r control. That settles it."

Homans went up, to a wavering ripple of applause. He drew two balls and
then a strike from Murphy, and hit the next hard into short field. Frick
fumbled the ball, recovered it, and threw beautifully, but too late to
catch Homans. Raymond sacrificed, sending his captain to second. Murphy
could not locate the plate for Reddy Ray and let him get to first on
four balls. Weir came next. Homans signed he was going to run on the
first pitch. Weir, hitting with the runner, sent a double into right
field, and Homans and Ray scored. The bleachers cheered. Homans ran
down to third base to the coaching lines, and Ray went to first base.
Both began to coach the runner. Dean hit into short field, and was
thrown out, while Weir reached third on the play.

"Two out, now! Hit!" yelled Homans to Blake.

Blake hit safely over second, scoring Weir. Then Trace flied out to
left field.

"Three runs!" called Homans. "Boys, that's a start! Three more runs
and this game's ours! Now, Peg, now!"

Ken did not need that trenchant thrilling _now_. The look in Worry's
eyes had been enough. He threw speed to Halloway, and on the third ball
retired him, Raymond to McCord. Stern came second to bat. In Ken's mind
this player was recorded with a weakness on low curves. And Ken found
it with two balls pitched. Stern popped up to Blake. Frick, a new player
to Ken, let a strike go by, and missed a drop and a fast ball.

"They can't touch you, Ken," called Raymond, as he tossed aside his glove.

Faint cheers rose from scattered parts of the grand-stand, and here
and there shouts and yells. The audience appeared to stir, to become
animated, and the Herne players settled down to more sober action on
the field.

McCord made a bid for a hit, but failed because of fast work by Stern.
Ken went up, eager to get to first in any way. He let Murphy pitch,
and at last, after fouling several good ones, he earned his base on
balls. Once there, he gave Homans the sign that he would run on the
first pitch, and he got a fair start. He heard the crack of the ball
and saw it glinting between short and third. Running hard, he beat the
throw-in to third. With two runners on bases, Raymond hit to deep short.
Ken went out trying to reach home. Again Reddy Ray came up and got a
base on balls, filling the bases. The crowd began to show excitement,
and seemed to be stifling cheers in suspense. Weir hurried to bat, his
shock of hair waving at eve