ut Tom had kicked the bag a second before.

"Runner safe," drawled Tozier.

Spoff Henderson came next to bat. Ted, with great care, struck
him out. Toby Ross met with similar disaster, nor did Reade have
any chance to steal up to second. Then Greg advanced to the plate.
He had his own favorite stick, which he swung with great confidence.

"Now, just see what I'll do to you!" was what Ted Teall's impudent
smile meant.

Crack! Holmes hit the first ball, reaching first and pushing
Tom to second.

"Danny Grin, don't fail us," begged Prescott, as Dan started for
the plate. "Two men out, remember!"

As Dalzell faced the pitcher his grin was broader than Teall's.

Two strikes and two balls were quickly called. Some of Dalzell's
assurance was gone now, but he steadied himself down. It would
never do to strike out at such a time.

Then Danny Grin made his third strike, but he drove the ball ahead
of him, forcing the right fielder of the Souths to run backward
for it, but he missed the catch and by the time the ball was in
circulation again the bases were full of Central Grammar runners.

"I'm glad you're going forward," whispered Dave, just as Dick
started towards the plate, his favorite bat in hand.

"I'll make a monkey of you," muttered Teall, just loudly enough
for the words to reach Prescott.

"If you can, you're welcome," grunted Dick under his breath.

Swat! It was the first ball driven in. Had there been a fence
around the field that fair drive would have gone over it. How
it soared and then flew! The right fielder who followed that
ball was nervous from the start. He panted as he fell upon the
ball.

"Throw it to third!" yelled Teall.

"Just at that instant Dan Dalzell was nearing the home plate,
which Tom and Greg had already passed. Prescott's ankle turned
slightly or he would have got in ahead of the ball.

"Runner out at third," called Tozier in a singsong voice. "Side
out!"

"Yet who cared?" Dick's wonderful blow on the leather had brought
three men in safe.

The Souths followed at bat. One, two, three, Prescott struck
them out. Ted Teall's face looked solemn, indeed.

"Wells, we've simply got to hold these fellows down," grunted
Teall to his catcher in the brief conference for which there was
time. "We don't want to be walloped by a score of ninety-four
to two."

"I haven't let anything get by me, have I?" grunted the catcher.

"No; but signal for some of my new ones."

"I don't want t