e not sure whether he was fighting bears, or was merely in
a debate, and Dixon hit a grounder to second and was caught out on
first. Still no runs.

Gus always had the short step forward, always the uplifted arm that did
not double forward at once. It was possibly confusing, instead of a
notice to the batter to get ready, as one might have imagined. Quite a
number of balls were called against Gus--fast, slow ones, up-shoots--but
never four. Three batters went out in quick succession.

In the third inning Maxwell slowed up a little and the scrubs became
wider awake. One of the new men who had, he declared, played ball very
little and never shown a genius for hitting, sent a liner between
pitcher and first that put him on his base. One of the regulars' former
substitutes hit another grounder that let him on first and the new man
on second. The third and fourth man, their second time at bat, struck
out again and then came big Sadler to the plate. His very first crack
sent a fly so high and wide that the center and left fielders fell all
over themselves in their effort to get it, while the center man made a
wild throw, so that Sadler rather easily accomplished a home run.

It was three runs for the scrubs, as Gus again struck out. The third at
the bat for the regulars proved to be "ancient history," another
expression of Sadler's, with this difference: Siebold took his base on
four balls, but he didn't get any farther than first.

Little Kerry knocked another liner and this the man on second dropped,
the short-stop getting it too late to first. Morton again went out.
Dixon hit a liner for two bases that let Kerry in and again the new
genius proved himself such by getting in a fly that on errors put him on
third. Once more a substitute who after two fouls knocked a ball almost
within reach over the first baseman's head, made another home run on
errors. The fourth was caught out on a foul, the fifth struck out and
Sadler knocked another fly that was caught. Six runs for the scrubs--the
regulars nothing.

Smiling, Gus came again to the box. Three batters in quick succession,
after only three balls were called for two of them, struck out. They
seemed to have no idea where the balls were passing, and little Kerry
staggered back with every one sent in, though he, too, was smiling. And
then, before the regulars could again take their places, something else
occurred.

Siebold merely said: "Hold on, fellows!" He walked straigh