Howard Roger Garis

“ Knowing the peculiarity of the curve which Hedden pitched Bill stepped right into it. His bat met the horsehide squarely, and with a “Ping!” that sent a thrill of joy not only to his heart but to the hearts of his brothers and friends.
“Right on the nose! Oh, what a poke!” cried Whistle-Breeches who rejoiced for Bill over what he himself could not do.
Away sailed the ball, well over the centre fielder’s head, away sped Bill legging it for first with all the speed of which he was capable.
“Run! Run! Run!” ”

“ You couldn’t keep me back if you hitched me to the Seniors’ meteorite,” declared Bill with energy.
“Going to try for it, Bondy?” asked Whistle-Breeches of their wealthy neighbor at Bill’s end of the corridor.
“Me? No. Baseball is such a rough and dirty game. But I shall cheer for our team, and back it with my money, of course. Do you think we have a chance to win the championship? I’d like to wager something on it.”
“Oh, you and your money!” growled Whistle-Breeches as he turned away in disgust. “We play ball at Westfield for the game—not for bets!” ”

“ Then, a few seconds after the six had melted away in the darkness, two other figures rose up from the deep grass where they had been hiding.
“There they go, Beantoe,” whispered one lad. “I wonder what’s up?”
“We’ll soon find out, Spider,” was the response. “Come on, we can easily follow them.”
Cautiously the two sped on in the blackness. Just ahead of them could be seen the group of six, and, from time to time, the twain could hear the voices of the Smith Boys, and their chums, Bateye Jones, Doc Lutken and Norton Tonkin. ”

“ What if it was only by one run? One run has often won a league championship.
“Great work, Bill!” cried Pete as he ran in, clapping his brother on the back.
“That’s the stuff!” agreed Cap, as he hugged the pitcher. “We did ’em! Come on now, we can catch the next boat across the river if we get a move on,” and the Smith boys, followed by the rest of the team, hastened to the dressing rooms, stopping only long enough to return the cheer which their opponents gave them. ”

“ With an intaking of breath Will Longton swung at it with such force that he turned completely around, and the [Pg 16] look of astonishment on his face was mirth-provoking, as he realized that he had missed.
“Pung!” went the ball as it settled into the pit of Cap Smith’s glove, and the voice of the umpire, as he called “Three strikes—batter out!” was lost in the howl of delight that welled up from grand stands and bleachers as the crowd realized that Freeport had held their opponents down in the last inning, and had won the game. ”

“ He led Bill to the bench, and indeed the pitcher was a trifle dizzy, and his head felt queer, for he had fallen harder than he had supposed.
The other players, finding that nothing serious was the matter went back to their practice. In the grandstands the singing and cheering was multiplied. Crowds of pretty girls, eager youths, demure chaperones, old grads, young grads and mere spectators continued to arrive until every seat was filled.
“It’s going to be a great game,” murmured Cap, who, finding that his brother was apparently all right, resumed, his catching with Mersfeld. ”

“ CHAPTER XIX THE PROFESSOR’S WARNING
“Say, Cap, don’t you think things are rather slow, not to say dreary around here?” asked Bob Chapin a few days after the ball game, as he strolled into the elder Smith lad’s room, and appropriated the easiest chair. “It’s the spring fever or the summer sleeping sickness coming on, I’m sure.”
“What’s up now, Bob?” asked Bill, as he tossed aside his chemistry, glad of an excuse to stop studying.
“What Bob needs is to train for the eleven or get into a baseball uniform,” added Pete. “He’s getting fat and lazy, and he hasn’t any interest in life.” ”

“ CHAPTER XXVII A SCRIMMAGE
“Play ball!” called the umpire.
“Wait! Wait!” begged Bill breathlessly, as he ran forward. “I’m in time! I can play. Where’s Armitage? I’ve been locked up—couldn’t get here before! Can’t I play?”
A cheer greeted Bill’s unexpected appearance. His brothers who had given up hope rushed forward to clap him on the back. Whistle-Breeches did a war dance around him. There was wild rejoicing among the Westfield Freshmen. The Tuckerton Freshmen looked glum.
“Well, he got here after all,” muttered Swain, the pitcher, to Captain Borden. ”

“ They won’t come off no matter how hard you run, and in fact you may not need them when you’re at the bat. But you do need them to pitch with, and you’re going to have them. Can you make an examination to-night, Tithy?”
“Better than in daylight. I have all the instruments, and I think I could make the glasses.”
“Then it’s all settled!” declared Mr. Clatter, as if that was all there was to it. “Come along, boys, we’ll go over to the other palace car, and see what happens. Bill, you’re going to pitch again, and if you don’t make the Varsity it’s your own fault!” ”

“ Meanwhile the baseball season was drawing to a close, and the championship of the county league lay between Vandalia and Freeport. It came to the final game, the play-off of a tie.
“Now fellows,” remarked Cap, one afternoon, as they journeyed toward the diamond in Freeport, where the closing contest was to take place, “we’ve just got to win to-day. It means the pennant for us.”
“And for Vandalia—if we lose,” added Pete, in a low voice.
“But we’re not going to lose, Sawed-off!” exclaimed Bill, as he swung his pitching arm around to limber it up. “Are we, Cap?” ”

“ Meanwhile he sulked in his room, and thought mean thoughts.
“Say, fellows, do you know I think we ought to do something,” remarked Bill to his brothers one day, as they came in tired but happy from the diamond, after some hard practice. “It’s been dull lately.”
“Yes, let’s paint another statue,” remarked Cap grimly.
“Or put a cow in the physics class,” suggested Pete.
“No, but seriously, I think it’s up to us to do something,” went on Bill. “We’ve got a lot of friends who expect things from us, and we ought to keep up our reputation. What do you say that we give a little spread? ”

“ As for box men, we’ll put Mersfeld in, of course, and if worst comes to worst and he doesn’t last we’ll have to rely on Newton.”
“I suppose so. Oh, if only Bill Smith—! But what’s the use, we’ll do the best we can.”
It was the afternoon of the great game. Already the grandstands on the Westfield grounds were beginning to fill up with the cohorts of the two schools, and other spectators who came to look on, and cheer. There were pretty girls galore, and a glance over the seats showed a riot of colors from the hats and dresses of the maidens, to the gay banners and ribbons on horns and canes. ”

“ The Smith boys were soon out on the diamond with their teammates, doing some hard practice. The crowds increased for not only was there an intense baseball fever in both towns, but, because of the natural rivalry between the places, a game between Freeport and Vandalia, always brought out a record-breaking attendance.
“Play ball!” called the umpire, and the game was on.
It was a hot contest from the very beginning, when Rube Mantell of the Vandalias knocked out a two-bagger with the first ball Bill delivered.
“Oh wow! Pretty one! Pretty one!” yelled the crowd. “That’s a beaut! Take third! ”

“ Windam was law. The scrub, on which Mersfeld was pitching was close to beating the Varsity, over which fact the deposed twirler was gloating.
“If things go on this way,” he said to his crony North, as they left the field, the two again being friendly, “I’ll be back in the box once more.”
“I’d be glad to help you,” was the answer, for though North did not exactly care for Mersfeld, whom he felt was not in his “class,” yet the bully had formed an unreasoning hate toward our heroes, and would have been glad to see them run out of the school. ”

“ But the professor did not heed him. He was looking at the cut on Bill’s head.
“That accounts for your eyes getting right again,” he said. “It’s a bad cut, but you’re in shape to play, in spite of it. Go in, and win!”
“That’s what we’re going to do!” declared Cap.
“Surest thing you know!” cried Pete.
“I’d like to find out how my glasses got in that cannon,” spoke Bill, but no one enlightened him, though Professor Clatter, as he looked at the guilty, flushed face of Mersfeld had a suspicion of the truth.
“Play ball!” called the umpire, and the Westfield nine went to their places in the field. ”

“ Mersfeld did strike him out, after the man had made two foul strikes, and, feeling a trifle nervous the twirler issued walking papers to the next hitter, who had a high average for stick work.
“Work for this man,” signalled the catcher to the pitcher, but Mersfeld, as he was about to throw was aware that the first hitter was stealing to third. He shot to the baseman quickly—but wildly. It went over his head, in among a crowd of spectators, and before the ball could be fielded in the man was home with the first run of the game, and with only one out. ”

“ A little later Beantoe and Spider stole cautiously to the Smith boys’ boat house on the banks of the Waydell river.
“You keep watch, and I’ll bore the holes in the boat,” suggested Spider. “It won’t take long.”
He was soon busy with the auger, and then his crony understood.
“I see!” he exclaimed. “You’re going to make holes in the boat, and then when they’re out fishing, it will sink!”
“Sure! You’re a regular detective,” said Spider, boring away while Beantoe watched. ”

“ Lawson, the genial senior having gotten into the habit lately of calling on his neighbors.
“What’s wrong?” demanded Whistle-Breeches as he noticed Bill’s rather dejected attitude.
“Oh, I’m on the blink. Can’t see to throw straight,” and then the story, which was already known to several in the school, was told.
“I’ll tell you what it is,” began Lawson, and his words were carefully listened to, as befitted a Senior. “You want to see a doctor, Bill.”
“You mean Doc. Blasdell?”
“No, he’s all right for a pain on your insides, but I mean an eye doctor—an oculist. I know a good one. ”

“ The ball came whizzing toward him. He was half minded to swing at it, but a signal he had caught passing between the pitcher and catcher warned him, and he let it pass.
“Strike!” called the umpire. Cap opened his mouth to say something, and then thought better of it.
“You won’t fool me again,” he called to the man in the box, with a grim smile.
“Whack!” That was Cap’s stick meeting the horsehide. Out sailed the sphere, a long, low straight drive into right field—away out among the daisies.
“Oh, wow!”
“Oh, pretty!”
“Oh, a sweet one!”
“Run, you old war-horse! Run, you scob! Run!” ”

“ CHAPTER V OFF FOR WESTFIELD
Whether it was because their trick of putting holes in the Smith boys’ boat did not work, or because they wanted to get even with the brothers on general principles was not made clear, but certain it was, that a few days after the closing ball game, Beantoe and Spider made another attempt to perpetrate something on our heroes.
“This time it will come off all right,” Spider had assured his crony.
“It ought to; we spent time enough on it,” said the stumbling lad. “I certainly hope it does.” ”