"I'm not aching for it," replied Joe slowly. "But I'm not going to run away. If you like I'll come down, but you can come up if you want to,"

and he smiled at Hiram. "You only got what you deserved, you know."

"That's right," chimed in Teeter. "You hadn't any right to use frozen b.a.l.l.s, Hiram."

"Sure not!" came in a menacing chorus from Joe's crowd of lads.

"Well, they weren't frozen very hard," mumbled Hiram. "I only threw a few, anyhow, and you've got more fellows than we have."

"Because we captured some of yours--yes," admitted Joe.

"Well, all right then," answered the bully with no good grace. "But if you throw at my face again, at such close range, Joe Matson, I'll give you the best licking you ever had."

"Two can play at that game," was Joe's retort. "I'm ready any time you are."

"Why don't you go at him now, and clean him up?" asked Luke Fod.i.c.k, making his way to where Hiram stood. "If you don't he'll be saying he backed you to a standstill. Go at him, Hiram."

"I've a good notion to," muttered the bully.

He measured with his eye the distance between himself and Joe, and wondered if he could cover it in a rush, carry his opponent off his feet, and batter and pummel him as they rolled down the fort wall together.

"Go on!" urged Luke.

"I--I guess I will!" spoke Hiram desperately.

Then from the outer fringe of the attacking crowd there arose a cautious warning.

"Cheese it! Here comes old Sixteen!"

Professor Rodd was approaching and the lads well knew that he was bitterly opposed to fights, and would at once report any who engaged in them.

"Come on! Let's finish the snow fight!" cried Teeter. "Get back in your fort, Hiram, and the rest of you, and we'll soon capture it."

"All right," said the bully in a low voice. Then looking at Joe he said: "This isn't the end of it; not by a long shot, Matson. I'll get square with you yet."

"Just as you choose," answered Joe, as he rallied his lads to the attack again.

Then the snow ball fight went on, with Professor Rodd an interested onlooker. Joe's boys finally won, capturing the fort; but the real zest had been taken out of the battle by the unpleasant incident, and the boys no longer fought with jolly good-will.

"Ah, that is what I like to see," remarked the Latin professor, as the lads, having finished the game, strolled away from the fort which had been sadly battered and disrupted by the attack on it. "Nothing like good, healthy out-door exercise to fit the mind for the cla.s.sics.

I'm sure you will all do better in Latin and Greek for this little diversion."

"He's got another think coming as far as I'm concerned," whispered Teeter to Joe. "I haven't got a line of my Caesar."

"This is certainly what I like to see," went on the instructor. "No hard feelings, yet I venture to say you all fought well, and hard. It is most delightful."

"It wouldn't have been quite so delightful if you'd have come along a few minutes later and seen a real fight," murmured Peaches. "Would you have stood up to Hiram, Joe?"

"I sure would. I was ready for him, though I don't want to be unfriendly to any of the fellows here. But I couldn't stand for what he did. Oh, I'd have fought him all right, even at the risk of a whipping, or of beating him, and having him down on me all the while I'm here."

"I guess he's down on you all right as it is," ventured George Bland.

"And it's too bad, too."

"Oh, I don't know as I care particularly," spoke Joe.

"I thought I heard you say you wanted to play ball when the Spring season opened," said George.

"So I do, but what has Hiram Sh.e.l.l got to do with it?"

"Lots, as you'll very soon learn," put in Teeter. "Hiram is the head of the ball club--the manager--I guess you forgot that, and he runs things. If he doesn't want a fellow to play--why, that fellow doesn't play--that's all. That's what George means."

"Yes," a.s.sented George. "And Hiram is sure down on you after what you did to him to-day, Joe."

The young pitcher stood still. Many thoughts came to him. He felt a strange sinking sensation, as if he had suddenly lost hope. He dwelt for a moment on his great ambition, to be the star pitcher on the school nine, as he had been on the nine at home.

"Well, I guess it's too late to worry about it now," remarked Joe after a bit. "I'm sorry--no; I'm not either!" he cried, with sudden energy.

"I'd do the same thing over again if I had to, and if Hiram Sh.e.l.l wants to keep me off the nine he can do it!"

"That's the way to talk!" cried Teeter, clapping Joe on the back.

CHAPTER V

THE TABLES TURNED

"Well, Joe, what do you think about it?" Tom Davis glanced at his chum across the room as he asked this question. It was several hours after the snow battle, and the two lads were studying, or making a pretense at it.

"Think about what, Tom?"

"Oh, you know what I mean--what happened to-day, and how it's going to affect your chances for the nine. They look rather slim, don't they?"

"Well, Tom, I don't mind admitting that they do. I didn't know Hiram was such a high-mucky-muck in baseball here. But there's no use crying over spilled milk. He and I would have had a clash sooner or later, anyhow, and it might as well be first as last."

"It's too blamed bad though," went on Tom.

"Yes," agreed Joe, "especially as I picked out Excelsior Hall because their nine had so many victories to its credit, and because it had a good reputation. That's what partly induced you to come here, too, I guess."

"Well, yes, in a way. Of course I like baseball, but I'm not so crazy after it as you are. Maybe that's why I'm not such a good player. If I can hold down first, or play out in the field, it suits me; but you----"

"I want to be pitcher or nothing," interrupted Joe with a smile, "but I'm afraid I'm a long way from the box now."

"Yes, from what I can hear, Hiram has the inside track in the baseball game. He's manager chiefly because he puts up a lot of money for the team, and because his friends, what few he has, are officers in the organization."

"Who's captain?" asked Joe. "Maybe I could induce him to let me play even if Hiram is down on me."

"Nothing doing there," replied Tom quickly. "Luke Fod.i.c.k is captain, or, rather he was last year, I hear, and he's slated for the same position this season. Luke and Hiram are as thick as such fellows always are.

When Hiram is. .h.i.t Luke does the boo-hoo act for him. No, Luke will be down on you as much as his crony is. But maybe we can get up a second nine, and play some games on our own hook!"