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Gus to Mom, Dad, and Bob. It surprised and bothered them almost as much as it had Skeeter.
    “Gus might’ve gotten homesick for you, Skeeter, and gone out looking for you,” Dadsaid. “I’ve heard of animals doing that. It’s possible that some birds would do that, too.”
    “Especially an intelligent bird like a falcon,” Mom added, an encouraging smile in her voice.
    Skeeter’s hopes went up a few notches. “You mean it’s possible that he might fly back home to me?”
    Dad nodded. “It’s possible.”
    At ten-thirty Shadow came over with his mother and father. Skeeter and Shadow realized that they couldn’t carry on a conversation
     very well with the grown-ups around, so they retreated to Skeeter’s bedroom. Shadow and his parents stayed till noon, then
     left.
    That afternoon some of the guys on the Milky Ways baseball team came to the house: Tip Miles, Joey Spry, Spider, and Leo Sweetman.
    “Are we glad to see you!” said Spider.
    “How have the Milky Ways been doing?”asked Skeeter. Practically all of his conversation that morning with Shadow had been about his visit in Idaho.
    “Lousy!” answered Tip. “We played three games since you’ve been gone and lost all three.”
    “Isn’t Tommy Scott doing anything?” Skeeter asked.
    “He’s doing nothing,” Leo Sweetman said disgustedly. “Except striking out or popping up, if you want to call that something.
     All he got was one hit since you were gone, Skeet. He’s no ball player. We need you. We need your hitting
bad.”
    Skeeter turned almost numb. That was the best news he’d heard since coming back from his vacation. At last it must have proven
     to Roger Hyde that Tommy Scott wasn’t a ball player. Not a real good ball player.
    Maybe now Roger will change his mindabout me,
Skeeter thought.
Sure I miss a fly in the outfield now and then. Sure I’m not the most graceful baseball player on the team. But, at least,
     I can hit. Everybody admits that.
    Then Skeeter thought of Tommy’s, pet dog, Pancho — and of his own falcon, Gus. Suddenly he was sorry for Tommy, and didn’t
     care if Tommy started every game during the balance of the baseball season. He knew now how Tommy must’ve felt when Pancho
     had turned up missing. Tommy must’ve felt just as miserable as Skeeter did now.
    “You’re going to play with us today, aren’t you, Skeet?” Joey asked. “We’re playing the Dragonflies. They’ll swamp us if you
     don’t.”
    “We need your power, Skeet,” said Spider. “Maybe you’re no great outfielder, but nobody can beat you at the plate.”
    Skeeter smiled. Boy, it was good to beback among the guys again. It seemed as if he’d been gone a whole year instead of only a week and a half.
    “Maybe you guys haven’t heard that my pet falcon Gus flew away,” he said.
    “Yes, we did,” replied Spider. “Shadow told us. He feels real bad about it. He blames himself.”
    “It wasn’t his fault. I told him to let Gus fly off once in a while for exercise. Gus flew off, and didn’t come back.”
    “Maybe he will sometime,” said Joey.
    Skeeter shrugged. “I don’t know.” He took a deep breath, and let it out. “I’ll be at the game tonight. But maybe Coach O’Hara
     won’t let me start. Maybe he’ll start Tommy Scott. Anyway, that would be all right with me.”
    The boys stared at him. “Why do you say that?” asked Tip.
    “I bet I know,” said Spider. “It’s because of Pancho, Tommy’s dog.”
    Skeeter remained quiet awhile, then rose from the step and went to the door. “See you guys at the game,” he said. He didn’t
     want to talk about Pancho, nor Gus. It was hard enough just thinking about them.

12
    B ob had a date that afternoon. Skeeter knew he did because he was whistling one song after another. Girls were pretty funny
     creatures, Skeeter thought. You’d never catch him whistling just because of some girl.
    He went skateboard riding over to Shadow’s house. Shadow had never been on a