behind," groaned Lester.

"We ought to have 'got the hay in' before this," said Bill, as Tom's
doggerel of the morning came back to him.

The Mount Vernon team was quick to see its advantage and began to play
for time.

They were ahead, and as more than five innings had been played, it would
be called a complete game and credited to them, if they could keep their
opponents from scoring before the rain came down.

With this end in view, they began a series of movements designed to
delay the game. The Rally Hall boys were at the bat and it was the
beginning of the seventh inning. They were desperate in their desire to
tie or go ahead of the enemy. Those two runs loomed bigger and bigger,
as the game drew near its end.

"We've got to get a move on, fellows," admonished Fred, as his side came
to bat.

"And in an awful hurry, too," agreed Melvin.

"The time's short even if the rain doesn't come," declared Ned. "But
from the look of those clouds, we won't play a full game. Make this the
'lucky seventh' and crack out a couple of runs."

"How are we going to get anything, if that pitcher doesn't put it over?"
asked Tom, as he stood at the plate, bat in hand. "Hi, there," he called
to the boxman. "Put the ball over the plate and I'll kill it."

"Take your time," drawled the pitcher, as he bent over, pretending to
tie his shoe lace. "I'll strike you out soon enough."

That shoe lace seemed very hard to tie, judging from the time he spent
in doing it. At last, when he could not keep up the pretence any longer,
he straightened up and took his position in the box. Then, something
about the ball seemed to attract his attention. He looked at it
earnestly and signaled to the captain who walked in slowly from centre
field. He in turn beckoned to the first baseman, and the three joined in
conversation at the pitcher's box.

By this time, the crowd had caught the idea, and a storm of protest
broke out from the stands.

"Play ball!"

"Cut out the baby act!"

"Can't you win without the rain?"

"What a crowd of quitters!"

"Be sports and play the game!"

"They're showing a yellow streak!"

"The white feather, you mean!"

Most of the protests came from the Rally Hall followers, but a good many
also of the home team's supporters were disgusted at these
unsportsmanlike tactics.

Teddy rushed up to the umpire, his eyes blazing.

"Are you going to stand for this?" he asked. "What kind of a deal are we
getting in this