“Harrison has agreed to pepper the town with paper advertising his own team. I’m to look after the rest of the advertising.”
“Leave that to me also, Merriwell. If I can get the park for you, I’ll see that everybody at the Springs knows there’s going to be a game to-morrow.”
“Thank you, Loring. You’re putting yourself to too much trouble.”
“Not at all. I couldn’t put myself to too much trouble to oblige the brother of Frank Merriwell.”
True to his word, in less than an hour Charlie Loring looked up Dick at the big hotel where Merriwell was registered and informed him that he had found no difficulty in securing the ball park. The matter of advertising was discussed, and Loring hastened away to attend to it.
Having phoned Harrison and put him wise to the successful course of affairs, the Yale man looked around for Lozier and Ross. He found the latter in a short time, and Ross delightedly agreed to play, giving his positive assurance that Lozier would be equally glad of the opportunity.
Things were moving along swimmingly. On the broad veranda of the hotel Dick discovered Chester Arlington, who greeted him with a friendly smile.
Arlington pricked up his ears at once on hearing what Merriwell had to say.
“Baseball?” he cried. “A game with the Outlaws? Why, say! I thought they were to play the local team.”
“So they were, but it’s off--a disagreement over terms.”
“And you’ve got it fixed to tackle them?”
“It’s all fixed. The ball ground is engaged for the game.”
“Will I play!” laughed Chester. “_Will_ I! Ask me! I haven’t touched a ball, it is true, since I played down in Texas with Frank’s pick-ups. Oh, we gave the great Tigers a surprise down there! But say, I’ve been looking over the list of games played by these Outlaws, and they walloped the Tigers to a whisper. They must be the real hot stuff.”
“I don’t know about that. We’ll do our handsomest, and it won’t kill us if we’re beaten. Nevertheless, if they win we’ll try to leave them with the impression that they’ve been in a baseball game.”
“Surest thing you know, Dick. Say, old man, think of it! You and I playing together shoulder to shoulder--you and I, old foes of bygone days! I’m not especially proud of my record in those old days; but still, I can’t help thinking of it sometimes.”