“Don’t get fresh, young man!” growled the umpire. “You know it was a ball!”
“Didn’t it go straight over the heart of the plate?”
“It was a ball! I called it that, and it has to stand.”
The crowd showed its disgust by uttering cries of derision, and shouting scornfully at the umpire. Merry put another over, but this time he used a drop.
“Two balls!”
“Outrage!” snarled Hodge. “Hit him, Merry!”
Teller realized that something had happened, and he refused to strike at either of the next two pitched, though both were on the outside corner. The umpire sent him to first.
Then came Skew, who swung at the ball as Teller went down to second for a steal.
For once, Hodge threw a bit wild, but Rattleton got the ball and jumped for the man, who slid. Teller was tagged while two feet off the base.
“Safe at second!” said the umpire.