Bart swung at it.
Crack!—the bat met the ball.
Again that wild cry pealed across the field, and down to first shot Bart Hodge, while the fielders tried in vain to reach his safe hit.
“Ye gods!” cried Jack Ready. “Our luck has come! Did you see how the wind changed?”
“I’m afraid it changed too late,” came from Rattleton.
But Frank saw in this fortunate hit a possible chance to win out, and he hurried down to first, where he began coaching.
Browning came up to the plate, a flush in his cheeks. He turned to look at Old Joe Crowfoot, and then mentally exclaimed:
“Hang me if I don’t believe he is good luck to us! I am going to hit it!”
He did. He did not try to drive it far out, and for that very reason he hit it handsomely, dropping it over the infield and enabling him to reach first, while Bart took second.