THE GREATEST VICTORY.

The sixth inning was over before Springer reached the Oakdale bench.
He found the boys in high spirits, for they had gathered two more
tallies by taking Crowell's measure, while again Hooker had pulled
through without being scored upon, which made the scorers' record six
to three in favor of the visitors at the beginning of the seventh.
Oakdale seemed to have the game bagged.

When the seventh passed with the score unchanged on either side and
Hooker apparently "still going strong," it began to look as if Springer
would get no chance to do any pitching in that game. But baseball is
sometimes most uncertain, which is one reason why the game is so
popular in America. In the last of the eighth, with one man gone, the
locals finally took Hooker's measure and began batting him to all
quarters of the field. Almost before the gasping, excited spectators
could realize it, Wyndham had made one run and the bases were all
occupied, with one of the strongest hitters of the home team at bat.

Springer had limbered up, with Stone catching him, in the first of the
seventh while Oakdale was at bat, and now Eliot stepped upon the plate,
giving a signal which meant that Roy was to retire and Phil was to take
his place.

Phil was sorry for Hooker, who showed that he was fearfully upset and
chagrined, and, as he passed the unlucky pitcher on his way out to the
firing line, he said in a low, sympathetic tone:

"Don't you care, old ch-chap. It happens to the best of us; I got mine
in that Barville game, you know. Next time you'll make good."

But could he now "make good" himself? That was the question, of a most
disturbing sort, which insinuated itself upon Springer as he stepped
into position and received the ball from Captain Eliot. The anxious
Oakdale crowd gave him a cheer.

"There's Springer!" he heard a voice shout. "He'll stop it. Hold 'em,
Phil--hold 'em!"

"I must, and I will," thought Phil.

Eliot smiled on him encouragingly as he adjusted the cage and stepped
back into position, crouching to give a signal. The Wyndham coachers
began chattering, and the local crowd "rooted" hard. Surely it was a
moment to test the nerve of any young pitcher.

[Illustration: The local crowd "rooted" hard.]

Phil caught Roger's signal, nodded, and bent the first ball over. The
batter hit it to the left of the pitcher, and Springer, shooting out
his gloved hand, simply deflected the ball enough to prev