Rival Pitchers of Oakdale

the air; something whizzed high and

" called t

him!" cried Chipper Coope

from Sile Crane. "He

n!" entreated Bob Larkins, who had taken a p

ietly and reassuringly, returning the

n himself, and, having forgotten to get a chew of gum, he suddenly realized that his mouth was dry as a chip. W

e can't find the pan. Take a ramb

nd held up his mitt behind the inside corner of the plate. Doing his best to be steady, Phil r

Cooper. "Let him wait. He'll have a cha

en, nodding at the signal for a drop, he started the ball high, but gave i

umpire, at which Dingley s

ooper gayly. "He's worked in a restaura

ain used a curve that was too wid

n any direction. Springer leaned forward to get the signal, then swung into an elaborate delivery which he had practiced. Another drop was tried, but this

ps when he saw the ball held by the lively little sho

Spring, old dandy," laughed Cooper. "You've go

and Barville sent out

Jack Nelson, from his position n

a runner ahead of him it was up to him to try

e's a regular hen-roost robber; he loves fouls. D

ed Springer to waste the next one, and in that he made his mistake;

re, and Pratt turned sadly and

to do with those horns and cowbells," cr

ged forward to get it on the first bound and made a miserable fumble. C

laughingly came to anchor, chaffing Cooper, who was m

ns. "Now we score. On your toes, Whiti

told Phil that Copley would hit the ball, and in keen apprehension he pitched the first two so wide of the plate that Eliot w

d. "Lost your nerve? Going

so Phil tried to push over a swift, straight one. With a smas

ped the s

"Score on it, Whitin

a chance for Grant to reach the whistling sphere, but he covered ground with amazing speed and leaped into the air, thrusti

a sudden, these sounds were drowned by the great yell-almost a roar-of joyous relief and exultation which burst from the Oakdale sympathizers. On those seats boys wearing the crimson colors jumped up and down, shrie

s mouth; and despairingly he had whirled around to watch the course of the ball, perceiving out of the corner of his e

phere, and even as a voice within the pitcher's brain seemed to cry, "He can

ped Phil. "W

ing in from the field, his face f

iving his chum a resounding op

reaching f

d Rod; "but I was bound to try my handsomest for

d lifted Rod's cap with one hand, at the same time using the other

sgustedly. "That was a fearful blind stab," he

to see," acknowle

. "That's the way to get after them," he said. "

asn't I?" said Phil wit

ou were pretty good. Copley was the onl

ing, and if they'd scored I'd been responsible for

pick of the enemy's batters, had hit safely; for which, cutting out Grant's performance, he

dy protector and adjusting the mask. Oakdale had put her second baseman, Jack Nelson, at the head

mark. Keep him off the pan, Mr. Umpire; make him stay in his box." Then, under his breath, speaking just lo

e was something indescribably irritating about the manne

ley made no further remark, but his husky chucklings over the batter's failures, sent the b

" pronounced

Larkins. "They had their fun with

r. True, Barker did foul the ball once, but that was the only time he touched

"will you keep that catcher

can talk to the pitcher if I choose, and I've got

to him, Springer," warned

the first ball de

can pitch," cried Cop

e," cried Roger. "He's ta

our pitcher. He can't pitch a little bit-oh, no! He just dreamed he coul

, and Phil fouled it off into the first base blea

. "I wonder how these people

out, Sanger having fanned the first three men to face him; which seemed to justify the Barville