Page:Baseball Joe on the School Nine.djvu/191

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BITTER DEFEAT
177

"Don't you understand, you chump?" They want to force you and me out. That's their game. They're sore about that meeting, and Matson and Davis are sore about lots of things. Peaches and the other two think if they get us out there'll be a chance for Joe to pitch."

"So that's their game, is it?" exclaimed Luke. "Well, I'll put a stop to it. I'll make subs of Peaches, Bland and Teeter, and put in some other players. They can't come it over me that way."

"Play ball!" called the umpire, for the talk between the captain and manager was delaying the game.

"Oh, we'll play all right," snapped Luke, and he knew that he and his nine had to, for the score was now tie. "Peaches, Teeter, Bland, you can sit on the bench a while!" went on Luke. "Wilson, Natch and Gonzales, you'll take their places."

"What's that for?" asked the innocent and unoffending Peaches.

"Have we played so rotten?" Teeter wanted to know.

"I made the changes because I wanted to," snapped Luke. "Go sit down with the other subs, and we'll see if we can't play a decent game."

Perhaps Peaches and his chums may have un-