CHAPTER IV
WYNDHAM'S LAST DESPERATE STAND.
Charley Shultz sneered openly, with his full red upper lip curved highand exposing his broad teeth, as the delighted Oakdale playerscongratulated their comrade who had made that opportune home-run drive.
"Look a' that gangling country jay," he muttered in Osgood's ear. "Seehim grin like a baboon. See him distend his flat chest. Probably hethinks himself a Lajoie or a Wagner."
"Hush, Charley!" cautioned Osgood gently. "Don't be too open in yourfeelings; it's bad policy. Besides, I've got Crane on the string. He'sastride the fence now, and doesn't know which way he's going to fall."
"Oh, all right," returned Shultz; "but I don't see what use you can havefor him. He hasn't any money, and his influence doesn't amount to much."
"Even the support of the weakest chap may prove of some value when thebreak comes."
"After to-day you ought to force things in a hurry. I hope you're notgoing to stand for the rotten deal that swell-head Nelson has handed outto us."
"Have patience, old man--have patience," soothed Osgood. "I'll strikewhen the iron is hot. When possible, a good general always avoids goinginto an engagement before his plans are properly prepared and his forcesstrengthened to the full limit."
The fact that these two disgruntled fellows took no part in therejoicing of their team seemed to be overlooked at the time; for thiswas a game in which a run in the tenth inning was of tremendousimportance, and, taking into consideration the recent course of thecontest, almost an assurance of victory. A triumph over the alwaysformidable Wyndhamites in the season's first meeting between the twoteams would give Oakdale a much desired advantage in the High SchoolLeague.
"Oh, why can't I do something like that?" cried Cooper. "It makes mysolitary little tap look like ten below zero, and I always get cold feetin that sort of weather."
Nevertheless, he faced Lefty Leach like a chap exuding confidence fromevery pore. Leach was frowning and savage in his bearing, but Chipperreturned the Wyndham pitcher's dark look with a cheerful smile,threatening to start the stitches in the horsehide if Lefty dared to putone over.
The thunderstruck and dismayed Wyndham crowd awoke from its benumbedcondition and resumed cheering, although there was plainly adisheartened note in the volume of sound, something which the playersthemselves must have recognized. On the other hand, the Oakdalespectators were once more jubilant with restored confidence in theirteam and the conviction that Crane's wonderful wallop had practicallydecided the result.
Despite Cooper's aggressive attitude of assurance, Leach unhesitatinglyslanted the ball across and continued to do so while the Oakdaleshortstop rapped out foul after foul.
"You'll get him in a minute," encouraged Baxter. "He never was any goodwith the war-club."
Much to Cooper's sorrow, this prophecy came true, for Chipper finallyhoisted a short one back of first for Turner, the baseman, to gather in.
"Only three more men, Grant," said Nelson. "Get them, and we hang up ascalp."
"I'll sure do it if it's in me," whispered the Texan to himself, as hemade his way to the diamond.
Baxter rushed to the bench to have a few words with his players.
"Don't be too eager, fellows," he cautioned; "and still, don't let himsneak any good ones across. He's pitching for his life now, but he'lltry to pull you all. If you can start us going, Foxy, we'll crawl out ofthis hole right here."
Making no retort, Foxhall stepped into the batters' box and watched theOakdale pitcher make the situation more difficult for himself by failingto find the pan with the first two pitches. An in-shoot followed, and,remembering Baxter's words, Foxhall picked it off the inside corner witha sharp swing that sent it grass-cutting ten feet inside of third.
Roy Hooker, who was filling Osgood's position, was not an infielder,and, although he leaped in front of the ball, he failed to keep his feettogether, which allowed the humming sphere to go through him cleanly.
"Ha! Look a' that!" cried Shultz, giving Osgood a nudge. "That wouldnever have happened if you'd been there."
"Don't make comparisons--don't," said Osgood quickly. "They are odious.He's going to stretch it into a double."
Sent onward by the coacher, Foxhall raced over the initial sack andstretched himself for second. It chanced, however, that Sleuth Piper wasin position to back Hooker up, and, rushing forward, he took the ball ona favorable bound and threw it to second while still in his stride. Itwas one of the cleanest pieces of fielding, and perhaps the best throw,Piper had ever made in his baseball career, for it came straight intothe hands of Nelson, who disregarded the dangerous spikes of the slidingrunner and tagged Foxhall so cleanly and effectively that the locals hadnot the slightest excuse for a kick on the decision of "out."
"Well, wouldn't that cramp you!" muttered Shultz disgustedly. "Why inthunder did the man try to make a double of it?"
"Once more," said Osgood, "I must caution you not to show your feelingsso plainly. Even if we're benched, we're still members of the teamand----"
"I don't know whether _I_ am or not," rasped the resentful Shultz. "Idon't propose to play on any team where I'm handed a raw deal by a thinglike Jack Nelson."
"Now look here," said his companion, "you'll stick on the team unlessyou're fired off it, for as members of the nine we'll have more pullwith the bunch than otherwise. You're too brash, Charley. You haven'tany policy or subtleness. Don't think for a minute that I'm not just assore as you, but as injured yet still loyal Oakdalers we can win moresympathy than by open rebellion."
"I s'pose you're right," admitted Shultz; "but I never could controlmyself the way you can."
That the Wyndham boys realized how desperate the situation was becamemanifest through an undisguised quarrel which now arose between Foxhalland two of his teammates who attempted to criticize him.
"What's the matter with you?" snapped the bitterly disappointed chap."Pelty sent me down. Chew the rag with him if you're going to jump onany one. How'd I know that fielder was in position to back up and getthe ball to second so soon?"
"Cut that out, all of you," interposed Baxter. "Stop fussing and playball. This game isn't over yet."
"But it's pretty well over," cried Cooper gleefully. "It's all over butthe shouting."
Cohen, who seemed never troubled by a weak heart, predicted that hewould get a hit and begged Wolcott to advance him with a duplicate. Thenthe nervy young Hebrew stood forth and demonstrated that he had a goodeye by refusing to bite at the coaxers and compelling Grant to put thepill across. When this was done, he hit it hard and fair, the resoundingcrack bringing a shout from the Wyndham crowd.
That shout was abruptly cut short when Cooper shot into the air andpulled Cohen's drive down with one hand. From the opposite side of thefield burst the sudden relieved shrieks of the Oakdalers, whose heartshad been choking them an instant before.
"Keep quiet, Charley," said Osgood, placing a hand on his friend's knee."It looks like it's really all over. Take your cue from me and pretendyou're happy."
"You're asking just a bit too much, Ned," said Shultz huskily. "You knowI'm a poor bluffer in any kind of a game."
"But you're usually lucky, just the same; I've seen you hold some greatcards."
"Some catch, Chipper--some catch," Grant was saying happily. "You rakedthe clouds for that one."
"I had to do something to make up for my last raw play," returned thebeaming little chap.
Nelson was laughing. "We're backing you up now, Rodney, old boy. Thatkind of support ought to give you courage to take a fall out ofWolcott."
To tell the truth, although he made a pretense of being undismayed andconfident, there was really little hope left in Wolcott's heart.Nevertheless, it was always Wyndham's way to play a game out withoutlet-up, and the batter showed that he was trying for a hit by foulingthe ball several times. Presently, however, the Texan deceived him withone of his most effective drops, and Wolcott's fruitless slice at theair brought the game to an end with the s
core 4 to 3 in Oakdale's favor.