CHAPTER XX ON THE BALL-FIELD
Reff Ritter won the toss-up and sent the Browns to the bat. Pepper wasthe first batter up, and as he took his place at the plate a slightcheer went up.
"Play!" called the umpire, one of the teachers from another school.
Dan Baxter held the ball a second, looked at the plate, and let drive.
"Strike one!" sang out the umpire, although Pepper had not struck at thesphere.
Again the ball was delivered, and Pepper sent the bat around as quicklyas he could.
"Strike two!"
Then came a ball,--just a little too high. Then the sphere was deliveredonce more.
"Strike three! Batter out!"
"Good for Baxter! That's the way to do it!"
"That ball shot up at the last instant," said Pepper to Jack.
"It must be the new curved ball," answered the the young major.
Hogan was the next to the bat. The Irish lad was usually a fairly goodbatsman, and when he was struck out a cry of wonder went up.
"Baxter is certainly pitching to-day!"
"Here comes Snow! He'll hit it, I guess."
Andy had two strikes called on him and then knocked a little foul, rightin the catcher's hands.
"Three out! That was pretty short."
"And no hit."
When Dan Baxter came up and took a seat on the bench a grin overspreadhis face.
"I guess you've got 'em going," said Coulter.
"Sure thing," answered the bully. "They won't know where they stand whenI get through with them."
Coulter was the first player up for the Medals, and went out on a foulto third. Then came Paxton, who reached first on a drive to center. Thenext player followed with a fly to second. When the inning came to anend the Medals had one run.
"Hurrah for the Medals!" shouted some of the students.
"Now we must get on to that curved ball," said Jack, as Harry Blossomwent to the plate.
But Harry could no more than knock a foul and then went out on threestrikes.
"Now, Jack!" called out Bart. "See if you can't whack it out."
Jack grasped his bat firmly and looked at Baxter sharply. The bully'sface wore a sickly grin. Jack had a strike called on him before he triedto hit the sphere. Then came another strike.
"Baxter is going to strike Ruddy out too!"
"No use of talking, Dan is a great pitcher this season."
Again the ball came in, but it was too low and the umpire called it aball.
Then the sphere came in just right. Jack saw it curving and did notbring his bat around until the last instant. Then followed a bunt, andwhile Dan Baxter fumbled with the ball Jack got to first.
"Hullo, he got to first anyway!"
"Only on a bunt," came from a follower of the Medals.
The next player at the bat went out on strikes and the student to followon a fly to third, and thus Jack, though he got to third, failed toscore. Then the Baxter and Ritter team came in and made two runs.
"Look at that score! Browns 0, Medals 3!"
"This is certainly a winning day for the Medals!"
"That's what it is!"
The friends of the Browns said nothing, but looked decidedly glum. Thenext inning resulted in a goose-egg for each side. At the end of thefifth inning the score stood Browns 0, Medals 5.
"I want to tell you about that curved ball," said, Andy. "I have beenwatching Baxter closely. When his arm goes like this, it's an in-shoot,when it goes like this it's an out-shoot, and when it is twisted up likethis, it's a drop-ball. Now watch and see if I am not right."
"You are right," said Emerald. "I watched it meself, so I did."
"Well, let us see what good watching did," said Jack.
Hogan was at the bat, and the Irish lad got two balls and two strikes.Then came a drop-ball, but Emerald raised it up far into center-field.
"Good!" yelled Pepper. "Go, Emerald, go!" And go the Irish cadet did,and reached second-base before the fielder could send the ball up.
Hogan's two-base hit seemed to put new life in the Browns, and at theend of that inning they had two runs to their credit. More than that,they had hit the ball six times.
"I guess we have solved the mystery of Baxter's curves," said Bart tohis team.
"Yes, but we are still behind," said Andy, with a shrug of hisshoulders.
"Well, don't give up yet."
"Give up? Not a bit of it!" cried the acrobatic youth.
At the end of the seventh inning the score stood Browns 3, Medals 6.Then came a long-drawn-out inning, leaving the score at the ending ofthe eighth Browns 6, Medals 9.
"This is our last chance," said Bart. "We must do our level best."
An out was made and then two players got their bases. Then came a ballwhich Bart himself lifted to right-field, close to the foul flag.
"Run! Run!" yelled the supporters of the Browns, and run they did,bringing in two runs and leaving Bart on third.
"That's the way to do it!"
"One more run and the score will be a tie!"
"That was a foul!" grumbled Reff Ritter.
"Of course it was a foul!" chimed in Dan Baxter.
"It was a fair ball," said the umpire. "Perfectly fair."
The Medals wanted to argue, but the umpire would not listen. There was acry from all around the diamond to "Play ball!" and the umpire pulledout his watch.
"Play in two minutes or forfeit the game," he said, loudly.
Still grumbling, Dan Baxter walked back to the box. He sent in a ballwith care and the batsman had a strike called on him. But then came asafe hit and Bart came in, tying the score, 9 to 9, amid a greatcheering.
Pepper was now to the bat, but went out on a fly to second. Then cameHogan.
"Now, Emerald, we depend on you," said Bart, in a low tone.
"I shan't disappoint yez, not me!" grunted the Irish cadet. "I'm on tohis curves, so I am!"
The very first ball came in just as Hogan wished it. He took a step,landed solidly on the sphere, and sprinted like mad for first.
"Foul ball!" sang out the umpire, when poor Emerald was halfway tosecond base.
"Bad cess to the foul!" panted the batsman, as he walked slowly back tothe home-plate. "I thought I had third sure!"
The next ball was too high, and he let it pass. Then came another justright, and once more the Irish youth banged away with all of his might.This time the sphere went down to deep center.
"Run! run!" was the yell. "Run, Emerald!"
"Show 'em what an Irish lad can do!"
And Emerald did run, up to third. Then he saw the second-baseman muffthe ball and saw Dan Baxter start for it, and he tore towards home. Overthe plate he slid--and the ball came in--but just a second too late.
"The Browns are one run ahead!"
"Andy Snow is up next."
"He won't do much."
"Wait and see."
Andy had a strike called on him and then got three balls. Evidently DanBaxter was getting nervous.
"Take your time, Andy," said Bart. Andy did take his time, and as aresult got four balls and walked to first-base.
Harry Blossom followed and Andy got to third. Then came a short hit tofirst, and Andy came in. By this time the Browns were highlyenthusiastic, while the Medals were correspondingly dejected. Dan Baxter"went to pieces" completely, and when the Browns finally went out it waswith fourteen runs to their credit.
"Now we must pull up," said Ritter, with a scowl at Dan Baxter.
"It's a mountain to climb over," grumbled Coulter.
Jack was on his mettle and did all he could to steady himself. The firstplayer up to the bat was struck out, and the second went out on a foul.Then one got to first on balls and another followed.
"Steady, Jack, steady!" whispered Pepper. "Don't go to pieces as Baxterdid."
"I won't," said Jack, and shut his teeth hard.
With two out the Medals filled the bases, and t
hen Reff Ritter came tothe bat.
"Knock a homer, Reff!" shouted one of his friends. "A home run wouldmean four runs."
Reff scowled at Jack as he took his place. Jack looked determined. Hethrew in the ball with care.
"Strike one!"
"Too high!" grumbled Ritter.
Again the ball came in.
"Ball one!"
Once again the sphere was delivered, and Reff Ritter struck at it withall his might. It sailed over Jack's head and seemed bound forcenter-field, when like a flash Pepper at second leaped up and caught itin his left hand.
"Hurrah! What a fine catch!"
"That ends the game!"
"The Browns win! Hurrah!"