It's scant sympathy they'll show you, once they get at your prize pitcher, to knock him out of the box.

Instead it'll be jeers, and taunts, and every sort of thing calculated to sting." "But after the game's been won ?" expostulated Thad.
"Oh, that's a different thing," admitted his chum.

"Then we feel that we can afford to be generous without being put in a possible hole.

Every true player is ready to take off his cap and give a beaten rival a hearty cheer.

It sort of eases up the sting of defeat a bit, too, as all of us know." As they parted at the gate in front of Thad's home he once more returned to the subject that had such a strong hold on his mind.
"If anything crops up that you think would interest me, about that tramp, of course, I mean, Hugh, please give me the sign, won't you ?" Thad asked.
Hugh did not seem disposed to take his chum into his confidence just then; perhaps he wanted to make more certain that his faint suspicions were well grounded before committing himself to a disclosure.
"Sure I will, if I learn anything positive, Thad," he merely said; "and in the meantime we'll keep tabs on Brother Lu's eccentric actions, hoping to catch him off his guard," and later on Thad realized that these last words were rather significant..