r the plate.
Again the catcher ordered a fast ball, and he pitched a curve that
Burley fouled off for the second strike. Kennedy, perplexed and
anxious, ran down to consult with the pitcher. Williams sullenly
assented to the order to pitch high and out and waste two balls.
Instead, he threw a curve, low, close to the batter's knees and barely
twisting. Before Kennedy's cry of anger rose the bat crashed against
the ball, which flashed down the third-base line, struck McCarthy on
the arm, then on the jaw, and he went down like a poled ox, the ball
carroming away toward the stand. Before it was recovered one Maroon
had scored and the others were perched on second and third.

Time was called and players rushed to assist the injured third baseman.
Kennedy threw off his mask and ran to the bench.

"I signaled him and told him to pitch fast and waste two," he said to
Manager Clancy. "He nodded that he would and then crossed me and
lobbed up an easy curve inside the plate."

"Don't say a word," cautioned Clancy, as McCarthy, still dazed, but
recovering, was helped to his feet. "Keep ordering him to pitch fast
and outside. Signal me if he disobeys again."

McCarthy got onto his feet unsteadily, while the trainer worked with
his numb and aching arm. He winced with pain as he tried to throw to
see how badly his arm was damaged. While he was walking slowly back to
the bag, testing his arm anxiously, McCarthy had the second shock. The
cheering in the stands drew his attention, and as he glanced toward the
crowd he saw a girl. She was sitting in one of the field boxes between
two men and she was staring straight at him. McCarthy lifted his cap,
as if acknowledging the tribute to the crowd, but really in salutation
to the girl, who flushed angrily. A wave of resentment stirred
McCarthy. He strove to think that she had failed to recognize him, yet
feeling that the cut was deliberate.

Play had been resumed, but McCarthy's mind was not upon it. A sharp
yell from Swanson aroused him from his reverie just in time to see a
slow, easy bounding ball coming toward him. He leaped forward, fumbled
the ball an instant, recovered and threw wild. Two runners dashed
home, the batter reached second. McCarthy was thoroughly unnerved. A
few moments later he permitted an easy fly ball to fall safe in left
field without touching it. His errors gave the Maroons two more
scores, and, although the Bears rallied desperately late in