“Ha! ha!” laughed Jack, as he pranced down to first. “Also ho! ho! That’s the time you found yourself up against the real thing, Vinton, old mark. Just give me one of the same every time I come to bat, will you?”
Vinton shrugged his shoulders, but seemed to give Ready no further attention. However, as Jack played off, the pitcher suddenly snapped the ball over to first in an attempt to catch him.
Ready got back.
“Slow, Vint,” he said. “You seem to be in a trance. Can’t you move quicker, old cinch?”
Vinton kept Jack dodging back to the base for some seconds, but Ready attempted a steal very promptly on the first ball delivered. He might not have reached second in safety, but the catcher was bothered a little about throwing, which gave the runner barely time to slide down.
“Slow again!” chuckled Ready, as he lay on the ground with his hand on the bag. “Oh, I’m harder to catch than the elusive will-o’-the-wisp. La! la! What an easy thing this game is going to be!”
But Jack could not steal third, and he was not taking another desperate chance just then. He had reached second to prevent a double play, and it was lucky that he did so, for Carson batted a grounder straight into Clackson’s hands and was thrown out at first with ease. Had Ready been forced on that hit, both men must have been put out.
Browning hit the second ball pitched and sent it flying past the head of Walpole out into extreme right field. That let him down to first, while Ready took third.
It was Starbright’s turn.
“Here is where we tie the score without an effort,” declared Ready. “Oh, luddy me! What a good, soft thing this is!”