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 fourth—no, fifth, and Nate finished out. Gee, they were three runs ahead of us in the seventh!"

"Did Elk get in?"

"No, he's got a sprained wrist or something. Pinky had Simpson, of the scrubs, catch the last of the ninth. He dropped everything that reached his hands, though."

"Elk's got a sprained wrist, you say? How'd he do it?"

"I don't know. Maybe it isn't a wrist. He's got something wrong, though, for I heard Dave Brewster talking about it." After a minute Kewpie returned to his grievance, and, since Laurie appeared busy with his own thoughts, he was allowed to unburden himself to his heart's content. Ned condoled with him somewhat abstractedly. When he had taken himself out Laurie broke the silence.

"With Elk out of the game," he said bitterly, "I'd have had my chance to-day, and then this had to happen!"

Ned might have reminded Laurie that he had only himself to blame, but he didn't. He only said, "I'm sorry, old son." There was sincerity