You've been thinking about what the man on the clubhouse steps said." "Well, hardly anything as big as that," teased Dick.

"I'm afraid that you fellows are growing impatient on what is, after all, not a very important matter." "So, then, the speech of the man on the clubhouse steps wasn't very important ?" inquired Tom, seeking to pin their leader down.
"Why, that would depend on how you happened to regard what the man on the clubhouse steps said," Dick laughed.
"Is that what you're going to tell us ?" almost bowled Hazelton.
"I don't know that I am going to tell you much of anything," Prescott continued.
"What did the man on the clubhouse steps say ?" asked Dan, advancing with uplifted bat.
"You'll never drag the secret from me by threats or violence," retorted Dick, with a stubborn shake of the head.
"We're getting away from the point," Tom went on.

"You said you had been thinking." "Well ?" "You've made the claim of having been thinking, but you haven't offered the slightest proof." "What I was thinking, fellows, was that we are obliged to meet the South Grammar nine on the diamond to-day." "We're not afraid of them," scoffed Dave.
"No," Dick went on, "but I've an idea that we're up against an ordeal, after a fashion.

You all know what a guyer Ted Teall is---how he nearly broke up our match with the Norths last Wednesday afternoon." "Ted can't do any guying this morning," declared Greg readily.
"If he does, the umpire will rule him out of the game, and that would snap all of Ted's nerve.

No; Ted won't guy us to-day." "But I'll tell you just what will happen to us," Dick offered.
"The spectators who come from the South Grammar aren't under the umpire's orders.