Part 47 (1/2)

One of the Latin students strolled over toward where the ball players were.

”How's Henderson doing?” asked Kindlings.

”Sweating like a cart horse,” was the characteristic answer. ”It's a stiff exam all right.”

There was a groan in concert and the anxious waiting was resumed.

Fifteen minutes pa.s.sed. Several more students had come from the room.

”Where can he be?” murmured Tom.

”There he comes!” cried Phil Clinton as Sid appeared, coming slowly toward the group.

”I'll bet he failed,” said Kindlings solemnly. Certainly in Sid's approach there was not the air of a conqueror.

All at once he stopped, bent down to the ground and appeared to be tearing something to pieces.

”What's he doing?” asked Tom.

”Let's go see,” proposed Kerr.

They advanced and beheld a curious sight. Sid was tearing up a book and making a little heap of the leaves. A moment later he touched a match to the pile, and the paper began to burn.

”What in the world are you doing?” called Tom.

”Did you pa.s.s?” fairly roared Kindlings.

”Sure,” replied Sid as calmly as if he had always expected to. ”I pa.s.sed with honors, and now I'm destroying the evidence. I'm applying the torch to Caesar's Commentaries and I'll never open a book like it again in my life. Come on, fellows, join the festive throng. Tra la la! Merrily do we sing.”

He began prancing about and the others, with yells of joy, joined in.

Sid would cover first base for them in the big game.

With a tooting of auto horns, the waving of many flags, shouts, cheers, yells of encouragement, laughter from many pretty girls, the waving of handkerchiefs, renditions of the college yell the ball nine and its supporters started the next day in a long cavalcade for Fairview.

Several automobiles had been provided for the use of the team, and in one of these rode Tom and Miss Tyler, whom he had called for at her home that morning. A number of ladies went along as chaperones for the girls of Haddonfield.

Dr. Churchill and most of the faculty also went to the game.

”Aren't you coming, Professor Tines?” asked the head of the college as he and the other instructors were about to start.

”No, I don't care much for baseball. I shall remain here and arrange for another Latin examination for some of the students.”

Sid groaned and his chums laughed, whereat Professor Tines frowned.

”Do you think you'll win?” asked Miss Tyler as she sat next to Tom.

”I'm sure of it,” he answered promptly.

When the Randall team and its supporters arrived they found a big throng present to greet them. Even their opponents sent out a ringing cheer of welcome. The Fairview nine was out on the diamond practicing.

”Snappy work,” observed Tom critically as the batting and catching was under way.