Schultz reached wide to meet it and failed. The third was the
lightning drop, straight over the plate. The batter poked weakly at
it. Then Carl struck out and Manning following, did likewise. Three
of the best hitters in the Eastern retired on nine strikes! That was
no fluke. I knew what it meant, and I sat there hugging myself with
the hum of something joyous in my ears.

Gregg had a glow on his sweaty face. "Oh, but say, boys, take a tip
from me! The Rube's a world beater! Raddy knew it; he sized up that
swing, and now I know it. Get wise, you its!"

When old Spears pasted a single through shortstop, the Buffalo manager
took Clary out of the box and put in Vane, their best pitcher. Bogart
advanced the runner to second, but was thrown out on the play. Then
Rube came up. He swung a huge bat and loomed over the Bison's twirler.
Rube had the look of a hitter. He seemed to be holding himself back
from walking right into the ball. And he hit one high and far away.
The fast Carl could not get under it, though he made a valiant effort.
Spears scored and Rube's long strides carried him to third. The cold
crowd in the stands came to life; even the sore bleachers opened up.
McCall dumped a slow teaser down the line, a hit that would easily have
scored Rube, but he ran a little way, then stopped, tried to get back,
and was easily touched out. Ashwell's hard chance gave the Bison's
shortstop an error, and Stringer came up with two men on bases.
Stringer hit a foul over the right-field fence and the crowd howled.
Then he hit a hard long drive straight into the centerfielder's hands.

"Con, I don't know what to think, but ding me if we ain't hittin' the
ball," said Spears. Then to his players: "A little more of that and
we're back in our old shape. All in a minute--at 'em now! Rube, you
dinged old Pogie, pitch!"

Rube toed the rubber, wrapped his long brown fingers round the ball,
stepped out as he swung and--zing! That inning he unloosed a few more
kinks in his arm and he tried some new balls upon the Bisons. But
whatever he used and wherever he put them the result was the same--they
cut the plate and the Bisons were powerless.

That inning marked the change in my team. They had come hack. The
hoodoo had vanished. The championship Worcester team was itself again.

The Bisons were fighting, too, but Rube had them helpless. When they
did hit a ball one of my infielders snapped it up. No chances went to