THE GREAT GAME BEGUN.
Harry was just giving his players their final instructions when a small
boy came running toward them.
"You're wanted right away!" the boy whispered. "Your brother and Fred
Rush want you!"
"What!" gasped Harry. "Where are they?"
"In the dressing-room under the grand stand."
"This is certainly a mystery!" came from Link, and he followed Harry to
the dressing-room, and so did Matt. They found Joe and Harry getting
into their uniforms with all possible speed.
"What in the name of goodness----" began Harry, when Joe stopped him
short.
"Don't say anything now, Harry. Si Voup is responsible for it. I'll
explain later. Are all the other fellows here?"
"Yes, but----"
"Si had us kidnapped. He doesn't know we are here. Fred and I want to
surprise him."
"Oh! Well----"
"Tell the other fellows to take their old positions. After you are in
position give a loud whistle and Fred and I will come out," went on Joe.
His brother and the others understood, and left the dressing-room as
quickly as they had entered it.
In the meantime Si Voup, Boardman and the others of the Excelsiors were
talking earnestly among themselves.
"We are going to have a walkover," said Voup.
"A regular cinch," declared Boardman. "I expect to win a lot of money
on this match."
Nearly all of the members of the Excelsiors were elated to think that
Joe and Fred had failed to appear. But only three or four were in
Voup's secret, and all of these had bet heavily on the result.
The umpire was on hand and the toss-up gave Lakeport the choice of
innings. Without hesitation they sent the rival club to the bat.
"That's queer," murmured Si Voup to Boardman. "I should think they
would keep off the diamond as long as possible, thinking that their old
pitcher and catcher would appear."
"Maybe they are conceited enough to think that they can do as well with
Link Darrow and Matt Roscoe."
"Well, if that's the case they will soon learn that they are mistaken."
Out on the field rushed the seven players of the Lakeport Club and
took their respective positions. A short hurrah went up, but silence
followed when it was noticed that the positions of pitcher and catcher
were vacant.
"They must be going to throw up the game," thought Si Voup.
There was an expectant pause and then Harry gave a short, clear
whistle. The door to the little dressing-room burst open and out
ran Fred and Joe in their natty uniforms and took their respective
positions behind the bat and in the pitcher's box.
As soon as they appeared a yell went up which grew louder and louder.
"There they are!"
"They are going to pitch and catch, after all!"
"Wonder why they kept out of sight so long?"
When Joe and Fred ran out on the field, Si Voup and Boardman stared at
them as if they were gazing at ghosts.
"It--it's them!" gasped Boardman.
For the moment Si Voup was too paralyzed to speak. He continued to
stare at Fred until the latter walked over to him, adjusting his chest
protector as he did so.
"Oh, you needn't stare so, Si Voup," he called out. "I am here, and so
is Joe, and after this game is over we have an account to settle with
you and Boardman and Dan Marcy!"
"You--you----" stammered Voup. He did not know what to say.
"Play!" called out the umpire, and Fred had to race back to his
position. Si Voup continued to stare at him and also at Joe, and then
turned back to whisper to Boardman.
"We're caught!" he muttered, hoarsely.
"They didn't see us," answered Boardman, who was of a cooler nature.
"Don't give yourself away. Make them prove everything." And on this the
two agreed.
The buggy ride had given Joe and Fred a chance to rest, and each felt
in perfect trim for the game. Both were on their mettle, and Joe
determined to pitch ball as never before.
The first batter up was a tall, brawny fellow, the best hitter the
Excelsiors had. He came to the plate with a swinging gait, confident
that he could rap out a two-base hit if nothing better.
Joe measured the fellow with care and sent in a swift, low ball.
"Ball one!" cried the umpire.
Again the ball came in, this time rather high.
"Ball two."
"He is going to let the batter walk!" cried several. "He is afraid to
give him a good ball."
Again Joe stepped back and gave Fred a certain sign. The ball came on
in a curve, directly over the plate.
"Strike one!" called the umpire.
"That's the way to do it, Joe," called a friend.
Again the ball was delivered. It looked fast but was slow, and the
batter struck at it and missed it.
"Strike two!"
At this the batsman scowled and gripped the ash afresh. Joe gave him no
time to think of what he wanted to do. In came the sphere with all the
speed at the young pitcher's command.
"Three strikes--batter out!"
A wild cheering came from the Lakeport supporters.
"That's the way to do it, Joe! Strike out some more of 'em!"
The second man to the bat resolved to be careful and consequently he
had two strikes called upon him almost before he was aware. Then he
knocked a foul which Fred captured with ease.
The third player to come up was Boardman. He glared fiercely at Joe and
then glared at Fred.
"Oh, you can't scare me, and you needn't try," said Fred, with spirit,
and this made some people in the grand stand laugh.
The first ball to come in was high, but Boardman struck at it and
missed it. Then he made a vicious sweep at the next ball and missed
that likewise.
"Take your time, old man!" sang out Voup. "Make him give you what you
want."
As a result Boardman allowed the next ball to pass him, although it was
perfect in every way.
"Three strikes--batter out!" came calmly from the umpire.
"It was too high," growled Boardman, but his voice was lost in the
cheering and yelling of the Lakeport rooters.
"Two of the best batters they have struck out in one inning!" came the
cry. "The Excelsiors had better go home!"
When Fred and Joe appeared on the players' bench, a dozen or more
wanted to know what had kept them away so long. They told their story
in detail, and many were highly indignant at Voup, Boardman and Marcy.
"We ought to ride 'em on rails," said one man. "They deserve it."
"Tar and feathers would be better," came from another.
"Don't do anything until the game is over," said Joe. "We want to beat
them, and do it in a strictly honorable way."
As of old, Walter Bannister was first at the bat, and after having two
strikes called on him, he knocked a clean two-base hit to leftfield.
This was a beautiful start, and Bart followed it up by a safe single
which took Walter to third. Then came Fred with another single, and
Walter came home, while Bart reached third.
"Hurrah! Lakeport scores the first run!"
"Two on base and nobody out!"
Fred was followed by Matt, who went out on a short fly to second. Then
came Teddy Dugan, who was playing in Frank's place, Frank having gone
off to Boston, on a visit to a rich uncle.
"Whack it good, Teddy!" was the cry. "Knock it over the fence!"
"Th' fince, is it!" ejaculated the Irish lad. "Sure an' I'm goin' to
knock it out av town, so I am!"
The ball came in swiftly, for Si Voup was mad. It was just right for
Teddy, and by good luck he met it fairly and squarely and sent it
bounding swiftly into centerfield, just over the second baseman's head.
"Run! run! Everybody run!" was the mad yell, and everybody did run,
Bart coming in like lightning, followed by Fred, while Teddy reached
second by sliding and grabbing the bag in such a fashion that he slid
completely around the baseman.
"Two more runs!"
"And a man on second and only one out!"
"Who is betting on the Excelsiors now?"
Harry was the next to the bat and got first on four balls. Then came
Joe, who also reached first, while Harry went to second. There was a
mixup with the ball at second, and in the excitement Teddy Dugan left
third base and slid in at the home plate.
"Another run! Hurrah for Teddy Dugan!"
Joe was followed by Link, who knocked a foul into the third baseman's
territory. Then came Paul with a fly to centerfield; and the exciting
inning came to an end. Score, Excelsiors 0, Lakeports 4.
The cheering was deafening and lasted for several minutes. The
supporters of the Excelsiors looked glum and hateful.
"What's the matter with you, Si?" asked one of Voup's friends. "They
are knocking you all around the field."
"Oh, wait till the next innings," growled Voup.
"Well, don't wait too long. I've got money on your team, remember."
As soon as they came off the diamond, Voup called Boardman to one side.
"We mustn't let them win!" said the captain of the Excelsiors,
fiercely. "If they win I'll be just about ruined!"
"I'm in the same boat. But what are you going to do?"
"I wish we could get at Joe Westmore or Fred Rush."
"There is only one way."
"How is that?"
"When Westmore comes to the bat you must deliver a swift ball and hit
him in the side or the head. If you'll do that, when I go to the bat
I'll step back and let Rush have it with the bat. Of course both of us
can claim the accidents were unintentional."
"All right, I'll go you!" cried Si Voup, with blazing eyes. "Anything
to make them lose the game!"