Part 7 (2/2)
”Say, I wonder if he meant that?” asked Fenn.
”Meant it? What do you mean?” asked Bart.
”Well it looked queer,” went on Fenn. ”There we were in a tie game and we needed every advantage we could get to hold it. Then Sandy gets up to one of his tricks, and he might have known something would happen. It always does when he tries his funny work.”
”You don't mean to say you think he deliberately hurt me, do you?” asked Lem, winding his handkerchief around the swollen wrist.
”Well, I wouldn't want to accuse any one unjustly,” Stumpy continued.
”But I heard he was going around saying things about being done out of his place as subst.i.tute pitcher, in practice, by me. Maybe he thought he'd just hurt Lem a little so's he could have a chance to finish out the game.”
”I'd hate to believe it of him,” remarked the captain, ”but he certainly did act rather strange. He went off angry, too. Well, it can't be helped. Guess we'd better not say anything about it unless he tries to do something else. Come on to the drug store, Lem, and we'll get some arnica for that wrist.”
Most of the boys dispersed at the school campus where the stage had left them, but the four chums, with Lem in their midst, walked up the street together.
”I wouldn't be afraid to tackle 'em again,” observed Ned. ”We've got their measure now.”
”Maybe they'll ask for a return game,” said Bart. ”h.e.l.lo,” he added, ”here comes my sister and Jennie Smith. Look out, Stumpy, or Jennie will be doing the Juliet act to you.”
”Guess not,” spoke Fenn, and he started to walk away, but Ned held him.
”Don't desert in the face of the enemy,” he said, and Fenn had to stay.
”Oh, is some one hurt?” cried Alice, as she saw the cloth around Lem's wrist. ”How nice! I mean how fortunate I happened to meet you! Now I will have a chance to treat you!”
”Going to treat us to ice cream sodas?” asked her brother unfeelingly.
”Don't be foolish, Bart! What is it Lem; is your wrist broken?”
”Only sprained, I think.”
”Let me look at it,” demanded Alice, and, regardless of the crowd that gathered, when the five boys and two girls formed a group on the sidewalk, Alice proceeded to undo the handkerchief and other cloth Lem had wound about his wrist.
”Wait a minute,” said Alice. ”I must look at my book on first-aid-to-the-injured to make sure what it is,” and she took a little volume from a bag she carried on her arm. Rapidly turning the pages she read:
”'A sprain is the result of violent twisting, stretching or partial tearing of the ligaments about a joint, and there is often a fracture at the ends of the bones.' Are you sure there isn't a fracture, Lem? I'd love to treat a fracture as I never had a chance at one yet.”
”I hope not,” murmured the disabled pitcher. ”It's bad enough as it is.”
He was rather uneasy under the pressure Alice brought to bear on his wrist as she turned it this way and that, in an endeavor to see if it was broken.
”Do I hurt you?” she asked.
”Well--er--that is--no!” and Lem shut his teeth tightly together.
”Come right over to the drug store,” spoke Alice, as she led Lem by the injured wrist. He tried not to show the pain she unconsciously caused him. ”I will get some hot water and hold your hand in it for an hour and a half.”
<script>