Page:Baseball Joe on the School Nine.djvu/160

148 came the order, and Joe and Tom had nothing for it but to obey.

A moment later some one sat on each back and again came the order:

"Forward march!"

Now Joe, while liking fun as well as any lad, thought there was a limit to it, and to the indignities of the initiation, especially in a mythical society which they did not care about joining. When a heavy lad, therefore, sat down on our hero's back Joe made up his mind that matters had gone far enough.

"Go ahead! Carry your passenger!" was the command.

"Not by a jugful!" cried Joe, and with a quick motion he stood up, spilling off the lad on his back. The latter hit the floor with a resounding whack. The next instant Joe had torn off the blinding handkerchief, and made a grab for the lad whom he had upset. He tore off his mask and there was revealed the scowling face of Hiram Shell.

At the same moment Tom had done the same to his tormentor, discovering Luke Fodick under the black mask.

"Oh, so it's your crowd, is it Hiram?" asked Joe.