“Thought you had some ball players over here, Bradlaugh,” he shouted, while runs were crossing the pan for Gold Hill.
“So did I,” laughed the general manager. “The game’s young yet, colonel. Wait till we’re a little farther along.”
“You fielders have got to take a brace,” Merry was saying to some of his teammates. “Clancy, I’m surprised at you! Brad, I wonder how your father enjoyed that play of yours? Now, then, all get together and do something.”
Brad, who was first at bat, tried hard to retrieve himself. Perhaps he tried too hard, for overanxiety is worse than not being anxious enough. Yet, be that as it may, his little pop-up was bagged neatly by Dart, and Brad turned from the path to first and made for the bench.
Then Blunt tried for a hit, but Darrel was pitching great ball, and nothing happened. Handy followed, and managed to get to first but Spink spoiled all his chances by getting a grounder to Rylman and being thrown out at first.
Bleeker was up again in the first half of the third. Frank had made up his mind, by then, that he and the backstop would have to do most of the work, and he was pitching ball that made the fans open their eyes. He did not allow a man to reach first, but struck them out as fast as they came to the plate.
In this round, which added a goose egg to the Gold Hill score, Ellis Darrel was included.
Reckless, in the last half of the third, aroused Ophir hopes by dropping the ball into left field. Lenaway made a grand effort to get under it, but it slipped over the ends of his fingers.
“Now, Joe,” begged Blunt, as the catcher picked out his bat, “bring Reckless in, and come in yourself.”
The backstop smiled genially, and proceeded to sacrifice Reckless to second. He almost got to first on the bunt, but was called out by the umpire.