Edward Stratemeyer

“ Mr. Felding told him to keep off or he'd run into us. Marcy didn't like that, and when he sailed away he yelled after us, 'Think you're all some pumpkins, don't you? Well, I reckon I'm as good as any of you!'"
"His impudence always was monumental," was Harry's comment. "If he comes back to Lakeport he has got to learn to keep his distance."
"If I were you, boys, I should have nothing to do with him," came from Mr. Westmore. "He is a bad egg, and if you give him half a chance he will be sure to make trouble for you. Better not notice him."
"Well, he has got to let Laura alone," said Joe. ”

“ Corsen. And then she and her husband gave the details of the affair as they had gathered them.
"Good for Harry!" ejaculated Joe. "I'm glad you had that heavy baseball bat with you."
"It was the red dress that brought on the trouble," put in Mr. Westmore, secretly pleased at the bravery his son had shown. "Bulls hate red as a person hates poison. I heard about his breaking loose, but I didn't hear any more than that."
"Harry, I feel that I owe you something substantial for what you have done," said Mr. Corsen. "Violet is very dear to my wife and me." ”

“ The lake shore road to Lakeport was located some distance away, and, bidding Joel Runnell good-bye, they scrambled through the brushwood and over the rocks to get to it.
"If we could only locate a horse——" began Joe, when he heard a merry shout from up the road, and looking in that direction saw four fellows on bicycles coming along at a swift gait. As they drew closer they recognized George Dixon and Roy Willetts, of the Brookside Baseball Club.
"Hi! stop! stop!" cried Joe, and Fred joined in quickly. "Stop, Dixon! Stop, Willetts! We want to speak to you!" ”

“ He caught up the pail, pretended to stumble, and the water splashed all over the principal's knees and feet.
"Now see what you have done!" spluttered Montgomery Jadell. "I—I—oh, my fingers!"
"Run out to the brook," said one of the ladies present. "The crab will be sure to swim off."
Not far from the schoolhouse was a tiny brook which emptied into Pine Lake. Clutching his silk hat in one hand, the schoolmaster bolted out of the building and half the boys followed him. He swung his hand with the crab on it aloft.
"Here's a race for you!" cried out Harry. "I'll wager the crab gets there first!" ”

“ If you don't my folks will have the law on you, Dan Marcy!"
"Humph! you can't scare me, Harry Westmore. I'm coming back to Lakeport soon, and then I'll show you what I can do!" muttered the bully, and then he turned and walked away.
"What a miserable creature he is," thought Harry as he started for home. "It's too bad that he is coming back to Lakeport. I suppose he can make a whole lot of trouble if he sets out for it." ”

“ The rivalry between Lakeport and Brookside had always been intense, and in both towns the boys did nothing but talk of the coming game. The majority of the lads in Lakeport were sure the local nine would be victorious, but this feeling was not shared by some of the members of the Excelsiors.
"Humph! they can't win!" sneered Si Voup. "Just wait and see. Brookside will wax 'em out of their boots!"
"Just what I say," said another player. "The Brookside fellows are at it nearly every day. Their team work is almost perfect." ”

“ Out on the field rushed the seven players of the Lakeport Club and took their respective positions. A short hurrah went up, but silence followed when it was noticed that the positions of pitcher and catcher were vacant.
"They must be going to throw up the game," thought Si Voup.
There was an expectant pause and then Harry gave a short, clear whistle. The door to the little dressing-room burst open and out ran Fred and Joe in their natty uniforms and took their respective positions behind the bat and in the pitcher's box. ”

“ In vain Dan Marcy tried to deny the evidence of his guilt. Nobody would listen to him, and in the end he was made a close prisoner and driven off to the Lakeport lock-up. Here he tried to put the whole blame for carrying Joe and Fred off on Si Voup and Boardman, but nobody gave him any credit.
"He is a bad egg," said more than one. "He should have been locked up long ago." And in the end Dan Marcy was tried for his crimes and sent to prison for several years. Si Voup and Boardman escaped with severe reprimands and both promised to turn over a new leaf. ”

“ Jerry Flagg brought a bull into town and he broke loose, and smashed one of Mr. Jackson's shop windows."
"Did he come after you?"
"Not exactly, but I hit him with my baseball bat. Then he ran away."
"You must be careful, Harry. A bull is a dangerous animal when he gets wild."
No more was said about the happening by Harry and the supper passed as usual. But hardly was it finished when the doorbell rang.
"Who can that be?" murmured Mrs. Westmore and sent Laura to answer the summons. On the piazza stood Mr. Monroe Corsen and his wife, with Violet.
"Is Harry at home?" asked the gentleman. ”

“ Rush," said Harry. "We need them on the baseball team."
"I suppose you do, Harry. I will do my best."
"If they don't show up I don't know what we are going to do."
"Haven't you enough players?"
"Oh, yes, but Fred is our best catcher and Joe our best pitcher. With them out of the game we won't stand near as good a chance of winning."
Promptly on time the members of the Lakeport Club assembled at the room. The first question asked by each was concerning Joe and Fred.
"This is the worst blow yet!" cried Bart. "If they don't show up what in the world are we to do?" ”

“ The next afternoon was a particularly fine one, and when they went out to practice Harry, Paul, Link and Matt wore the suits. Some cheered but others poked fun at them.
"Cutting a dash, ain't you?" said one. "Oh, my, ain't we ball players, though!"
"You're only sorry that you haven't a suit," retorted Link.
"I suppose we've got to get used to it," said Paul. "All the same, I wish the whole club had uniforms."
The play that afternoon was of the bright, snappy kind. There was some good pitching and field work, and half a dozen creditable hits were made. ”

“ The day for the game opened brightly and by quarter to nine the hares and hounds assembled at the starting point, which was the public square of Lakeport. A gentleman was there to act as starter, and promptly on the stroke of nine he sent the hares off and at exactly quarter after nine the hounds followed on the trail.
"Now, Harry, we have got to hump ourselves," declared Link, as they struck off down the street and turned the first corner. "Don't forget that some of those other chaps can run better than we can." ”

“ They won the game by the close score of 8 to 9, and the Camdale Club refused to consider themselves beaten.
"It was your own umpire," said Joe to the Camdale captain. "The game is ours and we want our rightful share of the gate receipts."
"Two of the runs you got didn't count!" struck in the Camdale first baseman, a fellow who looked like a perfect bruiser.
"I say they did count, and the umpire says so too," declared Joe, bravely. "We want our money."
One word brought on another, and at last several of the Camdale players, backed up by some town roughs, began to show fight. ”

“ What the boy said about Si Voup getting up a club was true. Angered to think that he had not been asked to joint the Lakeports, Voup organized his club without delay, he being the pitcher and Sidney Yates the catcher. As the crowd had plenty of money they soon procured uniforms and bats, balls, masks, protectors, gloves and other things which go to equip a first-class team.
"We'll show 'em who are the champions of Lakeport," said Si Voup. "We'll beat them out of their hides!"
Joe's club soon heard about the rivals and about the elegant outfit which had been purchased. ”

“ All of the lads looked at each other in consternation. Not one had thought of this before.
"Well, staying here over night will be no novelty to me," said Fred.
"But our folks will be worried over us," came from Link.
"Yes, I promised to be back by nine o'clock sure," added another of the party.
"What can't be cured must be endured," said another.
"I'm sure I tied that boat good and tight," said Joe. "I was very particular about it, Paul."
"I know you were, Joe, for I looked at the rope myself, before coming away," answered Paul Shale. "If the boat is gone——" He did not finish. ”

“ Harry and Fred followed, but soon the stout youth fell behind. Then Joe came out at a bit of a clearing and mounted a big flat rock.
"Hurrah! I've won!" he cried, swinging his cap in the air. "What is the prize?"
"A ham sandwich," answered Link, who was carrying one of the lunch baskets. "Here you are," and he handed it out.
"Let us rest a bit before eating anything," said Frank. "A fellow can't eat when he is out of wind."
"Humph! I can eat any time," grumbled Fred. "Try me and see." ”

“ We haven't any boat."
"Well, we have got to get to the mainshore somehow, Fred. Remember, our folks must be dreadfully worried about us, and then that baseball game——"
"That's it! We must get back in time for that game by all means! I wouldn't miss it for a farm."
"If some sailboat chanced to come past the island we might hail those on board."
"Do you know of any place where we would be likely to pick up a rowboat, or an old canoe?"
"No, but I know where we can pick up a few logs," added Joe, suddenly. "We might build a raft and ferry ourselves over to the mainland." ”

“ It is more than likely that some of the members of the club ate but little dinner on that all-important Saturday. By two o'clock all were at the clubroom, getting into their uniforms and listening to Joe's final words of advice.
"Above all things, don't get rattled," Joe was saying. "If you allow yourselves to get rattled you'll surely go to pieces and lose. Try to keep cool no matter what happens. And if you see me getting rattled don't hesitate to tell me so. If any two of you want another pitcher or catcher, I'll make the change." ”

“ The rest of the inning was short, the next player going out on a pop fly to third. Then the Lakeports came in, to try their luck again and talk over De Vere's error.
"I always said he was a stick," grumbled Matt. "A stick and a gas bag combined."
"Perhaps he thought the ball too dirty to hold," suggested Bart, with a grin. "He loves to keep his hands lily white."
No more runs were scored until the sixth inning, when Brookside added one more to its total. Lakeport also scored twice, much to the satisfaction of its supporters. ”

“ Promptly on time on the following Saturday the boys who had been invited to do so gathered at Link Darrow's place and mounted the stairs leading to the second floor of the carpenter shop.
"This is all right!" exclaimed Walter Bannister, as he gazed around. "Somebody must have worked hard to get this clubroom into ship-shape."
"Yes, but we have got to work harder yet to get the club into shape," put in Fred. "This is going to be no go-as-you-please affair. If we form our club and then let the clubs from other towns defeat us—why, we'll never hear the end of it, that's all." ”

“ Mr. Montgomery Jadell was the principal of the Lakeport school. He was a fussy old gentleman, who wore a high, silk hat on all occasions and big, gold-rimmed spectacles. Only a few of his pupils liked him, and the majority of the lads spoke of him as Old Stovepipe behind his back. He was a bachelor and had a maiden sister named Angelina who kept house for him.
"Old Stovepipe is going to walk right across the ball field," came from Paul. ”

“ As each minute went by all of the players looked for Joe and Fred, and when the saw-mill whistle blew twelve o'clock and the practicing came to an end each looked at the others in a doubtful manner.
"I may be mistaken, but I think something has gone wrong somewhere," was Bart's comment. "I don't think Joe and Fred would stay away like this of their own accord."
"Neither do I," answered Matt. "Something serious has happened to delay them."
"My father said there was a fire last night up in the direction of Hollow Cove. He said it looked to him as if it was a barn. ”

“ He struck—and missed once more.
"Three strikes—batter out!"
"Hang the luck!" roared Si Voup, and threw his bat on the ground with great violence.
The next player went out on a foul to third. Then Joe steadied up once more and the third player went out on strikes as Voup had done.
"No runs this trip for the Excelsiors!"
"Now, Lakeports, see what you can do!"
"The winning run is what we want!"
It was Harry's turn to bat and he selected his ashen stick with care.
"Don't be in a hurry," cautioned Bart. "Make him give you the ball you want."
"I will," said Harry. ”

“ Seeing this, three of the other tramps did the same.
"Don't let them catch you!" whispered Harry, thinking of the trouble he and Joe had had with tramps the fall previous.
"Not if I can help it!" answered Link.
Side by side the boys ran on with the tramps after them. The latter did not relish the run, however, and presently one picked up a heavy stick and hurled it at Harry. It struck the lad in the back and made him pitch headlong.
As soon as Harry fell Link, not to desert his chum, stopped running and picked up a stone.
"Leave us alone!" he cried. "Do you hear? Leave us alone!" ”

“ Jerry Flagg's bull has broken loose!"
"Hullo, a wild bull!" he cried. "He'll make trouble in this street, if he once gets a-going!"
He looked along the street, but could not at first locate the beast. But then came a roaring bellow, and the bull emerged from an alleyway not a hundred feet away. He had a long rope tied around his neck.
"Oh, help! Please take the bull away!" shrieked a voice not far from where Harry was standing, and looking around he espied a little girl of six crouched close to a shop window. ”