Fred
quickly snapped the ball over to first for an out.

"Short and sweet, that inning," commented Slim Haley.

"Now it's our turn again," said Teddy. "Here's where we win."

"Up guards and at them," encouraged Tom.

But, try as they would, their bad luck persisted. Their slugging was
hard and fierce, but the ball went straight into a fielder's hands, and
again they went out on the diamond without a score to their credit.

In the enemy's eighth turn at bat, it looked as if they might get one or
more runs over the plate. A lucky bound allowed one man to get to first,
and he went to second when Morley dropped a high fly after a long run.
There were men on first and second with none out, and their chance for a
score was bright.

The next man up sent a whistling liner right over second. Teddy, who was
playing close to the bag, jumped in the air and pulled down the ball.
That, of course, put out the batter. As Teddy came down with the ball in
his hand, he stepped on the base, thus putting out the man who had made
a bee line for third, thinking the ball would go safe, and was now
trying desperately to get back. That made two out. The fellow who had
been on first had almost reached second, but turned and sprinted back
with Teddy in hot pursuit. He clapped the ball on him just in time, and
the side was out. Teddy had made a triple play unassisted.

It was a sparkling and most unusual feat, and the whole stand rose to
Teddy as he came in, and cheered and cheered until he was forced to pull
off his cap. The Mount Vernon rooters forgot their partisanship and
shouted as loudly as the rest. As for his schoolmates, they mauled and
hugged him until he fled for refuge to the bench.

"Some fireworks!" yelled one.

"I can die happy, now!" exclaimed another. "I've seen a triple play
pulled off."

"You'll never see another," prophesied his neighbor.

The Rally Hall boys were yelling their loudest to encourage their
favorites when they came to bat for the last time.

A groan went up when Duncan lifted a high fly to centre field, which was
caught easily. But Melvin sent a sizzling liner to left, just inside
third, and made two bases on it. And the yells were deafening, when Ward
advanced him to third, by a fierce grounder to short, that was too hot
to hold.

"Rushton! Rushton!" they shouted, as Fred came to bat after Tom had gone
out on a foul. "Hit it on the trademark!" "Give it a ride!" "Win your
own game!"

The first bal