n account, with
the result that the score looked a shade better, for it was three
to six when once more Scranton went into the field.

When it was seen that Hugh walked to the box some of the local rooters
cheered lustily, for Hugh was a great favorite. Cat-calls also
greeted his appearance, coming principally from Nick Lang and his
followers; though they were frowned upon by a crowd of Scranton boys,
who threatened to hustle them off the grounds unless they mended
their ways.

As Hugh left third one of the substitutes, named Hastings, was placed
on that sack. Thad gave Hugh a queer look on discovering this, and
followed it with a peculiarly suggestive grin; so that Hugh understood
how his chum was thinking of another Hastings with whose name they
had taken undue liberties.

Allandale seemed pleased to know that there was to be a change of slab
artists.

"All pitchers look alike to us when we've got our batting clothes on!"
one of them sang out blithely, as he swung a couple of bats around,
being the next man up, and desirous of making himself feel that he
held a willow wand in his hands when throwing one aside and wielding
the other.

He was mistaken.

Hugh started in without delay feeding them some of what the boys were
pleased to denominate his "teasers." He soon had them hitting at
thin air with might and main, and looking surprised because they
failed to connect.

One man, then two, went out on strikes, and neither had touched the
elusive "fade-away" ball made famous by Christy Matthewson in his prime.

The crowd sat up and began to take notice. What did it mean? If Hugh
could only keep up his good work by varying his offerings, so as to
keep those slugging Allandale fellows guessing, and Scranton began
to knock the ball around a little on their own account, why, there
might be something like a good game yet.

The third man got a hit which should really have been an out, for
"K.K.," reliable "K.K.," out in deep center, misjudged the blow,
and started to run back, when he should have shot forward instantly.
He could have scooped it up three feet from the ground had he done
so; and while he did manage to keep the ball from getting past,
the batter gained first.

However, he died there, for Hugh deceived the next fellow as he
had done two previous batters, and the side was out. When the eighth
inning ended the score was four to six, not so very bad. The local
rooters got busy, and gave Hugh a rou