CHAPTER X
A TIGHT CONTEST
"Strike one!" yelled the young umpire, as the ball landed with a resounding thud
in Bart Ferguson's big mitt.
"That's the stuff!" called several in the crowd.
"Send back the Reds with a whitewash brush," added another enthusiast.
"I guess Sam's in form to-day," remarked Tom Davis to Rodney Burke near whom he sat.
Tom was not playing, for Darrell was holding down the initial bag.
"Wait a bit and see what happens along about the seventh inning," said Rodney. "Sam
generally falls down then if he's going to."
"Well, I hope he doesn't, that's all," said Tom, and then he gave all his attention
to watching the game.
"Ball one," was the next decision of the umpire.
"Aw what's the matter with you?" cried Sam, starting toward home where Bart stood
holding the ball. "That clipped the plate as good as any[81] one would want. You'd
better get a pair of glasses, Kern. You can't see straight."
"I can see as well as you!" retorted Frank Kern, the umpire.
"It wasn't anywhere near over the plate," retorted Jack King, the batter.
"Aw, you don't know a good ball when you get one," snapped Sam. "I guess——"
"That'll do now!" called Darrell sharply from first. "This isn't a kid game. Play
ball. Don't be always kicking, Sam."
"Who is always kicking?" demanded the pitcher, and it was evident to all that he
was in unusually bad temper.
"I hope it isn't on my account," thought Joe who, from his position in deep centre,
was waiting for anything that might come his way. He had been told to play far out, for
King was known as a heavy hitter.
Sam received the ball from Bart with a scowl and wound up for the next delivery. Sam was
a natural pitcher. That is, he had good control, as a rule, and he made his shoulder and back
do most of the work of the pitching arm, as all professionals do. Still his unpleasant
temper often made his efforts go to waste.
"Strike two!" called the umpire this time, and[82] there was no doubt about it for King
had swung viciously at the ball. But Sam had sent in a puzzling little drop, and the knowledge
that he had fooled a good batter brought a smile to his otherwise scowling face.
"Here's where I get you!" he predicted.
But alas for his hopes! The bat met the ball squarely and Sam had made the mistake of sending
a fast ball to a heavy hitter enabling King to knock out a pretty three bagger. Far back
as Joe had stationed himself he was not far enough and he had to turn and run after the
horsehide. And how he did run! He was thinking desperately what would happen if he missed
it! He made up his mind that he would not, yet it was not within the power of any one
to get to the spot before the ball fell.
Joe felt it graze the tips of his fingers as it rushed downward but that was all. He
heard himself groan involuntarily in anguish as the ball hit the ground with a thud. He
lost no time in idle regrets however, but picked it up and made a throw to third in
time to hold King there, for the doughty player had a notion of continuing on home.
"Good try old man!" yelled some spectators on the benches nearest Joe. He felt that his
effort[83] was somewhat appreciated but he wondered what Darrell would think of it. Sam
was scowling again, whether at Joe's perfectly natural miss, or the fact that he was hit
for three bases was impossible to guess.
"Try for the next one," called Darrell cheerfully, and Sam did with such success
that Bigney, who was second up for the Red Stockings, only pounded out a little drizzler
that Sam quickly gathered in and threw to first. King was still held on third. Smart
fanned out, and then came Steel, who, after knocking a couple of fouls, was fooled on
a little in-shoot which made three out, King dying on third and the side being retired
with no runs.
"Oh, not so bad," said Sam as he walked in to the bench.
"I guess we've got their number all right," assented Darrell. He saw Joe coming in from
centre and the manager stopped to speak to him.
"Nobody could have gotten that ball," he said, for he realized that the new player
might blame himself unjustly. "I didn't think King had it in him, or I'd have told
you to play out to the limit. He won't get you that way again."
"I guess not!" exclaimed Joe heartily.
The make up and batting order of the Silver[84] Stars was the same as in the game with the
Resolutes save that Joe was in Jed McGraw's place, and this brought him second to the
bat. Potter was up first and managed to get a single.
"Now, bring him in," commanded Darrell with a smile at Joe, as the latter picked
out a bat. He was very nervous, as any lad would have been, playing his first game with
a new team. He did want to make good!
"I'll try," he said simply.
Painter, the Red Stocking pitcher, had no phenomenal speed and his curves could not
be depended on to break at the right places. Still he was a good "bluffer" and he made
many a batter think that he was getting a very swift ball. Often it would look as though
it was going to hit the man at the plate and he would instinctively step back, disconcerting
his own aim.
Joe let the first ball pass, and was somewhat surprised to have a strike called on him.
But he did not kick, for, as a matter of fact, the horsehide had clipped the plate.
"I'll get the next one," thought Joe grimly. Then Painter worked his usual trick,
of throwing a ball close in, and Joe bent his body like a bow.
"Strike two!" yelled the umpire and Joe felt a flash of anger. But he said nothing,
and when[85] the next ball came he swung viciously at it. He heard the heart-stirring ping! and,
dropping his bat, he legged it for first as Potter darted to second.
But Joe had not hit the ball nearly as hard as he thought he had, and the result was that
the shortstop gathered it in, and, by a quick throw to first, caught our hero there.
"Quick, to second!" yelled the coacher, but Potter dropped and slid, being counted
safe.
"One down, only two more!" yelled Murphy, captain and catcher of the "Reds," as
they were called for short.
Joe felt his face burning with shame as he walked back to the bench.
"Humph! I thought we were going to see some wonders!" murmured Sam Morton sarcastically.
"It's all right, Matson—it was an even chance, and you found the ball," said Darrell
quickly. He knew the danger of a new player becoming discouraged.
"Thanks," said Joe quietly.
Lantry got a single which sent Potter to third, but the next two men struck out and with two
men left on bases the Silver Stars had to take the field again with only a goose egg
to their credit.
[86]
The game ran along to the ending of the third inning with neither side getting a run. Each
team made some scattering hits but the fielding was evenly good, and no one crossed the home
plate. Joe made one fine catch in the beginning of the third and received a round of applause
that did his heart good.
Sam was pitching pretty good ball, occasionally being found for a two bagger, but any short-comings
in this line were more than made up in the support he received from his mates.
"It's going to be a tighter game than I thought it was," murmured Darrell, at
the close of the fourth inning, when his side had managed to get in one run to tie the tally
which the Reds had secured. "They've got a better team than I gave them credit for."
"You don't think they're going to beat us, do you?" asked Sam anxiously.
"I—well—I hope not," was the hesitating answer.
"Does that mean you don't think I'm doing all I ought to?" demanded the pitcher
defiantly.
"Of course not. I know you wouldn't throw the game. Only I wish we could strike more
of them out," and the manager looked anxiously over the field as his players were stationing
themselves.
[87]
"Wait and see what I do this inning," invited Sam. "Perhaps you want that new
fellow to go in the box in my place." His voice was sneering now.
"Who, Joe Matson?" asked Darrell quickly.
"That's who I mean," replied Sam surlily.
"Don't be foolish," was the manager's quiet answer. "You know he hasn't had
any experience in the box—or at least enough to play on our team, though I think he'll
make a good fielder. Now do your prettiest Sam. You can, you know."
"All right," assented the pitcher, and once more the game was underway.
The fifth inning was productive of one run for the Silver Stars and this after they had
retired their rivals hitless, for Sam did some excellent pitching. There was a howl
of delight as the first tally came in, making the score two to one in favor of our friends.
And there was none out.
"Now we ought to walk away from them," called Darrell to his players. Joe came up
to bat and to his delight he got a single. He was advanced to second when the next player
connected with the ball, and then followed some see-sawing on the part of the pitcher
and the second baseman, in an endeavor to catch Joe napping.
Once our hero thought he saw a good chance[88] to steal third and he was about to take it
when something warned him to come back. He did, and only just in time, for the pitcher
threw to second. It was a close shave.
Joe slid head foremost and as his fingers touched the bag the second baseman leaped
up in the air to catch the ball which the pitcher had wildly thrown high.
When the baseman came down, making a wild effort to touch Joe, the iron cleat of one
shoe caught the little finger of Joe's left hand and cut it cruelly.
The plucky centre fielder tried to stifle the groan of anguish that rose to his lips,
but it was impossible. The baseman was aware of the accident.
Dropping the ball he knelt over Joe.
"I'm mighty sorry, old man!" he exclaimed. "Are you hurt much?"
"No—no. I—I guess not," murmured Joe, and then all got black before his eyes, and
there was a curious roaring in his ears.
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