s."

Amy had the service and secured two aces at once, Holt returning twice
into the net. Then a double fault put the score 30--15. Holt got the
next service and lobbed. Amy ran up and smashed it safe into the further
corner of the court. Again Holt tried lobbing, and this time he got away
with it, for Amy drove the ball out. With the score 40--30, Amy served a
sizzling ball that Holt failed to handle and the games were 5--4. The
boy beside Clint chuckled.

"He's getting down to work now," he said.

But Amy's hope of making it five--all died quickly. Holt won on his
first service and although Amy returned the next he missed the back line
by an inch. Holt doubled and the score was 30--15. Amy tried to draw
Holt to the net and pass him across court, but Holt secured applause by
a difficult back-hand return that just trickled over the net and left
Amy standing. The set ended a minute later when Amy drove the service
squarely into the net.

"Holt wins the first set," proclaimed Westcott, "six games to four."

The adversaries changed courts and the second set started. Again Amy won
on his service and again lost on Holt's. There were several good
rallies and Amy secured a round of hearty applause by a long chase down
the court and a high back-hand lob that Holt failed to get. Amy was
playing more carefully now, using easier strokes and paying more
attention to placing. But Holt was a hard man to fool, and time and
again Amy's efforts to put the ball out of his reach failed. The set
worked back and forth to 4-all, with little apparent favor to either
side. Then Amy suddenly dropped his caution and let himself out with a
vengeance. The ninth game went to forty-love before Holt succeeded in
handling one of the sizzling serves that Amy put across. Then he
returned to the back of the court and Amy banged the ball into the net.
A double fault brought the score to 40-30, but on the next serve Amy
again skimmed one over that Holt failed with and the games were 5-4.

"I hope he gets this," murmured Clint.

"Hope he doesn't," replied his neighbour. "I want to see a deuce set."

So, apparently, did Holt, but he was too anxious and his serves broke
high and Amy killed two at the start. Then came a rally with both boys
racing up and down the court like mad and the white ball dodging back
and forth over the net from one side to the other. Holt finally secured
the ace by dropping the ball just over the canvas. Amy, although he ran