ter, Keene, he eyed him in cool speculation, and
swung into supple action.

The game started with a rush. Keene dumped the ball down the third-base
line. Blake, anticipating the play, came rapidly in, and bending while
in motion picked up the ball and made a perfect snap-throw to McCord,
beating Keene by a foot. Prince drove a hot grass-cutter through the
infield, and the Place stand let out shrill, exultant yells. MacNeff
swung powerfully on the first ball, which streaked like a flitting wing
close under his chin. Prince, with a good lead, had darted for second.
It was wonderful how his little, short legs carried him so swiftly. And
his slide was what might have been expected of a famous football player.
He hit the ground and shot into the bag just as Raymond got Dean's
unerring throw too late. Again the Place rooters howled. MacNeff
watched his second strike go by. The third pitch, remorselessly true
to that fatal place, retired him on strikes; and a roll of thunder
pealed from under the Wayne bleachers. Starke struck at the first ball
given him. The Place waiters were not waiting on Ken to-day; evidently
the word had gone out to hit. Ken's beautiful, speedy ball, breast high,
was certainly a temptation. Starke lifted a long, lofty fly far beyond
Homans, who ran and ran, and turned to get it gracefully at his breast.

Worry Arthurs sat stern and intent upon the Wayne bench. "Get that hit
back and go them a run better!" was his sharp order.

The big, loose-jointed Salisbury, digging his foot into the dirt,
settled down and swung laboriously. Homans waited. The pitch was a
strike, and so was the next. But strikes were small matters for the
patient Homans. He drew three balls after that, and then on the next
he hit one of his short, punky safeties through the left side of the
infield. The Wayne crowd accepted it with vigor of hands and feet.
Raymond trotted up, aggressive and crafty. He intended to bunt, and
the Place infield knew it and drew in closer. Raymond fouled one, then
another, making two strikes. But he dumped the next and raced for the
base. Salisbury, big and slow as he was, got the ball and threw Raymond
out. Homans over-ran second, intending to go on, but, halted by Weir's
hoarse coaching, he ran back.

When Reddy Ray stepped out it was to meet a rousing cheer, and then the
thousands of feet went crash! crash! crash! Reddy fouled the first ball
over the grand-stand. Umpire Kern threw out a new one, gleam