Page:Baseball Joe on the School Nine.djvu/83

 work. If It does, Hiram won't have so much to say as he does now."

"I hope to gracious you can work something. It's rotten the way things are now, and it is our own fault, too. But I'm afraid it's too late to change. No, you can figure that the nine is already made up between Hiram and Luke—that is, all but pitcher."

"Then I think Joe has a chance!" exclaimed Tom. "I'm not going to give up until the last minute. I'm working hard for him, but don't say anything to him about it. I want to surprise him."

"I'm afraid It will be a disagreeable surprise," commented Peaches, as he left his friend.

The time for the meeting was at hand and on all sides there seemed to be but one question:

"Who will pitch?"

There were many shakes of heads and much speculation, but Hiram and Luke kept their own counsel.