CHAPTER XVIIION THE BENCH
But Wade’s hope was not realized. Jeff and Rabbit Warren and Cas Gorham were among the substitutes whose names appeared on the bulletin board with the regular team the next morning. Of course, Honey Wiggins and Cy Gordon, the two extra pitchers, were also among the second string men called into uniform, but their names along with those of Jeff, Rabbit and Cas Gorham, appeared very definitely under the list of “substitutes.” For some reason Jeff had a feeling of discouragement when he realized that Coach Rice did not yet recognize him as having first-team ability and for a few minutes he was inclined to grouch and feel peeved about it. But his better sense soon dominated the situation and made him realize that he, a Freshman, should be listed as a substitute and Gould given the position at third if for no other reason than that the Sophomore had devoted all the previous season toward trying for the job, and evidently had beenwilling to play on the scrubs for an extended period just to be in line for the job this year.
“Gould is good,” he acknowledged to himself, as he stood in front of the bulletin board and mentally disciplined himself. “Just because he is hot tempered and ugly; just because I do not think so much of him and most of the fellows of our bunch don’t like him is no reason why he shouldn’t be playing third base. For a while the best I can expect, I guess, is to be a sub on the big team and just hope to get a show once in a while. I’ll bet just hanging around like that is going to get Gould’s goat. Blame it, I want his job and, believe me, I’m going to make myself so good that Coach Rice will have to give me more than a substitute’s show. I’ll just—”
“Wow, I knew you’d get a chance, first shot,” said some one behind Jeff, and turning he discovered Wade looking at the bulletin board.
“Knew I’d get a chance? What do you mean?” asked Jeff.
“Why, you poor fish, don’t you see your name on the list?”
“Yes, I see it there. But look just above it.See that word. It reads s-u-b-s-t-i-t-u-t-e. Can’t you read?”
“Well, what does the young man want? Does he want to be crown prince or emperor or what? My goodness, Jeff, it’s something to be in uniform and on the bench. I think if you get that far you’ll get a chance in the game. Anyhow, you are making progress.”
“I suppose I do want too much. But look at you, you lucky duck. Make the first team right off.”
“Well, that’s a combination of luck and circumstances. If Dave Gleason hadn’t pulled a tendon and if the rest of the fellows out for fielding positions were just a little more lucky I’d be warming the bench this afternoon myself. Just luck, old kid, and I’m afraid that it won’t last any too long. Rabbit Warren is moving along too fast to make me very happy. First thing I know they will bench me and shove him in. I wouldn’t be surprised if it happened to-day. I bet you and Rabbit will get a show before the game is over. So will Honey Wiggins.”
But Wade’s prediction was only partly right.Honey Wiggins did get a chance. Coach Rice put him in in the seventh inning because he did not want George Dixon to go the entire route and possibly strain his arm. But Honey was the only one of the five substitutes who did get a chance.
Gould played an air-tight game, fielding one hundred per cent and getting two hits out of five times up, and drawing a pass once. Whether the presence of Jeff inspired him to do great deeds just to show the aggressive Freshman that he hadn’t a chance in the world for the job, or whether he was improving so steadily that he was fast reaching the top of his form Jeff could not guess, but certainly he played brilliant and heady ball in every inning but the ninth. His success seemed to make him more cocky than ever then, and he all but started a fight with the man on the Erasmus Hall coaching line. They exchanged words that fairly made the air sizzle with their sharpness, and Gould was all for fighting it out there and then until Umpire Stephens came over and stopped the argument with a threat to put both Gould and the other offending player off the field if they did not hold their tongues.
On the bench, beside Mr. Rice, Jeff could seethat Gould’s nastiness did not please the coach at all. He frowned and looked very much displeased while the argument was taking place, and Jeff heard him remark to Mr. Clarkson:
“That’s the worst of that boy. He’s mean clear through sometimes. If it wasn’t that he deserved a chance, and that he is a fair enough third baseman I’d throw him out of the squad. I’d yank him out now if the game wasn’t so nearly finished, just to show him that I will not stand for fresh players on a Pennington team.”
But the inning closed with the next out and that was the end of that, and Jeff and Rabbit and Cas Gorham wended their way to the locker room more or less discouraged with their luck.
On their way across the campus Jeff noticed a boy coming slowly out of the infirmary door. He was bundled in a heavy coat despite the pleasant spring warmth of the day, and he looked thin and hollow-eyed. Jeff had to look at him twice before he recognized him.
“Well, hello,” he exclaimed, “if it isn’t Birdie Pell. Up and around now, eh?”
“Yes, up, but not very much around. I feel as weak as the dickens and I can’t go very faror do very much without getting disgustingly tired out. I wanted to get over and see the game to-day but Dr. Stout would not let me. Said I would have to be content with just strolling in the sunshine for a week or so before I get on my feet again. How did the game turn out?”
“Oh, we trimmed ’em, 8 to 5, but it was a good game at that. They have a whale of a pitcher in Jack Sibley. Long, lean southpaw who can make a ball do most anything. He had our fellows buffaloed for about four innings. Then they got to him in the fifth and hammered out five runs before he steadied down. I guess they did not have another man to put in in his place or they would have derricked him. They have a good team though. A little ragged in spots and that’s about the only reason why we beat them. When they get in mid-season form they are going to be some team, let me tell you. I believe they will be able to give the Princeton Freshmen a rub. They play each other some time in May.”
“Did you play?” Pell asked, and there was something about the question that made Jeff wonder just what the little Sophomore was thinking.
“No, I was on the bench. So was Rabbit and Cas here. Gould played third and played a dandy game,” said Jeff, generously giving his rival full credit.
Pell looked at Jeff quizzically for a moment. Then he said:
“Shucks, I’d love to have seen the game. But I may see the Sweetwater game next Saturday if I am good and get back some strength.”
“Hope you do,” said Jeff moving on to catch up to Rabbit and Cas.
“Pell looks as if he had had a tough time of it, doesn’t he?” said Cas.
“Seems to have changed a heap, too,” said Rabbit Warren. “He used to be a blamed fresh kid, always hanging out with Gould. They made a fine pair. I think Pell has been flattered by the companionship of Gould and, believe me, Gould has been just wise enough to work little Birdie for all he is worth. I wonder if they are as thick as they were? Haven’t noticed Gould wearing a path to the infirmary door visiting Birdie, have you?”
“No,” admitted Cas Gorham, “and I think Birdie realizes, too, that Gould isn’t such a greatfriend as he pretends to be. I think it sort of hurts his pride or something or other. He seems different. Isn’t as cocky or fresh as he used to be when he teamed up with Gould. Used to be a regular blamed pest; fresh as they make ’em.”
“Oh, don’t fret, they’ll be back together again. Birds of a feather, you know. Pell’s close call has taken some of the wind out of his sails, but I’ll bet he’ll be just as fresh as ever once he gets on his feet again and gets his running mate Gould along with him,” said Rabbit Warren skeptically.
“Well, now I don’t know about that,” defended Jeff. “Gould didn’t even lend a hand when Pell was in that pickle down in the locker room. Buck Hart and I had most of the disagreeable work to do. Not that the rest of you fellows didn’t want to lend a hand and didn’t offer to help out all you could. That was all right. But why didn’t his good friend Gould look after him? I think Pell, as sick as he was, noticed that Gould had gone back on him and I’m inclined to think he’s through.”
“Oh, don’t you fret. You just wait and see if I’m not right. When Pell gets around again hisfreshness will all come back, and when he gets that way Gould is about the only fellow in school who will stand for him.”
“I wonder if Pell is naturally a pest or whether his association with Gould made him so. I mean by that, Gould is a fresh duck himself and I’m half inclined to believe that Birdie Pell has just aped Gould all the way. Tried to be as big and as boastful as his pal. I wouldn’t wonder but that if Pell got to traveling in decent company he’d be a fair sort of a fellow himself.”
“Well, maybe you are right,” said Rabbit, “but you’ll have to show me. I can’t believe it until I see it work out that way. And one thing, I won’t take the little pest under my wing to try and make a regular fellow out of him. It would be too much of a contract, let me tell you.”
For some strange reason after he returned to his room that night Jeff thought a great deal about Birdie Pell and what Rabbit Warren and Cas Gorham had said concerning him. He wondered after all whether they were right or whether he was right in thinking that perhaps Pell was a likeable sort of fellow if he once got out of the company of Gould. He was half inclinedto believe that he was more right than either of the other two boys, but he realized that he was hardly in a position to provide the right sort of company for Pell since he was a Freshman and Pell was a Sophomore. Pell would naturally chum with the Sophomore bunch and probably held the same ideas about Freshmen that the rest of the Sophs did. Jeff, however, decided to watch developments in Pell. He even went so far as to contemplate approaching Dal Hoffman and several other Sophomores whom he knew more or less intimately and liked because they were good wholesome fellows, suggesting perhaps that if they were willing to tolerate Pell’s company for a little while they might develop him into a regular fellow and a worth-while sort of a chap.