l he was not more than thirty feet
behind the third baseman.

"If they hit a long fly one run will come in," he reasoned to himself.
"A good single, even, will score two runs and win the game. The only
chance is to make a double play. That's why the infielders are all
drawn in close, so that they can throw to the plate. And that batter
will try his hardest to push the ball over their heads."

"Crack!"

The sound of the bat meeting the ball fairly came to him, and in a
moment he saw the sphere sailing for the outfield, and about to pass
squarely over the place the shortstop had just left.

It looked like a sure hit, and the base runners started at once with
the ball. The center fielder, running in desperately, was too far out
to have a chance to catch the ball. But suddenly there was a shout.
Jack Danby, who had crept far in without being noticed, sprinted over,
and, by a wonderful jumping dive, caught the ball. Like a flash he
threw it to third base, and the runner who had started thence for the
plate was doubled easily. He had reached home, and there was no chance
for him to turn back. The runner from second, too, had turned third
base, and, as soon as the third baseman had stepped on his bag he
turned and threw to second base, completing as pretty a triple play as
was ever made, and winning the game for the Crows.

"That was a wonderful play, Jack!" said Scout-Master Durland, who
served as umpire. "I never saw a better one, even in a big league
game. You were out of position, but if you hadn't been, that ball
would have fallen fair, and Tom Binns would have lost his game.
Really, though, you're the one that deserves the credit for winning it,
for your batting put your team ahead, and your fielding kept the
Whip-poor-wills from nosing you out in the finish."

The Whip-poor-wills, disappointed by losing when victory seemed to be
within their grasp after such a gallant up-hill fight, seemed to have
shot their bolt. Their pitcher had outdone himself against the hard
hitters of the Crows, in holding them down so well, and when, after an
hour's rest, they lined up against the Raccoons, it seemed that they
were a different team. The Raccoons simply toyed with them. They
piled up runs in almost every inning, and won with ridiculous ease, by
a score of twenty to three.

Harry Norman, who had come out with his friend Lawrence to watch the
sport, came up to Jack after the Raccoons had given this impressive