Page:Baseball Joe on the School Nine.djvu/213

Rh "You're on!" agreed Elmer. "Where's your batting list?"

The two captains walked over to the scoring bench to arrange the details of the game. The two teams were made up as follows, this being the batting order:

The Excelsiors were to bat last, and while the rival crowds of school boys were singing, cheering and giving their class yells, Joe Matson walked to the box for the second time as pitcher on the school nine in a big school league game. No wonder he felt a trifle nervous, but he did not show it, not even when some one yelled:

"Look at the new pitcher they've got! We'll get his number all right."

"Yes, we'll have his goat in about a minute!" added another Morningside partizan.

"Go as far as you like," answered Joe with a smile.

"Play ball!" yelled the umpire, and Joe faced