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Page 27
"Did you ever see anything in your life like that?"
"I never did."
"Silence there in the ranks!" called Allen sharply, for he chanced to be
marching near the "fire engine." Not a trace of a smile could be seen on
his face, and to all appearances he was engaged in what he considered
one of the most serious events of his life.
In the streets the people were lined up and their laughter and
good-natured applause could be heard on every side. Small boys followed
the line of march or walked beside the long column, and their derisive
remarks were frequent and loud. The sophomores also added their
comments, but there was no open disturbance throughout the march. It
was one of the events of freshman year and as such was evidently not to
be entered upon lightly or unadvisedly, like certain other important
epochs in life.
At last the procession arrived at the athletic field and there broke up
for the baseball game with the sophomores. The grand stand was already
filled with the people and students that had watched the march, and, as
soon as Will and Foster had donned their baseball suits, for both had
been selected to play on the freshman nine, they appeared upon the
field, where already the other members of the team were awaiting their
coming.
"I didn't see Peter John, did you, Foster?" inquired Will.
"No. It'll be all the worse for him, I fancy."
"No doubt about that. What are we going to do with him, Foster?"
"Nothing."
"I don't like to see the chap suffer for his own foolishness."
"Neither do I. But he'll have to learn for himself. You can't tell him
anything."
"You can _tell_ him all right enough, but I'm afraid that's all the good
it does. You might as well try to polish sponge."
The conversation ceased as the call for the game to be begun was heard
and both boys hastened to take the positions in which they were to play.
The noise among the spectators increased as the signal was given, but
for three innings both nines played earnestly and seriously. At the end
of the third inning, with the score standing five to four in favor of
the sophomores, a radical change was made. The batter was blindfolded
and compelled to stand upon an upturned barrel, which was substituted
for the home plate. The pitcher and catcher were each also to stand upon
a barrel and the pitcher was ordered to throw the ball with his left
hand. Naturally it was impossible for the batter to hit the ball, since
he was blindfolded, and when three strikes had been called he tore the
bandage from his eyes and upon his hands and knees was compelled to
crawl toward first base. The baseman stood with his back to the field
and naturally found it difficult to secure the ball which had been
thrown by the left hand of the catcher. Shrieks of laughter arose from
the spectators, shouts and class cries were heard on every side, tin
horns mingled their noise with the blasts of the band, and altogether
Will Phelps thought that the scene was unique in the experiences of his
young life.
CHAPTER IX
THE WALK WITH MOTT
In the days that immediately followed the freshman parade and the
burlesque game of baseball with the rival class, the work before Will
Phelps and his room-mate settled more deeply into its regular grooves.
The novelty of the new life was now gone and to Will it almost seemed
that ages had passed since he had been a member of the household in
Sterling. His vision of the hilltops from his bedroom window became
longer and he could see in his mind far behind the towering barriers of
the hills into the familiar street and well-remembered rooms of his
father's house. The foliage on the hillsides now had assumed its
gorgeous autumn dress and wherever he looked the forests seemed to be
clad as if they were all on dress parade. The sight was beautiful and
one which in after years was ever present with him; but in those early
days of his freshman year in Winthrop, it seemed somehow to impress him
as a great barrier between his home and the place where he then was.
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