“You’re awful fuf-fuf-fuf-funny!” chattered Chip. “Just you pup-pup-pup-pitch the ball, and perhaps you won’t fuf-fuf-fuf-feel so fuf-fuf-fuf-funny!”
“Try this,” invited Factor, as he sent in a high one.
Jolliby caught it on the end of the bat and drove it over the infield, bringing Flint home.
Then came big Bob Singleton. The cadets were wildly excited, for they believed Bob would improve this opportunity to slug the ball. Singleton went after it hard, but Factor was on his mettle, and big Bob finally fanned, which retired Fardale with two runs in the first.
“What are you doing, Factor?” muttered Grace, as he walked in with the pitcher. “They hit you that trip.”
“Oh, what’s the use!” returned Factor. “We can take this game any time we want it. I am not going to pitch my arm off for a lot of kids like these.”
“Better not fool with them too much. We can’t afford to let them beat us.”
“They can’t win this game in a thousand years!” was the retort.
Although the Great Northern went after runs in the second inning and succeeded in getting a man on third and another on second, with only one man out, a beautiful play extinguished their hopes and shut them off with startling suddenness. At this the cadets rose in a body and gave the Fardale cheer.
“That was squeezing out of a tight corner,” confessed Arlington, as he reached the bench. “They had me guessing then.”