Dade smiled in his sweetest manner. He was a handsome fellow, and he made a graceful appearance in his suit. He looked around to make sure every man was in position.
Then Morgan broke loose and sent over a ball that whistled through the air. His speed was something surprising, even to those who knew him well.
“Strike!” called the umpire, although Jack had not swung.
“La! la! what steam!” Ready exclaimed. “You must have gunpowder in your wing, Dadie!”
Morgan’s next one was a beautiful in shoot, and, thinking it another straight, swift one, Ready fanned.
“Two strikes!”
“There is a pitcher for you!” exclaimed the man with the dog. “He’ll make that Merriwell aggregation look like twenty-nine cents.”
“How the wind blows!” came from Ready. “That nearly trimmed my whiskers.”
Morgan used the same delivery on the next ball, but it proved to be a sharp drop, and Ready did not come within a foot of it.
“Batter is out!” rang the clear voice of the umpire.