“Just the same,” returned Chester, using his favorite expression, and bringing a smile to Lanny’s face, “no more of it for me, _if_ you please!”
“Is that how you feel, Lanny?” Dick inquired.
“I guess it is, Dick. I don’t say I wouldn’t do it again if you say it’s all fair and right, but I didn’t like it to-day very much. For my part, I can’t see why it should be necessary. If all the teams agreed not to do it I suppose we’d get on just as well. After all, it doesn’t do much good, I guess. A team doesn’t show its real stuff until its big game. I think we could get on without it.”
“I’m perfectly willing to try,” said Dick. “Somehow, now that you mention it, it doesn’t seem quite――well, gentlemanly. But that raises the question, Lanny, of how far we _can_ go and act like gentlemen. Is it fair, for instance, to read about the other team’s progress in the newspapers?”
“Quite, I’d say,” replied Lanny. “Seems to me that’s different. If information gets into the papers that’s their lookout, and anyone has a right to read it.”
“If scouts get into their grandstand that’s their business, too,” said George. “What’s the difference?”
“The difference is,” answered Chester, “that they are willing the newspaper stuff should be published, but they aren’t willing that we should see them play. And they can’t keep us out if we have the money to buy tickets. You can talk your head off, George, but I know there _is_ a difference.”
“It’s there, just the same,” muttered Chester.
“Well, let’s agree that it is wrong, fellows; or, at least, bad form, a little underhand, a little ungentlemanly. Let’s make a rule not to do it. We’ll play it safe, in other words.” This from Dick.
“That’s all right if you can get the other fellow to cut it out too,” demurred George, “but if he doesn’t he’s got a big advantage over us. I call that pretty crazy business.”
“Oh, let’s be crazy, then,” exclaimed Lanny. “Fair sport is fair sport, but spying isn’t! It’s sneaky stuff! Let’s call it off.”
“Right-o,” agreed Chester. “And I dare say when Springdale learns that we’ve stopped it she’ll stop it too.”
“She’s not likely to believe we have stopped it,” observed George dryly, “after seeing you two fellows over there this afternoon.”