rner.

"Strike two!" ruled the umpire.

The batter looked annoyed. And as for Don, a wave of gladness ran through
his veins. His curves were working, and this batter didn't seem to be any
harder to pitch to than some high school players he had faced.

Tim called for pitch-outs on the next two, hoping that the batter would
"bite." The Glenrock player, though, seemed to have become cautious. Then
Don pitched a drop, and the batter hit a bit too high and sent a grounder
toward third base, and was thrown out.

The next batter caught the first ball pitched and hammered it to center
field for a base.

Don's lips twitched. He wondered if the runner would try to steal, and if
he would be too green to hold him close to the bag. Ted motioned him to
play the plate.

Tim signaled for a pitch-out, or waste ball. He pitched.

The catcher had shrewdly judged that Glenrock would try to steal the
moment she got a runner on. He saw the runner break for second. He got
the ball, drew back his arm, and shot the sphere down without rising
from his squat.

It was a beautiful throw, and the runner was out by a yard.

"Try to get fresh with the kid pitcher, eh?" yelled Tim.

"That's turning them back," shouted Ted Carter. "Get this fellow, Don."

Don "got" him on an in-curve that was hit for a puny infield pop.

Glenrock was out. She had had her first inning and had not scored. Ted
came running in to the bench, calling instructions to Chester's first
hitter. Don drew on a sweater and sat down.

"Well," said Ted, "they aren't giant-killers, are they?"

"Tim saved me that time," Don answered. His pulse was still throbbing.

"Sure I did," said Tim. "That's what I'm there for."

Don tried to tell himself that it was only Tim's way to be so cocksure
and chesty; and yet, in a small corner of his brain, was the thought that
it might have been just as well had the runner not been thrown out. In
spite of himself, he was beginning to resent the catcher's air of
superiority.

He admitted that he was lucky to have escaped during that first inning.
But he was not so lucky in the innings that followed. Two runs were
scored by Glenrock in the third, one in the fifth, two in the seventh,
and one in the eighth. Five runs was all that Chester could gather. The
end of the game found her one run behind.

Don was disheartened. He put on his sweater and started to leave the
field. Ted called him, and he waited.

"Down in the mouth?" the captai