er!" appealed a Central rooter
from the side.

Dan grinned again, his look seeming to say, "Watch me!"

Two strikes, with no called balls. Dick, dancing away from third,
felt himself on tenterhooks. Not all of his perspiration was
due to the heat of the day.

Again Dan offered. Crack! A wild, gleeful whoop went up from
some of the Central rooters, while others held their breath.
The ball went high, and right field came running in for it. As
it happened, the fielder underestimated the length of the flight.
It struck the ground to his rear and rolled. Before the outfielder
could pick it up Dan had kicked the first bag.

"Prescott! Prescott!"

Dick was in, scoring the first run, while Greg was at second,
and Dan hugging first as though he dared not be found two yards
away from that bag.

Henderson now went to bat, accompanied by the grave anxiety of
the members of his nine, for Spoff was not one of the star players.
True to expectations Spoff struck out.

"Do it, Hazelton! You've got to do it!" yelled the Central fans
despairingly. "Don't miss any tricks!"

Harry, however, could find nothing safe to hit at. He took first
on called balls, advancing Greg to third and Dan to second.

Wrecker Lane now swung the willow. On his face was a do-or-die,
dogged expression. Wrecker was not a brilliant player, though
he was one to whom defeat came hard.

"Go after it, Wrecker. Put it over hard! Slam!"

After two strikes and one ball had been called Wrecker let go
in deadly earnest. Bang! The blow split the leather, which went
in an erratic though by no means short course. Greg dashed in
over the plate amid wild cheers. Dan, hotfooting as he had never
before done in his life, crossed the plate also. Wrecker, panting,
reached first, looked at the fielder almost on the ball, sped
on, then prudently turned and make back for first.

Toby Ross now went to bat, and struck out in crisp one-two-three
order.

"Wrecker, that was a bully liner!" glowed Dick, grasping the hand
of the boy who had saved the score in its critical moment. "You
seemed to have Hi Martin's delivery down to a certainty."

"Yes, and it was a wonder, too," confessed Wrecker, still a bit
dazed. "I couldn't see the ball at all, but I knew that it was
up to me to do something."

"How do you feel now, Chromos?" bawled Ted Teall at the beginning
of the seventh.

The score was now three to two in favor of Central Grammar.

It was still there when the seven