ys strutting,
posing, talking, arguing, quarreling--when he was not engaged in making
a grand-stand play. Reddy Clammer used every possible incident and
artifice to bring himself into the limelight.

Reddie Ray had been the intercollegiate champion in the sprints and a
famous college ball player. After a few months of professional ball he
was hitting over .400 and leading the league both at bat and on the
bases. It was a beautiful and a thrilling sight to see him run. He
was so quick to start, so marvelously swift, so keen of judgment, that
neither Delaney nor any player could ever tell the hit that he was not
going to get. That was why Reddie Ray was a whole game in himself.

Delaney's Rochester Stars and the Providence Grays were tied for first
place. Of the present series each team had won a game. Rivalry had
always been keen, and as the teams were about to enter the long
homestretch for the pennant there was battle in the New England air.

The September day was perfect. The stands were half full and the
bleachers packed with a white-sleeved mass. And the field was
beautifully level and green. The Grays were practicing and the Stars
were on their bench.

"We're up against it," Delaney was saying. "This new umpire, Fuller,
hasn't got it in for us. Oh, no, not at all! Believe me, he's a
robber. But Scott is pitchin' well. Won his last three games. He'll
bother 'em. And the three Reds have broken loose. They're on the
rampage. They'll burn up this place today."

Somebody noted the absence of Gilbat.

Delaney gave a sudden start. "Why, Gil was here," he said slowly.
"Lord!--he's about due for a nutty stunt."

Whereupon Delaney sent boys and players scurrying about to find Gilbat,
and Delaney went himself to ask the Providence manager to hold back the
gong for a few minutes.

Presently somebody brought Delaney a telephone message that Red Gilbat
was playing ball with some boys in a lot four blocks down the street.
When at length a couple of players marched up to the bench with Red in
tow Delaney uttered an immense sigh of relief and then, after a close
scrutiny of Red's face, he whispered, "Lock the gates!"

Then the gong rang. The Grays trooped in. The Stars ran out, except
Gilbat, who ambled like a giraffe. The hum of conversation in the
grand stand quickened for a moment with the scraping of chairs, and
then grew quiet. The bleachers sent up the rollicking cry of
expectancy. The umpire th