William D. Moffat

“ A good natured scrimmage took place, and the scene was rapidly becoming exciting when a step sounded on the stairs outside.
“Break away, you fellows; somebody is coming,” exclaimed Ray.
“Ray, Ray, are you there?” called a strong, cheery voice from the dark hallway. All three of us recognized the tones at once. They recalled vividly the delightful days we had passed at Cedar Hill three weeks before.
“Why, as I live, it must be father,” cried Ray, as we turned gladly toward the door, which at that moment swung open. ”

“ With such encouragement and good wishes we left Halford early Monday morning.
“Do you know,” said Tony Larcom, as our train moved away from Halford, “those fellows have treated us so nicely, that I feel half ashamed of having beaten them?”
“Well, it does seem a poor sort of return for their kindness,” said Dick Palmer; “and yet if we had lost the game I do not think that all their attention could have quite reconciled me to it. We’ll strike a marked contrast at Berkeley.”
“Yes; I don’t think that the Park men will embarrass us with their attentions,” remarked Ray dryly. ”

“ After a few moments more of hard pulling we reached our campus, and with a tingling sense of pleasure at the final accomplishment of our plans, hurried the cannons along to their old resting place.
“And now, fellows,” said Edwards, “we must give three cheers before we disperse. Why don’t you take off your masks? Don’t you know that you run unnecessary risks by wearing them?”
Percy Randall and another student were busy at the touch holes of the cannons. Percy looked up.
“Hold on, fellows; the fun hasn’t more than begun,” he cried.
“What do you mean?” asked Ray Wendell in wonderment. ”

“ As the train slackened speed, Percy Randall and the rest came tumbling back into the car; and we hurriedly gathered together our traps and crowded out upon the platform.
What college man who has ever played ball can forget the glad moment when, after a hard fought and successful tour, he returns to receive the enthusiastic congratulations of his fellow students; the pleasurable thrill with which he first hears the sound of their [260] voices; the joyous, clamorous greeting as the old familiar depot is reached; the happy, noisy throng that receives him with open arms ”

“ Professor Fuller was the oldest and by far the most popular member of the faculty. He was always the student’s first friend on his entrance into Belmont; and many a homesick boy had cause to remember most gratefully the kind attention of the professor at a time when the surroundings were strange to him and he was sadly in need of friendly advice. The old gentleman had always made it a principle to interest himself in all newcomers, to welcome them, and make them feel at home. ”

“ You must yield first to one temptation and then to another, and so on down, down, down, till there seems to be nothing left to stand on; till you have lost all pride, all self respect, and care for nothing, till you are perfectly hopeless, and ruin and wretchedness stare you in the face; till you tremble instinctively at every footstep, fearing that exposure is on your track, till everybody seems to point you out as a guilty, contemptible wretch, and you grow reckless, desperate, and don’t care where you go or what you do ”

“ Doesn’t he remember that Belmont held that banner for five consecutive years, lost it for three years, and then won it for two years more—that the name of the Belmont team has, therefore, seven times out of twelve been inscribed upon that banner in letters of gold? (Cheers.) And why did we lose last year? Not because we had a poor nine, but because it was not well handled. Every honest minded man in this room knows that we would have won the banner had we been headed by the efficient captain who leads us now. (Cheers.) And yet this gentleman wishes us to relinquish the game for a year. ”

“ We had no means of learning, except by rumor, of the effect of the expedition upon the Park College men, but, from what we heard, we judged that a tremendous sensation had been created the morning following, by the discovery of what had happened while they were quietly sleeping. They had put themselves to great pains to rob us of the cannons, and they had been planning to celebrate their deed with a great jubilee, so their chagrin and exasperation knew no bounds when they arose to find the prize had been snatched out of their very hands. ”

“ Berkeley to witness the Park-Halford game, and I had always acted as captain in his absence.
At seven o’clock that evening Tony and I went down to the depot, and met Ray and Clinton Edwards on their return from the game. They were talking earnestly as they came towards us, and I fancied that they both wore a hopeful expression of face.
“Who beat?” cried Tony, eager to learn the news.
“Oh, Park College, of course,” answered Edwards. “They nearly always do on their own grounds.” ”

“ I am a warm admirer of baseball, as warm an admirer as there is in college. But I am also a warm admirer of tennis, and it is in behalf of this latter game that I want to speak. I beg to call attention to the respective records of Belmont College in these two sports. Year before last our baseball team amounted to little—stood third in the League, last year we were again third, and this year we have but three players of the old nine left us, and prospects of a still poorer record. ”

“ Ray was right when he said we had good material. In all my college life I do not think I ever saw a more promising nine. No changes as yet had been found necessary, and it looked as if we would continue through the season with the nine as first chosen. The men were all good individual players, and, under Ray’s efficient captaincy, they were playing together with the utmost harmony and precision. Since our suspension the members of the nine became more devoted to Ray than ever, and his control over them was perfect. ”

“ I succeeded in striking the next man out, so we had but to dispose of one more batter to close the inning.
We all bent ourselves eagerly to the work. I used all possible care and judgment in pitching, and confidently hoped to win the point, for the man at the bat was a weak striker. At the third ball pitched he struck wildly, and tipped the ball high in the air for a pop fly, straight over Fred Harrison’s head. Of course the two men on the bases risked the chance of the ball landing safe, and ran around toward home. ”

“ I joined them immediately.
“Hullo, Harry,” said Ray. “I was just saying to Tony that I don’t like the looks of things at all. We have begun all wrong.”
“So say I,” was my prompt response. “These masks don’t suit me. The fellows know that the college has made strict laws against the wearing of masks. What is it for?”
“I haven’t the least idea,” responded Ray. “We have no need of them. I am sure we have no fear of the Park men, nor any need to conceal our features from them, while we certainly have no reason to be ashamed to show ourselves when we return home with the cannons. ”

“ I think five weeks of this would have made me tired of my boat. My conscience has troubled me greatly about this aiding of two disreputable scamps to defeat the purposes of a college faculty. It is too much like convict trade. I am glad it is over and my conscience can rest.”
“Yes, Tony,” said Ray, “your conscience needs rest sadly, for, if it is any good at all, it must have been severely taxed during late years on your own account, to say nothing of the ‘disreputable scamps’ you speak of.” ”

“ Chairman and gentlemen, should we not cultivate the sport in which we stand the best show of success? Last year the assistance of the college was promised to tennis, but the funds were appropriated by the ball team, or at least the ball team used up all the money the college could contribute, and with the poor results just mentioned. As the college apparently will not extend its support to both, and it comes to a choice between tennis and baseball, I think we ought to give tennis the show it deserves for one year at least. ”

“ Ray examined my wrist anxiously, then bit his lip with annoyance.
“Well, in all my life,” he exclaimed, “I never ran up against such a succession of unlucky circumstances. It certainly seems as if everything was conspiring to destroy our chances.”
I tried to be as hopeful as possible.
“Perhaps it may improve in a day or so. I intend to exercise it, gently at first, and then harder, so as to limber it up. I tell you one thing, boys, I am going to play under any circumstances. All I fear is that my wrist will be weak and injure my work.”
“Can’t we have the game postponed?” asked Tony. ”

“ He was the first man at the bat in the fourth inning, and the second ball pitched struck him on the arm. He was of course given his base.
“Now is your chance, Percy,” said Ray. “Get away to second at once. There are no men out.”
Percy was off like the wind, and reached second base in safety by one of his phenomenal slides, which of course brought the voices of Clinton Edwards’ chorus into vigorous play.
I came next to the bat. We had thus far been unable [249] to do anything with Arnold, who was pitching in magnificent form, and we were beginning to fear we never could handle him. ”

“ At the close of our practice, Ray, Tony, and I walked back to the college together.
“Keep it up, boys,” said Tony, “and we will see that Crimson Banner yet.”
“Yes,” answered Ray, with a laugh, “I can see it Wednesday when I go over to Berkeley. It doesn’t cost anything to see it, but I fancy we may be able to capture it, too, if we can keep on in the way we have begun to-day. We are still a little unaccustomed to the change, but I think we will soon get used to it. The only thing I could wish for is more time to practice. Our game with Park College comes off next Saturday. ”

“ There were no houses in sight to which we could apply for assistance, no stream near by from which we could procure water. We were utterly helpless and alone. The other omnibuses containing our companions had disappeared in the distance ahead of us.
“Oh! what shall we do?” I exclaimed. “Is there no way we can help the poor fellow?”
“I think he has only fainted,” said Ray, with his face close to Fred’s. “We must find something to bring him to.”
Suddenly Tony Larcom uttered a quick exclamation of relief, and leaped back into the omnibus, where he began searching under the seat for something. ”

“ Long before two o’clock—the hour of beginning the game—the box office at the entrance to the grounds was besieged by a large and jostling crowd of students and graduates who had been unable to get reserved seats in the grand stand and were compelled to take their chances of a seat on the benches that flanked two sides of the diamond. ”

“ There isn’t a blade of grass on it, and it is as smooth and hard as a board. If we knock a hard ball outside of the diamond it will roll into the middle of next week.”
“That’s just what we want to do, fellows,” answered Ray promptly. “Hit low and hard, and the ball won’t stop this side of the fence. Remember now for the last time, fellows: don’t hit up in the air—hit hard and low, and run your bases like tigers.”
We were accorded the compliment of a round burst of applause, as the Halford men came in from their practice, and we ran out on the field. ”

“ Chagrined and mortified, the runner walked sulkily in. The Park men were badly upset by this clever dodge, for they felt confident of securing a run, there being no men out, and a man on third. They did not regain their lost advantage, and we closed the inning with the score still blank.
From that time on the crowd selected Percy Randall for their special attention, and sought in every way to disconcert him. They had picked out the wrong man, however. ”

“ We were out of spirits, and played poorly at the bat during the first half of the ninth inning, the result being that we were retired without a run. It was only when the last of the three men was out that we realized our predicament, and prepared for a desperate tug.
“Fellows,” said Ray quietly, but setting his lips firmly, “our reputation is at stake now. You know your duty, so don’t fail. We simply must put those men out in one, two, three order. Then we can make up our lost ground.”
The first man, however, got his base, and, on a passed ball of Dick Palmer’s, he reached second. ”

“ We descended from the omnibus, and in a compact group, approached the grand stand amidst an almost perfect silence on the part of the spectators. The Park men were already on the diamond, and practising with a vim that betokened a determined and confident spirit.
I had half hoped to find Clinton Edwards and his party on the field, thinking that they might perhaps have gone directly there from the depot. Not a Belmont man was to be seen, however, so I resigned all [243] hope of backers, and made up my mind that we must fight the battle alone. ”

“ You remember his companion and roommate, Leisenring, and the whole crowd with whom they went, and you remember warning me against them as dangerous company. I felt able to take care of myself, and, as I was very much flattered by the attention of these upper classmen, I went with them constantly, as you know. You may not know, however, that a great deal of card playing was done in their rooms, and always for money. As my father is a clergyman, I was never allowed to look at cards at home, so I first became acquainted with the game in the company of those fellows. ”

“ We were greeted with three times three cheers, and settled down to practice in good spirits. The Park men, in their turn, received a generous greeting, and were given a chance to exhibit themselves. As we came in from the field Ray nodded to me with a pleasant smile.
“Our fellows are in good feather, Harry,” he said. “If we can’t beat them to-day, we never can.”
At this moment the umpire came out with the new ball in his hand. Ray and Beard approached him; a few words were exchanged, the coin was tossed, and then Ray turned on his heel and came back toward me.
“They won the toss,” he said. ”

“ I said, with some show of impatience.
“Well,” rejoined Ray, with a smile, “I must be brutal enough to say that I do. Perhaps you are right about the championship. The prospects are certainly not encouraging now, but I still hold the conviction that we can beat Park College, and there will be infinite satisfaction to me in that.”
“What change of positions on the nine have you in mind?” I asked.
“I’d put Harold Pratt on first base,” said Ray. “He is tall and has a long reach. Then, for a new third baseman, I should choose Percy Randall by all means.” ”

“ To Ray’s inquiries I made as encouraging responses as possible; but while I spoke of pitching the next day, [218] I knew in my heart that my efforts would prove scarcely more than a dead weight on the rest of the team, and I feared the results would only be disastrous. My hopes of our winning the championship, or of even making a respectable record, seemed to have taken their departure; and it was with sadly depressed spirits that I went to bed Friday evening, and tried to get the long night’s rest which was needed to refresh us for the next day’s struggle. ”

“ We must play for every point as if it were the deciding point of the game; we must meet them, therefore, on their own ground, and not yield an inch. We must push our chances hard, and keep up an aggressive policy ourselves. Their strong point is Arnold. If we can hit [241] his pitching good and hard, and all the time, we will make out all right. I am confident we can, but we must be careful when at the bat, for he is an excellent pitcher, and if any of us display any weakness he will be sure to detect it and take advantage of it. As I told you Saturday, hit hard and low. ”

“ Drayton,” said Ray, “I can’t help thinking that baseball does us as much good in one way as our studies do in another.”
“All exercise is good—in moderation,” answered Dr. Drayton sharply, “but when a game interferes with your class work, then it is time to stop. The [126] matter was well gone over in our interview last year, and I am sorry, Mr. Wendell, that my warning was so little heeded. It comes now, however, to a choice. The faculty is willing to make your penalty in this case merely a nominal suspension of two weeks, upon condition that you young men consent to give up baseball.” ”