CHAPTER IX
TOM'S PLAN FAILS
"The meeting will come to order!" called Hiram. "I'll cuff some of youfellows over the head if you don't sit down."
It was rather an unparliamentary way of doing things, but it provedeffective, and at length quiet reigned. As Peaches had said, Hiram beganby stating what they were there for, and by announcing that the make-upof the nine was in order.
Some unimportant business was disposed of, there were remarks fromseveral lads about what the season might have in store, there were manydeterminations expressed about how well the Excelsior team would playthat season, and then Hiram said:
"Nominations for the team are in order. Of course we expect that therewill be a lot more fellows named than we can use, but there'll probablybe a weeding-out when we get at practice. The team named to-night willonly be a tentative one."
"Like pie!" murmured Tom. "You and Luke have it all up your sleeves."
"Has the nominating committee anything to report?" asked Hiram, lookingover at Luke. His crony arose. Luke was chairman of the nominatingcommittee, as well as chairman of the committee on membership.
"Your committee would recommend the following names," said Luke, andthen he read off most of those named by Peaches to Tom. He did not calloff his own name, however, and there was a blank opposite the positionsof pitcher and left field.
"Say, what's the matter, don't I play?" demanded Peaches, jumping up.
"Oh, yes," answered Luke quickly. "But we haven't just decided where.I'm going to leave that with Hiram, and also the position for leftfield."
"Well, I'll settle it right now!" exclaimed the manager. "You'll playleft field, Peaches, and Charlie Borden will move up from there to firstbase."
"What did I tell you?" murmured Peaches to Tom. "What about the stuntyou were going to pull off?"
"It isn't time yet. See the gang I have with me?" and Tom motioned to alot of lads in the rear of the hall.
"What is it--a rough house?" asked Peaches, and then he noticed for thefirst time that the athletic meeting was much better attended thanusual.
"Those are new members," declared Tom in a whisper. "I'm counting onturning the balance of power away from Hiram and the crowd with him.I've been canvassing the last week, and I've got a lot of fellows tojoin who never took an interest in sports before."
"Oh, ho! So that's your game!" exclaimed Peaches. "Well, it's a good oneall right."
"They'll all vote for Joe for pitcher," went on Tom.
"I notice that there are still two vacancies in the team," spoke JakeWeston, who had been named as shortstop. "We had such success with Lukeas catcher last year, that I move that he again go behind the bat."
"Second it," sung out Harry Lauter.
"It has been moved and seconded," began Hiram, and there came a shout of"ayes" before he had finished.
"That's the way it always is," whispered Peaches. "Luke pretends he'stoo modest to name himself, and some one else does it for him. Oh, thecut-and-dried program is going through all right!"
"Wait and see," suggested Tom with a wink.
"Are the selections of the nominating committee sanctioned?" askedHiram.
Again came a chorus of "ayes."
"What about the pitcher?" asked Luke. "Will you name him, Hiram?"
"Yes!" said the manager and he looked about the room until his eyes liton those of Joe. "I'll name Frank Brown as regular pitcher with LarryAkers as substitute."
Again came the chorus of confirmation.
"Just as I told you," murmured Peaches.
Tom was on his feet as the murmurs died away. Hiram was speaking.
"That completes the regular nine," the manager said, "and it onlyremains to name the substitutes. I think we will let them go until youfellows have had some practice, so we can get a line on you. There'stime enough. We'll begin regular practice next week, if the weatherpermits, and then I'll arrange for games. I have some in prospect, andthe Blue Banner----"
"Mr. Chairman!" interrupted Tom.
"Well, what is it?" snapped Hiram. "I'm talking, and I don't want anyoneto butt in."
"I rise to a point of order," went on Tom, in a loud voice. "Thenominations have not been closed, and I want to put in nomination thename of a friend, who is one of the best pitchers that ever----"
"None of that!" cried Hiram. "Get down to business. I'll allow yourpoint of order. Who do you name?"
"Joe Matson!" cried Tom, "and----"
"You can't elect him, what's the use of trying?" sneered Luke.
"Maybe I can't, with your crowd, but I came here to-night with somefriends of mine, new members of the athletic committee, and they'll votefor Joe, and I think we can outvote you!" cried Tom defiantly.
"That's right!" yelled the lads toward whom he waved his hand. "JoeMatson for pitcher."
Luke turned pale. So did Hiram as they looked at each other. This wassomething they had not counted on--an effective trick.
"For myself and for these new members I demand a vote on the name of JoeMatson!" went on Tom, ignoring Joe's efforts to stop him.
"That's right--we're for Joe!" yelled the new crowd. There were many ofthem, and with the usual element always ready to break away from him,Hiram knew that he would lose on the combination.
"One moment!" he shouted, banging his gavel. Then he hurried over toLuke and the two conferred excitedly, while there was a near-pandemoniumin the gymnasium.
"I have an announcement to make!" shouted Hiram after a bit, makinghis way back to the platform. "It is true that you have the right tonominate any one you please--that is, a member of the athletic committeehas, and members have the right to vote as they please. But I have toinform this audience that Sister Davis is not yet a fully-qualifiedmember of this committee. That is not just yet." Hiram sneereddisagreeably.
"Why not? I signed my application, was properly endorsed, and paid in mydues!" cried Tom. "And so did these other fellows."
"That's right," shouted his crowd in a chorus.
"Very true," went on Hiram coolly. He was master of the situation now,and he knew it. "But there is a rule of this organization, which statesthat at the discretion of the chairman, and the manager and captain ofthe team, or any two of them, new members may be taken on probation forthree months, and during that term of probation they have no votingpower, so you see----"
"That's an old rule!"
"It's never been enforced!"
"It's rotten!"
"That's only a trick!"
These were some of the cries that greeted the announcement Hiram made.
"It may never have been enforced, but it's going to be _now_!" heshouted. "It was made to cover just such snap cases as this. You triedto work a trick, Tom Davis, but you got left. You and those other ladscan't vote for three months, and so the team stands as originallynamed."
"But we have no captain--your rule won't work. You said the manager,chairman and captain could apply that rule. Who is the captain?"demanded Tom, as he saw his game blocked.
"Luke Fodick is captain of this nine; isn't he?" shouted Hiram, closingthe last loophole.
"Aye!" yelled the bully's crowd.
"No!" yelled Tom's.
"The ayes have it," announced the chairman, "and Luke and I agreed onenforcing that rule at this time. Besides, I am acting as chairman inplace of Henry Clay, who isn't present, and I have his voting proxy, soHenry and I also agree on it, if you question the election of Luke."
"That ends it," murmured Peaches in Tom's ear. "Henry Clay never doespreside as chairman. He's only a figurehead for Hiram, and that's wellknown. Hiram always votes for him. I guess you're beaten Tom."
"I'm afraid so. I wish I'd known about that rule."
"I'd forgotten it myself," admitted Peaches. "It's rotten, but you can'tdo anything unless you outvote Hiram."
The bully was smiling mockingly at Tom and Joe. The young pitcher feltrather foolish, but he gave Tom credit for originating a bold move andone that, under ordinary circum
stances, would have been effective.
"You may renew your nomination in three months, if you like, SisterDavis," spoke Hiram sarcastically "as you and the others will then bevoting members. I believe that is about all the business to come beforeus to-night." And he announced the adjournment of the meeting.