Patterson Pitcher
Keeler Catcher

As the game progressed it became evident that Frazer was "pitching
his arm off" in the endeavor to stem the tide of defeat that inning
after inning seemed bound to overtake the Scranton nine, despite
their most gallant uphill fight. Allandale proved to be all their
reputation had boasted, and they seemed able to work a man around
the circuit nearly every inning. Splendid fielding on the part of
Hugh and his mates kept the score down, but nevertheless it continued
to mount, in spite of all their efforts.

Frazer was beginning to show signs of exhaustion. He had tried
every trick he had in his list on the batters who faced him. They
had begun to solve his delivery more and more the oftener they came
up. And there was a very demoralizing way about their confident
attitude that no doubt added much to poor Frazer's distress. He
began to believe they were just playing with him, and at a given
time would fall upon his delivery, to knock the ball at will to
every part of the field.

Hugh knew it was coming, and he hardly felt able to go into the
box himself to stem the rising tide; but anything was better than
to have Frazer submerged under an avalanche of hits. "Big Ed" seemed
to be getting better the longer he pitched, and just the reverse
could be said of Frazer, who was on the verge of a total collapse.

"Better take me out before I go to the wall, Hugh," begged the other,
after the sixth frame showed the score to be six to two, with more
runs looming up in the "lucky seventh" in prospect. "I'm ashamed
to say I've lost my nerve. Those fellows mean to get at me in the
seventh and it will be a Waterloo. I just feel it in my bones they've
been waiting to lambast my offerings then, for I've seen them talking
together, and laughing, as though they had a game laid out. You go
in and feed them those teasers of yours. The boys will take a brace
in batting, if you can hold Allandale; and in the end it may not be
such a terrible calamity after all."

Hugh knew it must be. Frazer had gone to the wall, and would pitch
poorly if allowed to go in the box in the next inning.

"I hate to do it, Frazer," he told the other, feeling sorry for him;
"but any port in a storm; and it may be possible these sluggers will
trip up on that balloon ball of mine, though I haven't much else to
offer them."

That inning the locals did a little batting on their ow