ve been funny to Ken but
for the reputation that went with the great shoulders and stumpy legs.

"Ward, give me a good one," said Prince, in a low, pleasant voice.
He handled his heavy bat as if it had been light as a yardstick.

It was with more boldness than intention of gratifying Prince that
Ken complied, using the same kind of ball he had tried first on Keene.
Prince missed it. The next, a low curve, he cracked hard to the left
of Raymond. The second-baseman darted over, fielded the ball cleanly,
and threw Prince out.

Then the long, rangy MacNeff, home-run hitter for Place, faced Ken.
His position at bat bothered Ken, for he stood almost on the plate.
Remembering MacNeff's weakness, Ken lost no time putting a swift
in-shoot under his chin. The Place captain lunged round at it,
grunting with his swing. If he had hit the ball it would have been
with the handle of his bat. So Ken, knowing his control, and sure
that he could pitch high shoots all day over the incomer of the plate,
had no more fear of the Place slugger. And it took only three more
pitches to strike him out.

From that on the game see-sawed inning by inning, Ken outpitching
Salisbury, but neither team scored. At intervals cheers marked the
good plays of both teams, and time and again the work of the pitchers
earned applause. The crowd seemed to be holding back, and while they
waited for the unexpected the short, sharp innings slipped by.

Trace for Wayne led off in the seventh with a safe fly over short. Ken,
attempting to sacrifice, rolled a little bunt down the third-base line
and beat the throw. With no one out and the head of the batting list up,
the Wayne players awoke to possibilities. The same fiery intensity that
had characterized their play all season now manifested itself. They were
all on their feet, and Weir and McCord on the coaching lines were yelling
hoarsely at Salisbury, tearing up the grass with their spikes, dashing
to and fro, shouting advice to the runners.

"Here's where we score! Oh! you pitcher! We're due to trim you now!
Steady, boys, play it safe, play it safe!--don't let them double you!"

Up by the bench Homans was selecting a bat.

"Worry, I'd better dump one," he whispered.

"That's the trick," replied the coach. "Advance them at any cost.
There's Reddy to follow."

The reliable Salisbury rolled the ball in his hands, feinted to throw
to the bases, and showed his steadiness under fire. He put one square
over for