LUCKY SEVENTH

"Strike One!" announced the wideawake umpire, in his stentorian voice.

Subdued applause ran through the immense throng. Apparently Hendrix had
perfect control over the ball. That wonderful drop had been too quick
for Jack, who, considering that it was entirely too high, had not
struck. Perhaps, though, he was waiting to see what Hendrix meant to
feed him.

The next one went wide in a curve that elicited murmurs of admiration
from the sages of the ball game, who invariably insisted on sitting in a
direct line with catcher and pitcher, their one occupation being to
gauge the delivery, and shout out approval or disdain over every ball
that comes along; or else plague the umpire because his decision differs
from their wonderful judgment.

Then came the third toss. Jack stepped forward, and before the break
could occur he had met the twisting ball with the point of his bat,
sending it humming down toward short.

Bailey was on his job, and neatly smothered what might have been a
splendid single. When Jack reached first after a speedy rush, he found
the ball there ahead of him gripped in Hutching's fist, and was greeted
with a wide grin from the astute first baseman.

"One down!" remarked Toby Hopkins, as Phil Parker toed the mark, and
watched the opposing pitcher like a hawk, meaning to duplicate Jack's
feat if possible, only he aspired to send the ball through the infield,
and not straight at a man.

"But Jack got at him, you noticed," said Joel Jackman, who did not seem
to be showing any signs of his recent adventure in the chilly waters of
the lake. "Hendrix may be a puzzle to a good many fellows, but once you
solve his tricks well, say, he's as easy as pie at Thanksgiving."

Well, Joel had a chance that very inning to show what he meant, for
while Phil reached first on a Texas leaguer, and Herbert Jones whiffed
vainly at three balls that came over the plate with lightening speed,
there were only two out.

Joel made a swing at a wide one on purpose, for he had received the
signal from Phil that he meant to make a break for second when next
Hendrix started to wind up to deliver the ball. Luck was with Phil,
thanks partly to the great slide with which he covered the last ten feet
of ground; and also to the fact that the generally reliable Chase,
Harmony's backstop, managed to draw the second baseman off his bag to
stop his speedy throw.

Hendrix showed no signs of being alarmed. He tempted Joel