“The same old pair, I know!” cried Dave Darrin heartily.

“And we think as much of you two as ever, even if you are in the poor old Army,” grinned Dan.  “We’ve come all the way up from Crabtown to teach you how to play ball.  The knowledge will probably prove useful to you some day.”

“Why, Dick,” protested Holmes in mock astonishment, “these cabin boys seem to think they can really play ball!”

“And all I’m afraid of is that they can,” laughed Dick.

“Can’t we, though—–­just!” mocked Dan, dancing a brief little step.  “Wait until you take a stick to our work, and then see where you’ll live!”

“Cut it, Danny, little lion-fighter, cut it!” warned Dave Darrin, with quiet good nature.  “You know what they tell us all the time, down at Crabtown—–­that ‘brag never scuttled a fighting ship yet.’

“Dave, you don’t expect Danny to believe that, do you?” asked Greg, grinning hard.  “Danny never went into anything that he didn’t try to win by scaring the other side cold.  If our instructors here know what they’re talking about, hot air isn’t necessarily fatal to the enemy.”

“I can tell you one thing, anyway,” chipped in Dan, while the other three grinned indulgently at him.

“Yes; you have it straight that this is to be the Army’s game,” mocked Greg.  “But we knew that before we saw you to-day.”

“There goes our joy-killer,” grunted Prescott, as the umpire’s shrill whistle sounded in.  “Dave, we’ll be in the Navy’s dressing room just as soon as-----”

“Just as soon as this cruel war is over,” hummed Dan.

The toss having been won by the Navy, the captain of that nine had chosen to go to bat.

Now the players on both sides were scattering swiftly to their posts.

Dick took but a bound or two back to the box, just as the umpire broke the package around the new ball and tossed it to the Army pitcher.

“Play ball!”

It was on, with a rush, and a cheer, led by some eight measures of music from the Military Academy Band, which had been quiet for a few minutes.

Then the cheer settled down, for Prescott found himself facing Dan Dalzell at the bat, with Darrin on deck.