THE LUCKY SEVENTH
"Strike One!" announced the wideawake umpire, in his stentorian voice.
Subdued applause ran through the immense throng. Apparently Hendrix had
perfect control over the ball. That wonderful drop had been too quick
for Jack, who, considering that it was entirely too high, had not
struck. Perhaps, though, he was waiting to see what Hendrix meant to
feed him.
The next one went wide in a curve that elicited murmurs of admiration
from the sages of the ball game, who invariably insisted on sitting in a
direct line with catcher and pitcher, their one occupation being to
gauge the delivery, and shout out approval or disdain over every ball
that comes along; or else plague the umpire because his decision differs
from their wonderful judgment.
Then came the third toss. Jack stepped forward, and before the break
could occur he had met the twisting ball with the point of his bat,
sending it humming down toward short.
Bailey was on his job, and neatly smothered what might have been a
splendid single. When Jack reached first after a speedy rush, he found
the ball there ahead of him gripped in Hutching's fist, and was greeted
with a wide grin from the astute first baseman.
"One down!" remarked Toby Hopkins, as Phil Parker toed the mark, and
watched the opposing pitcher like a hawk, meaning to duplicate Jack's
feat if possible, only he aspired to send the ball through the infield,
and not straight at a man.
"But Jack got at him, you noticed," said Joel Jackman, who did not seem
to be showing any signs of his recent adventure in the chilly waters of
the lake. "Hendrix may be a puzzle to a good many fellows, but once you
solve his tricks well, say, he's as easy as pie at Thanksgiving."
Well, Joel had a chance that very inning to show what he meant, for
while Phil reached first on a Texas leaguer, and Herbert Jones whiffed
vainly at three balls that came over the plate with lightening speed,
there were only two out.
Joel made a swing at a wide one on purpose, for he had received the
signal from Phil that he meant to make a break for second when next
Hendrix started to wind up to deliver the ball. Luck was with Phil,
thanks partly to the great slide with which he covered the last ten feet
of ground; and also to the fact that the generally reliable Chase,
Harmony's backstop, managed to draw the second baseman off his bag to
stop his speedy throw.
Hendrix showed no signs of being alarmed. He tempted Joel to take a
chance at a most deceptive drop, which put the batter two in the hole
with just as many balls called on the box-man.
With the next toss, Joel, meaning to emulate Jack's manner of stepping
forward and meeting the ball before the break came, entirely
miscalculated Hendrix' scheme. As a consequence, the ball, instead of
being a sharp drop, seemed to actually _rise_ in the air, and in
consequence, Joel missed it by half a foot.
He went to his position out in centre, fastening his glove, and shaking
his head.
"How'd you find Hendrix today, Joel?" asked Oldsmith, the Harmony
middle-field man, as they passed on the way. "Some stuff he's got on
that ball, hey?"
"That last was certainly a new one for me," confessed Joel, frankly.
"Why, honest to goodness, it seemed to jump up in the air just before I
swung."
"Sure, that's the new jump ball he's been practicing lately," grinned
Oldsmith, though whether he really believed such a thing himself or not
was a question, for he seemed to be a practical joker. "Old Hendrix is
always hatching up something fresh, for the other side. You fellows
needn't expect to do much running today, for most of you will only whiff
out at the rubber. He's got your number, all right."
Of course that did not bother Joel very much. He knew how prone baseball
players are to boast when things are turning their way; and at the same
time find all sorts of plausible excuses when the reverse tide begins to
flow against them.
Donohue seemed to be at his best, for he immediately struck out the
first man who faced him, tossing up just three balls at that. This was
quite a creditable performance the Chester rooters kept telling their
Harmony neighbors, considering that he was no veteran at this sort of
thing, and Hutchings could usually be counted on as a dependable hitter.
Clifford fared but little better, though it was through a lofty foul to
right field which Big Bob easily smothered, that he went out. Then
Captain Martin tried his hand, and he, too, seemed unable properly to
gauge the teasers that Donohue sent in, for after fouling several, he
passed away on the third strike.
The crowd made up its mind that it was going to be a pitchers' duel in
earnest. Many would go the way of those who had been unable to meet the
puzzling curves and drops that had come in by turns.
When next the Chester boys tried their hand, Toby got his base through
Parsons juggling the hot grounder which came his way, and failing to
send it across the diamond in time to nip the runner. The Chester folks
took notice of this error on the part of the third baseman, who had been
touted as a wonder at snatching up everything that came his way,
regardless of its character. Still, that had been a difficult ball to
handle, and the error was excusable, Jack thought.
There was no run made, though Big Bob did send out a terrific drive that
under ordinary conditions should have been a three-bagger at least.
Oldsmith, after a gallant sprint at top speed, was seen to jump into the
air and pull the ball down. He received a storm of applause, for it was
a pretty piece of work; and Chester fans cheered quite as lustily as the
home crowd; for, as a rule, baseball rooters can admire such splendid
results regardless of partisanship.
Badger struck out, in his turn, being apparently unable to solve those
puzzling shoots of the cool and smiling master in the box. But then
Harmony was no better off in their half of that inning, for not a man
got as far as second; though O'Leary did send up an amazing fly that
dropped squarely in the hands of Big Bob. The other two only smashed the
thin air when they struck, for they picked out wide ones, and let the
good balls shoot over the edges of the plate like cannonballs.
"Notice one thing," said Jack to several of the Chester players when
once more it was their turn at bat. "Every Harmony fellow turns partly
toward the right when he bats. That's the short field in this enclosure,
and with the bleachers in between. They know the advantages of sending
the ball in that direction every time it's possible. Phil, Joel and Bob,
make a note of that, will you, and try to duplicate their game? They
know the grounds, and have the advantage over us."
"Watch my smoke, Governor," chuckled Big Bob Jeffries, confidently. "I'm
only trying things out so far. When the right time comes, me to cash in
with a ball clean over that short field fence. They'll never find it
again either, if I get the swoop I'm aiming for."
"Well, use good judgment when you make it," laughed Jack, "and see that
the bases are occupied. We may need a homer before this gruelling game
is over."
It certainly began to look like it when the sixth inning had ended and
never a run was marked up on the score-board for either side. Once Fred
Badger had succeeded in straining a point, and reaching third with a
wonderful exhibition of base stealing; but alas! he died there. Steve,
usually so reliable, could not bring him in, though he did valiantly,
and knocked a sky-scraper which O'Leary scooped in after a run back to
the very edge of the bleachers. Five feet further and it would have
dropped safe, meaning a two-bagger for Steve, and a run for Badger.
So the seventh started. Both pitchers were going as strong as in the
start, even more so, many believed. It was a wonderful exhibition of
skill and endurance, and thousands were ready to declare that no such
game had ever been played upon the grounds of the Harmony Field Club.
"Everybody get busy this frame," said Jack, encouragingly, as Donohue
picked up a bat and strode out to take his place. "We've got to make a
start some time, and the lucky seventh ought to be the right place. Work
him for a walk if you can Alec. And if you get to first, we'll bat you
in, never fear."
Considerably to the surprise of everybody, Donohue, instead of striking
out, managed to connect with a swift ball, and send up a weak fly that
fell back of second. Three players started for it, but there must have
been some fierce misunderstanding of signals, for they all stopped short
to avoid a collision, each under the belief that one of the others had
cried he had it. In consequence, the ball fell to the ground safely, and
the Chester pitcher landed on the initial sack.
Such roars as went up from the faithful and expectant Chester rooters.
They managed to make such a noise that one would have been pardoned for
thinking the entire crowd must be in sympathy with the visitors.
Anticipation jumped to fever heat. With a runner located on first base,
no one out, and several reliable batters coming up, it began to look as
though that might yet prove the "lucky seventh" for the plucky Chester
boys.
Jack knew that Hendrix would have it in for him. He would depend on
sweeping curves that must deceive, and try no more of that drop ball,
which Jack had proved himself able to judge and meet before it broke.
So Jack, after one swing at a spinner which he did not expect to strike,
dropped a neat little bunt along the line toward first. This allowed the
runner to reach second, although Jack himself was caught; for Hendrix
instantly darted over to first, and was in time to receive the ball
after Hatchings had scooped it out of the dirt.
But the runner had been advanced to second, and there were still two
chances that he could be sent on his way by a mighty wallop, or even a
fine single. Phil did crack out one that did the trick, and he found
himself landed on first, though Donohue, unfortunately, was held at
third. Bedlam seemed to be breaking loose. Chester rooters stormed and
cheered, and some of the more enthusiastic even danced around like
maniacs. Others waited for something really to be accomplished before
giving vent to their repressed feelings.
Next up stepped Herb Jones, with a man on third, another on first, and
but a lone out. He failed to accomplish anything, Hendrix sending him
along by the usual strike-out line.
Everything depended on Joel. A single was all that was needed to bring
in the tally so ardently desired. It was no time to try for a big hit.
Even Phil on first was signaled not to take risks in starting for
second.
Joel waited. He was fed a couple of wide ones that the umpire called
balls. Then came a fair one clean across the rubber, but Joel did not
strike. Jack made a motion to him. He believed the next would also be a
good ball, for Hendrix was not likely to put himself in a hole right
there, depending more on his dazzling speed to carry him through.
Joel struck!
They heard the crack of the bat, but few saw the ball go, such was its
momentum as it passed through the diamond. Hendrix, however, made a stab
with his glove and managed to deflect the ball from its first course.
That turned out to be a fatal involuntary movement on his part, for it
made Bailey's job in knocking down the ball more difficult. The nimble
shortstop managed to recover the ball and send it in home; but as the
runner at third had of course started tearing along as he heard the
blow, he had slid to safety before Chase caught the throw in.
And so the first tally of the game fell to Chester in the lucky seventh!