MORE VICTORIES--CONCLUSION
Once more Oak Hall and Rockville Academy were struggling to decide the
championship. It was a clear day, and as before every nook and corner
of the grand stand and bleachers was filled. In one spot were located
the Porters, Jessie, Senator Morr, Mr. Lawrence, and many other friends.
It was the beginning of the fifth inning and the score stood, Rockville
5, Oak Hall 3. Plum was again at first, but Dave and Roger were on the
bench as substitutes.
It had been a hard-fought battle from the first ball pitched. Each
pitcher had been hit heavily, but good field work had kept the score
from going higher. Shadow had made a phenomenal catch that had brought
forth much applause, and Phil had brought in the third run when it
looked almost certain that he would be put out.
It was Oak Hall's turn at the bat, and they did their best to score.
But with a man on second and another on first, their hopes faded, and
they retired, leaving the figures as before. Then Rockville took up
the stick, and lined out two singles, a three-bagger, and another
single before giving up, thus adding three to their tally.
"That's the way to do it!"
"Rockville is sure to take this game!"
Messmer was next to the bat, but knocked a fly to center, and another
player followed with a foul that was caught by the third baseman. Then
Barloe, the catcher, who had made the first run, came up with his bat.
"Hurrah for Barloe!" was the cry. "Make another this time!"
In came the ball and the batsman tried to hit it and failed. Then the
sphere came in a second time, and of a sudden Barloe uttered a moan and
sank to the ground.
"Barloe's hit! The ball took him under the ribs!"
The report was true, and too weak to run the injured catcher was
escorted to a bench, while Roger took his place at first. By good luck
the senator's son brought the run in, and he was then asked to do the
catching as of old, Barloe begging to be excused.
With the runs piling up against him, Purdy was getting nervous, and
in the seventh inning he seemed to go all to pieces, much to his own
chagrin and the disappointment of his many friends. He allowed two
singles, and then gave two men their base on balls, thus forcing in a
run.
"Wake up, Purdy! You'll have to do better than that!"
"Dave Porter! Put Dave Porter in!"
"That's it! Porter! Porter! Porter!"
The cry was taken up on all sides, and Phil motioned for Purdy to
retire and for Dave to come out.
"It's too bad, Purdy, old man," whispered Dave, as he passed the
rattled pitcher.
"Fortune of war," was the grim and plucky answer. "I did my best. Go in
and wax 'em!"
Dave might have been nervous had he allowed himself to think of what
was before him. The bases were filled and nobody was out. It was
certainly a trying moment, to say the least. He took his place in the
box and the umpire called out "Play!" Then the ball fairly streaked
over the plate.
"Strike one!"
"Hurrah! that's the way to do it!"
With the ball again in hand, Dave looked at the batter and then cast a
swift glance toward third. Over to the base went the ball, and much to
his surprise the runner was caught two feet off the bag.
"Runner at third out!"
What a cheering went up! All the Oak Hall supporters felt that Dave
meant business, and their drooping spirits revived as if by magic.
With care the pitcher delivered one ball after another--a drop, and
then one that was as straight as it was swift. The batter was struck
out, and another roar went up from the Oak Hall contingent. Laura waved
her banner and Jessie her handkerchief.
"Two out! Now, Porter, go after the third!"
And Dave did go after the next batter. But the fellow was a good hitter
and managed to find the ball. But no run came in, and the inning was
saved.
It was a victory in itself and many came up to shake Dave by the hand.
But he waved them aside.
"Hold on," he said. "The game isn't over yet--and please to remember
the score is four to eight against us."
In the eighth inning the Oak Hall nine managed to make two runs. In
that inning Dave by clever work held the opposition down to one scratch
hit which went for nothing, and received more applause. Then came the
ninth inning, and in that Oak Hall tied the score, amid a yelling that
could be heard a mile away. Even Doctor Clay was cheering, and in his
enthusiasm Andrew Dale completely smashed the derby hat he wore.
The tenth inning opened amid a breathless silence. Oak Hall did its
best to score, but failed. Then Dave walked down to the box once again,
and in a manner that was certainly wonderful struck out two men after
one man had been caught out on a pop fly.
Ten innings and still a tie. This was certainly a game worth seeing and
nearly all the spectators were now on their feet, talking and shouting
wildly.
"Now, boys, we must do something!" cried Phil.
Ben Basswood was at bat, and with two strikes called on him, Ben landed
for a two-base hit. Then came a single, and taking a perilous chance
Ben ran around and slid to the plate.
"A run! A run!"
"Now make it two!"
But this was not to be, and Oak Hall retired one run "to the good," as
Roger said.
"Well, that's enough,--if we can hold them down in their half,"
said Plum. He had done some great work at first, of which he was
correspondingly proud.
All eyes were on Dave when he entered the pitcher's box for the last
time. He felt as if he had the responsibility of the whole game on his
shoulders. He pitched quickly, almost bewildering the batters. The
first man up went out on strikes and the second knocked a short fly
to third. Then came a fellow named Parsons, the best hitter of the
Rockville club.
"Hurrah! Parsons, show 'em where the back fence is!"
With two men out, Dave faced the batter. He sent in a low ball which
Parsons tried to find--and failed. Then Parsons tried again--and
failed. Then Dave sent in the swiftest ball yet pitched, giving it all
the twist possible.
"Three strikes--batter out!"
And the game was won, and with it the championship of the two schools!
"Beautiful! beautiful!" cried Doctor Clay, when he came down into
the field to congratulate the club. "It was the best exhibition of
ball-playing I've seen in a long time."
And all the visitors to Oak Hall and many others agreed with him. Dave
was the lion of the occasion, and his many friends nearly wrung his
hand off. The other members of the nine also came in for a share of
the praise. The Rockville boys felt their defeat keenly, but had to
acknowledge that they had been beaten fairly.
As soon as he could get away from his chums, Dave sought out Laura and
Jessie.
"I've got those letters," he whispered to Laura. "And I doubt if Link
Merwell will ever trouble you again."
"Oh, I am so thankful, Dave!" she answered. "I'll never be so
foolish again as to write letters to a person with whom I am not well
acquainted."
"It was grand, Dave!" cried Jessie. "It was the best victory that could
be!"
"Well, I am hoping for a greater to-morrow," answered Dave, gravely.
"You mean in school?"
"Yes."
"Well, I trust with all my heart you have your wishes fulfilled," said
the girl, and her eyes told that she meant what she said.
That night late a report was whispered around the school that Link
Merwell had gotten into serious trouble with Doctor Clay, and the
report proved true. Angered by the way Dave had treated him, and by
Plum's refusal to go with him, Link Merwell had not witnessed the ball
game, but had gone to Rafferty's resort instead. Here he had smoked,
drunk, and gambled, and ended by getting into a free fight with several
men. One man told Horsehair of the trouble and the school driver
reported at once to Doctor Clay. The doctor and Mr. Dale went after the
misguided youth, and a scene followed which need not be mentioned here.
The next day Link Merwell was ordered to pack his trunk and leave, and
a telegram was sent to his father in the West stating that he had been
expelled for violating the school rules. In his rage Merwell, before
leaving, exposed the doings of both Gus Plum and Nat Poole. At once
the doctor sent for Plum, and later he interviewed Poole.
It was a trying time for Gus, and he broke down completely. He
mentioned what Dave had done for him, and stated he was doing his best
to reform. Learning of this, the master of the school called upon Dave
to tell his story, and then the depths of Merwell's depravity came out.
In the end the doctor said he would give Plum another chance to redeem
himself, and for this the big youth was exceedingly grateful.
For having told a falsehood about taking the boat from Bush Island, Nat
Poole was given a severe lecture. He said he had wanted, several times,
to explain to the doctor, but that Link Merwell had threatened to make
it unpleasant for him if he did so. Because the joke had been directed
against some of his fellow-students and not against Doctor Clay and Mr.
Dale, Poole got off easier than might otherwise have been the case.
The closing exercises of the school were well attended. Sixteen pupils
were to graduate, including several who had been Dave's warm chums.
Some of these boys stood high in their class and consequently walked
off with some prizes.
When the time came for the decision regarding the essays on The
Past and Future of Our Country everybody was on the top-notch of
expectation. All the teachers had read the various papers handed in,
and they had been the subject of many comments.
"Because of the general excellence of seven of the essays," said Doctor
Clay, "it has been somewhat difficult to pick out that which was the
best. We have here a fine essay by Bertram Vane, another by Samuel
Downs, another by Joseph Beggs, and others by Chipham Macklin, Giles
Cadmore, and Devere Peterson. But there is one that seems to stand out
above the others, both for its originality and its literary qualities.
That essay takes the prize, and it is written by Master David Porter.
Porter, will you please come forward and read your essay."
As Dave walked to the platform a round of applause was given and when
he bowed there was much hand-clapping. Then in a clear, full voice, he
read the essay on which he had spent so much thought and labor. It was
certainly a splendid piece of literary composition and was listened to
with great pleasure by all. When he had finished Doctor Clay handed him
the prize, and then the applause broke forth anew.
"Another victory!" whispered Roger, as Dave passed to his seat.
"Yes, and the best of them all," was Dave's reply.
Fortunately, the senator's son also won a prize, and Phil came in
the third from the highest in his class, while Shadow came in fifth
and Ben Basswood sixth. Even Gus Plum made a good record, much to the
pleasure of his parents, who had feared at one time he would turn out a
ne'er-do-well.
"Now the question is, What are we going to do during the summer
vacation?" said Roger, after the exercises were over, and he and the
others and their friends were indulging in refreshments on the campus.
"I am going to Asbury Park with my folks," said Luke Watson.
"And I am going to Maine," added Messmer. "My uncle has a camp there.
Henshaw is going with me, and so is Macklin."
"I have an invitation for Dave," said Laura. "The Endicotts want me to
come back to their ranch and bring my newly-found brother with me."
"That's fine!" cried Phil. "I'd like to try ranch life myself just for
a change."
"The Endicotts' ranch is next to that owned by Merwell's father, so I
have been told," added Roger. "Maybe if you go out there with Dave,
you'll meet Link again."
"I never want to see that fellow again," said Dave. But this wish was
not to be fulfilled, as we shall learn in the next volume of this
series, to be entitled, "Dave Porter at Star Ranch; or, The Cowboy's
Secret." In that volume we shall meet many of our friends again, and
learn what Link Merwell did when he and Dave met once more on the
boundless prairies and in the mountain canyons.
That evening the students held a grand celebration, which lasted far
into the night. Bonfires were lit and the lads danced around and sang
songs to their hearts' content. Shadow told half a dozen of his best
stories, and two of the students distinguished themselves by giving all
their schoolbooks to the flames. It was a time none of them ever forgot.
"And now for home," said Dave, the next day. "Home, and the boundless
West."
And here let us leave him, and say good-by.
* * * * *
Transcriber's note:
1. Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as
possible.
2. Silently corrected simple spelling, grammar, and typographical
errors.
3. The following two illustrations listed in the Index of Illustrations
are missing from the original book used to prepare this e-book:
3.1. "The big snowball hit the craft and bowled it over," - Page 52.
3.2. "Dave pointed out the form of the sleep-walker," - Page 164.
4. The original Illustrations include the page number in the captions.
These have been removed as each page is numbered in the righthand
margin.