Even if they wouldn't play last year, these two men of ours should have reported for the very first day's work last February." "Prescott couldn't do it," remarked Lieutenant Denton, who had just joined the group.
"Why not, Denton ?" asked Lieutenant Lawrence.
"He was in Coventry." "Pshaw!" "Didn't you know that ?" asked Denton.
"Not a word of it, though Durville once hinted to me that there was some sort of reason why Prescott couldn't come in." "There was---the Coventry," Denton replied.

"But that trouble blew over when the first classmen found themselves wrong in something of which Jordan had accused Prescott." "Humph!" growled Lieutenant Lawrence, in keen displeasure.

"Then, if we lose to-day, the first class can blame itself!" "You think our battery pair better than the Navy's, then ?" asked Lieutenant Denton.
"Our men would have been better, by a shade, anyway, had they been as long in training.

But as it is-----" "As it is," supplied another officer in the group, "we are wiped off the slate by the Navy, this year, and no one can know it better than we do ourselves." Just as the fortunes of war would have it, Dan Dalzell again stood by the plate at the beginning of the eighth.
"Wipe off that smile, Danny boy," called Darrin softly.
But Dan only shook his head with a deepening grin which seemed to declare that he found the Navy situation all to the good.
In fact, Dalzell felt such a friendly contempt for poor old Dick's form by this time, that he cheerily offered at Dick's first.
Crack! That ball arched up for right field, and Dan, hurling his bat, started to make tracks and time.

Beckwith, however, was out in right field, and knew what was expected of him.