The Project Gutenberg EBook of Under Fire, by Frank A. Munsey

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Title: Under Fire
A Tale of New England Village Life

Author: Frank A. Munsey

Release Date: January 30, 2009 [EBook #27935]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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UNDER FIRE

_A TALE OF NEW ENGLAND VILLAGE LIFE_

BY

FRANK A. MUNSEY

[Illustration]

NEW YORK
FRANK A. MUNSEY

1898

COPYRIGHT, 1897
BY
FRANK A. MUNSEY

UNDER FIRE.

I.

"Well, Dave, it was a close game, but we managed to save ourselves after
all their talk," said Tom Martin, referring to a baseball match of the
previous day.

"Yes, but thanks to our lucky stars that Fred Worthington was with us.
If John Rexford had kept him at the store, as I was afraid, we should
have been badly beaten."

"He didn't play the whole game, did he?" asked Tom sarcastically.

"Of course not," retorted Dave Farrington, with some warmth, "but you
know very well we should have lost it, if it had not been for him. If he
saved us from defeat, why not be fair and give him credit for it? I am
sure he would do as much for you if the case were reversed."

"I didn't say anything against him."

"No; but you don't appear to say anything for him."

"Why should I?"

"Well, I can say frankly that his playing was equal to that of some
professionals that I have seen. The factory boys couldn't get the hang
of his pitching, and the best batters fouled nearly every ball."

"Don't you want some credit for catching?" asked Tom, with a view to
turning the conversation from Fred.

"Yes, but----" Here the conversation was interrupted by the sudden
appearance of Matthew De Vere, a rather foppishly dressed boy, who
showed very clearly by his manner that he considered himself the "swell
young man" of the town.

"Oh, boys, I have a bit of good news for you," he cried. "Guess what it
is."

"