another one--only one more," said Eliot, as he found a bat and
turned toward the plate.

Without seeking to "kill" Sanger's speed, Roger did his best to poke
out a safety, and would have succeeded only for a surprising one-handed
stop by Roberts, who got the ball to first for an unquestioned put-out.

"It's only a matter of an extra inning," cried Copley. "They've had
all their luck; it's over."

Crane, following Eliot, made the mistake of trying for a long hit, and
Sanger fanned him.

Grant came up with two men out.

"Here's the great cowboy twirler, cap," sneered Copley. "Put the iron
to him. Burn your brand deep."

"Get a hit, Grant--do get a hit!" came the entreaty from the Oakdale
crowd.

"If you do," muttered Copley, close under the bat, "I'll swallow the
ball."

A moment later Rod swung at a corner cutter, whirled all the way round,
and sprang at Copley, a look of such blazing wrath in his eyes that the
red-headed catcher retreated with ludicrous haste.

"You onery, sheep-herding skunk!" rasped the Texan. "If you touch my
bat again, I'll grease the ground with you! They'll sure carry you
home on a stretcher, and you can bet your life on that!"

Again the umpire had not seen the interference, so cleverly had Copley
perpetrated the trick. Eliot dashed at Grant and seized him, shouting
for the Oakdale crowd to keep back; for at least twenty indignant
persons were moving toward the diamond. There was a temporary delay,
during which Roger spoke earnestly into Grant's ear.

"Don't lose your head now, old fellow," pleaded the Oakdale captain.
"That's what he wants you to do. He thinks you can't hit the ball if
you're mad."

"I reckon you're right," said Rodney, getting a grip on himself; "but
he'll sure have a broken head if he does it again."

Having seen that look of rage in the Texan's eyes, Newt Copley was not
at all disposed to repeat the trick with him. Apparently Grant's
nerves had been somewhat unstrung, for when the game was again resumed
he missed one of Sanger's shoots by something like a foot, and the
second strike was called by the umpire. Then Rod smiled; it was barely
a faint flicker, but Sanger saw it and wondered. His wonderment turned
to dismay when the Texan skillfully poked a safety through the infield
and went romping to first, cheered by the crowd.

"Never mind, cap," encouraged Copley; "the weak ones follow. You won't
have any trouble with this undersized accident."