FAIRHAVEN READY.
Toward night the heavy fog that had rested like a pall over Fairhaven
Island all day lifted and retreated toward the open sea. At sunset the
sky was bespangled with dainty clouds, which were tinted a hundred
beautiful shades of such colors as no artist can reproduce. Although on
the mainland it was muggy and hot, out there on Fairhaven Island there
was a gentle breeze, and twilight drew on softly and silently.
After supper, Dick and his friends sat chatting on the veranda of the
Central Hotel. Garrett was there, and Bart Hodge was comfortably
deposited in a big rocking-chair. Singleton sprawled on a seat, and
taken altogether the lads presented a picture of ease and laziness.
“Dern my picter!” Tubbs suddenly squealed. “I bet a good squash pie that
something besides the fog kept old Hammerswell from bringing his team
over here to-day. Said while there was such a fog he couldn’t get the
bo’t he’d engaged to make the trip, but I don’t believe it.”
“You’re tut-tut-too wise!” exclaimed Chip Jolliby. “What
dud-dud-dud-dud-do you believe?”
“I bet, by Jim, that there was another reason why he didn’t come! I bet
he’s going to have new players.”
At this many of the boys laughed.
“He’s had too many new players already,” declared Earl Gardner. “That’s
what’s kept him down. He kept shifting his team round early in the
season, and it’s a wonder he did as well as he did. Since getting that
bunch from the Northeastern League he’s made no changes and had better
success. It will be a hot finish, no matter how it comes out. Why, if
Maplewood could win both games to-morrow she’d take first place! If she
loses both games she’ll go to the bottom. I tell you that’s the way to
have things stand near the end of the baseball season. It keeps up the
excitement.”
Dick had been writing and figuring on a slip of paper. While thus
engaged he was making out the standing of the various teams in the
league, and this he now passed round for the boys to inspect.
“You will see, fellows,” he said, “that only twelve points separate the
bottom team from the one at the top. That’s close enough to make it a
heap exciting, as Buckhart would remark.”
“Hit’s halmost too close for comfort, don’t you know,” observed Billy
Bradley. “Hif we lose both games to-morrow—hoh, my!”
“We won’t lose them both,” declared Buckhart, suddenly starting up and
swinging his fist in the air. “We’ll die right on the field before we’ll
lose them both.”
“It’s up to us, boys,” said Dick, “to win both those games. It’s the
only way we can be sure that Rockford will not beat us out to-morrow. If
we win both of them, even though Rockford takes a fall out of Seaslope,
we’ll be tied for first place. If we win both of them and Seaslope
happens to defeat Rockford, we’ll have the pennant to-morrow night.”
“Oh, how sad that would make me feel!” cried Ted Smart.
Then he dodged as Chip Jolliby swung a backhand blow at him with his
long arm.
“Is it a sure thing,” inquired Owen Bold, “that we are to play two games
to-morrow? Has Maplewood agreed to it?”
“It’s a sure thing,” nodded Dick. “I talked to Hammerswell myself by
phone, and he has agreed to wind up by playing both games to-morrow
afternoon. How’s your wing, Owen?”
“I think it’s back in shape,” was the answer. “This fog to-day was
rather bad for it, but I have it protected. I am caring for it as if it
were a baby. Never bothered about my arm before, but this climate is too
much for it. I am going to let it out to-morrow, if I never pitch
another game. Your brother sent me down here to help you win the
pennant, and I should hate to have him hear that you had lost it through
my weakness on the slab in the last game I pitched for you.”
“I wish Frank could be here to see those games!” exclaimed Bart Hodge.
“I know he wanted to. If you can win out, Dick, we’ll wire him a
cheerful message to-morrow night.”
“We’re going to win if it’s in us to do so,” asserted young Merriwell.
“If we can tie with Rockford for first place, we will fight it out by
playing an extra game to decide things.”
“Oh, my!” said Ted Smart, “what a calm, quiet sort of a game that would
be! I don’t believe any one would come out to see it! We’d have to play
to empty benches!”
“There will be no empty benches to-morrow,” said Dick. “Let’s roll in
now and get plenty of sleep.”
The Fairhaven team retired that night earlier than any previous night
during the season.
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