The Narrow House

eam fight an uphill game and come neck-and-neck with a worthy and much-feared rival in one of the late innings of the contest. The youthful Wyndhamites

eered Cohen as the latter came walking back from first, muttering to

lson ran up to Grant, whose face w

akdale captain soothingly. "They won't

the Texan. "That's the first time Cohe

t yet," declared Jack optimistically. "We

ey. Heedless of the uproar, the Texan burne

e," called

lightly different twist, and thi

Stone, breathing on his smarting right ha

ingered astonishingly on its way, as if held back by some subtle force, and, as a result, the befooled bat

for that one-handed catch, are you?" said Shul

to Cooper. "A man can usually tell whether he can reach the ball best with one hand or two,"

each, being afraid, would give the stocky catcher a pass. The next one, however, was over the outside corner and precisely wher

o the fact that this hit would have given the visitors a s

manner; "but it's no dead sure thing that Stone would have made just that

Stone, who had a good start, plenty of time to reach third, for Foxhall juggled the grounder a moment

the little shortstop rose from the bench. At the same time

tending to dash for the plate and rely upon Coo

hirling like a flash, threw to third. Stone had started forward with that shoulder movement by the pitcher, and was c

an was behind the pitcher. In response to that demand fo

in, cold balk," crie

the umpire, stil

e other umpire slowly,

man. "It was as rank a balk as I ever saw," he asserted

g at the pitcher," returned the

ls. Presently the umpire threatened to pull his watch and forfeit the game, whe

away with it," said Osgood.

an call Stone saf

," said Nelson. "Two wrongs don't make a

as fired with resentment by the injustice of the decision, he landed

houted Springer. "It's a wonder he

the ball as surely as Leach got it within reach. Not once did he swing, however, and the left-handed twirler looked disgusted w

efty," urged Baxter.

ed for the best; but Phil put up a dead easy infield fly that was

of the eighth. Only three batters faced him, and two of these fan

rted for the field. "We've only got to hold them. O

o duplicate the last turn of the Texan,

th his pet club in his hands, he out-guessed the s

elbow Nelson

will give him a possible chance

y. Furthermore, he had not changed in his conviction that it was bad policy to sacrifice with one man down, even though the next two hitters were supposed to be the best stickers on the team, and one of them, Shultz, was his especial chum. Therefore he swung on the ball and met i

as the latter, without looking toward him, attem

his voice hoarse and husky. "Y

" said Osgood. "Wha

e game. I won't stand fo

olly turning toward the bench. "

nded Shultz, running up.

"only I'm benched because

I'll quit myself,

tantly. "You're fired. The bench

tz, astonished to have his bluff called so p

Hooker, one of the spare pitchers, at third,

y his manner that he was thoroughly enraged against his captain, while his friend, m

ositions with an equal amount of skill, Grant betrayed no sign of weakening himself. Pelty and Leach were retired by the s

b had never been a hitter, but he did succeed i

e up, "you've got to do it. He's been a mark for you. On

f he meant to pass this dangerous slugger. After pitching two balls, however, he got one ac

spectator up standing. It was a splendid drive,

y. "Old Eat-'em-alive is finished. Now

s Stone came walking back, Osg

hed as he pick

r. I don't seem able to touch him no more." After which he walked to the plate a

little Oakdale crowd screamed like lunatics, but the Wyndhamites were distressingly silent as the long-geared lad