Chester held Hardy close to first, but the fellow was a good base runner, and he started to steal on the second ball pitched.
Grace gave his bat a wild flourish in front of Buckhart, but the Texan was undisturbed by this, and he proceeded to snap the ball on a line to Tubbs, who caught it in time to be waiting for Hardy as the latter made a desperate lunge for the bag.
“Tag, you’re it!” piped the fat boy, as he “nailed” the ball onto the runner.
Three men were out, and the Great Northern had not scored in the first inning. Although they were surprised by the result, the players trotted onto the field, laughing and joking. There were three pitchers with the team, and they had decided to use their weakest man in the box, for they were sure he would be good enough to hold the cadets down.
The next surprise came when Gardner bunted the second ball pitched and scudded down to first with such speed that he reached the bag safely.
“Dear me, isn’t that too bad!” cried Ted Smart, as the Fardale cheer died away.
“That’s the tut-tut-tut-time you fuf-fuf-fuf-fooled him!” laughed Chip Jolliby, prancing about on the coach line back of first base.
Barron Black, the second hitter, finally picked out a good one and sacrificed himself in driving Gardner down to second.
With one man out, Dave Flint came up. Flint was beyond question one of the finest batters on the Fardale team. He seldom lifted a ball into the air, and his line drives were generally safety placed. On this occasion he selected an outcurve that was on the outer corner and lined it into right field.
With a good lead off second, Gardner literally flew over third and came home on the throw to the plate. This throw enabled Flint to reach second.