I had never yet seen the youngster
who could stand his badinage. He said a few things, then wound up
with: "Come now, you cross between a hayrack and a wagon tongue, get
sore and do something. Pitch if you can. Show us! Do you hear, you
tow-headed Pogie!"

Rube jumped as if he had been struck. His face flamed red and his
little eyes turned black. He shoved his big fist under Capt. Spears'
nose.

"Mister, I'll lick you fer thet--after the game! And I'll show you
dog-goned well how I can pitch."

"Good!" exclaimed Raddy; and I echoed his word. Then I went to the
bench and turned my attention to the game. Some one told me that
McCall had made a couple of fouls, and after waiting for two strikes
and three balls had struck out. Ashwell had beat out a bunt in his old
swift style, and Stringer was walking up to the plate on the moment.
It was interesting, even in a losing game, to see Stringer go to bat.
We all watched him, as we had been watching him for weeks, expecting
him to break his slump with one of the drives that had made him famous.
Stringer stood to the left side of the plate, and I could see the bulge
of his closely locked jaw. He swung on the first pitched ball. With
the solid rap we all rose to watch that hit. The ball lined first,
then soared and did not begin to drop till it was far beyond the
right-field fence. For an instant we were all still, so were the
bleachers. Stringer had broken his slump with the longest drive ever
made on the grounds. The crowd cheered as he trotted around the bases
behind Ashwell. Two runs.

"Con, how'd you like that drive?" he asked me, with a bright gleam in
his eyes.

"O-h-!--a beaut!" I replied, incoherently. The players on the bench
were all as glad as I was. Henley flew out to left. Mullaney smashed a
two-bagger to right. Then Gregg hit safely, but Mullaney, in trying to
score on the play, was out at the plate.

"Four hits! I tell you fellows, something's coming off," said Raddy.
"Now, if only Rube----"

What a difference there was in that long rustic! He stalked into the
box, unmindful of the hooting crowd and grimly faced Schultz, the first
batter up for the Bisons. This time Rube was deliberate. And where he
had not swung before he now got his body and arm into full motion. The
ball came in like a glint of light. Schultz looked surprised. The
umpire called "Strike!"

"Wow!" yelled the Buffalo coacher. Rube sped up the sidewheeler and