These things now recurred to the Comrades, and especially to Tom, who sat for an instant gazing gloomily out over the lake.
"Someone wronged my father--someone wronged him, and I'm going to find him yet, if only to let my mother know that not the slightest stain rested on my father's character. I must--I will find this man!" and Tom gritted his teeth, as he silently made this resolve.
His reverie was broken by the sound of the horn calling them to dinner, and springing up they all raced for the house, Fleet leading the entire distance, as a vision of fried eggs, new potatoes and apple pie appeared before his eyes.
Meelick, ss Creighton, 2b Kenby, 1b Pratt, c Duncan, p Jones, rf Day, 3b Lorrens, lf Smeed, cf
King, lf Cotton, 2b Gregg, c Biddle, rf Corker, 3b Strange, ss Burton, cf Windle, 1b Johnson, p
When the teams lined up for the fray in the big Creighton pasture the next day, that is the way the line-up looked. Bert's father, who was a baseball enthusiast, and noted for his squareness in all things, was chosen umpire by the mutual consent of both sides, after a short conference between Bert and Waldy Biddle, the captain of the Cleverdale team.
Jones, Day, Lorrens and Smeed, who filled out the Creighton team, were players of no mean merit, but a little light on batting, so Bert put them at the lower end of the batting list, preferring to bring as much of the old Winton talent into play at the start as possible.
Both teams showed up well in the preliminary practice, and the spectators from Cleverdale and the surrounding farming country settled down with an expectant hush, as Mr. Creighton cried:
Bert had won the toss for innings, and took the field, sending Chot into the box, himself going to second, from which point of vantage he could watch each move of the game.
King, the Cleverdale left fielder, was the first to face Chot, and he appeared to be confident, for he smiled in a way that made Chot resolve to teach him a few things about pitched balls.
Chot sent over a wide out, which started straight toward King, then curved over the plate. The batter let it pass and Mr. Creighton called a strike.
This made King smile all the harder. But when Chot sent over a hard, straight ball, fairly sizzling with speed, and he struck at it and missed, he did not appear so confident.