town, anyway?"

The umpire, who had tried to be strictly impartial, raised his hand
soothingly.

"Go easy, son," he replied. "I was only waiting to make sure. I'll see
that you get fair play.

"Cut out that waiting stuff," he called to the pitcher, "and play ball."

The pitcher took his position in the box, but the captain strolled
toward centre field at a snail's pace.

"Hurry up there now," ordered the umpire. "I'll give you till I count
ten to get out in the field. If you're not there by that time, I'll put
you out of the game."

"I'm going, am I not?" retorted the captain, still creeping along.

"One," said the umpire. "Two. Three."

The captain's pace quickened.

"Four. Five. Six."

The captain broke into a trot.

"Seven. Eight. Nine."

But by this time the captain had reached his position. It was evident
that the umpire meant what he said.

"Now, put them over," he ordered the pitcher, "and I'll send you to the
bench, if I see any signs of holding back. Play ball."

There was no further delay, and the pitcher shot the ball over the
plate. Tom, true to his promise, "killed" the ball, sending a scorching
liner between second and third that netted him two bases. Fred
sacrificed him to third by laying a beautiful bunt down on the first
base line. Morley hit the ball a resounding crack, but it went straight
to the second baseman, who made a great stop and nipped Tom as he came
rushing in to the plate. A long fly to centre field ended the inning,
and gloom settled down on the boys from Rally Hall.

"Seven goose eggs in a row," groaned Billy Burton.

"Never mind," said Fred cheerily, as he picked up his glove. "We're
getting on to his curves now. Did you see how we belted him in that
inning? No pop-up flies, but good solid welts. The breaks in the luck
were against us but they won't be always."

As though to back up his words of cheer, the sun at that instant broke
through the clouds and the field was flooded with light.

"Hurrah!" yelled Teddy, throwing up his hat. "It isn't going to rain
after all."

"Those were only wind clouds," exulted Melvin.

"It is the sun of Austerlitz," quoted Tom.

"It's a good omen anyway," declared Ned. "Buckle down to your work now,
boys, and play like tigers."

And they did. Fred promptly struck the first man out on three pitched
balls. The second popped up a high foul, which Tom gathered in after a
long run. The third man up dribbled a slow one to the box and