“I couldn’t have stood more than one more batter,” said Morris, with conviction, supporting the weary limb with his left hand. “I was never any gladder to see any one than I was to see Sam.”
“Well, we beat them, after all,” sighed Ted. “But I wouldn’t have offered a lead nickel for our chances at the beginning of the ninth inning!”
“I’d have sold out for a penny with a hole in it just before Sam arrived,” said Dolph grimly.
“The only regret I have,” announced Sam, “is that I didn’t have a chance to strike out Mort Prince. I have a feeling that it was he who got up the scheme.”
“What are you going to do to him, Phillips?” asked Midget Green eagerly. Sam smiled gently.
“I’m going to bite his head off, kid. Want to see it?”
“I’d do something if it was me,” answered Midget with an appalling scowl.
“Oh, there’s no use being grouchy about it,” said Smythe. “Everything goes in a Towner game. And after all, we licked ’em.”
“Shucks,” said Sam, “I don’t hold any grudge. They were too smart for me and I got what was coming. I ought to have had my eyes open. I don’t see now why I didn’t suspect something when Chesty insisted on going home to change nags. I was an idiot, that’s what I was, fellows!”
“On the other hand,” mused Truesdale, “since they tried kidnapping this time there’s no knowing what they may do next year. Steal the diamond, like enough!”
Sam didn’t see Chester again until Monday morning. Then he ran into him in the corridor of School Building. Chester smiled in a doubtful way, as though he was not at all certain whether Sam was going to cut him dead or punch his head.
“Hello,” answered Chester with vast relief.
“It was a dandy! And I was glad I got back to see the last of it.”
“If you hadn’t,” said Chester with a grin, “we’d have licked you fellows good and hard.”
“That’s what I thought. So I concluded I’d better leave my cosy quarters and hike back to the field of battle. By the way, I had a dandy dinner, Chesty. Thanks awfully, old man.”
“That’s all right. I say, Sammy, aren’t mad about it, are you?”
“Mad? What for? It was lots of fun. Hope I didn’t do any damage to the place, though.”
“No. But, say, Sammy, I wish you’d tell me how you got out of there.” Sam winked and looked mysterious.