4/11 I thought nothing could save us that day." "Nothing did," replied the coach, "except the hard and fast can't-lose tradition of Gridley." "We're not going to lose this time, either," Dick declared. "I know that I'm going to strike out a string in every inning. If I go stale, you have Darrin to fall back on, and he's as baffling a pitcher as I can hope to be. And Ripley is a wonder." "He would be," nodded Mr.Luce, sadly, "if he were a better base runner at the same time." It seemed as though nothing else could be talked of in Gridley but the opening game. Just because it was the starter of the season the local military band, reinforced to thirty-five pieces, was to be on hand to give swing and life to the affair. |