Cinch Brown trotted easily over the plate, and Kenny, covering the ground with tremendous strides, rounded third, and was urged on by the coacher.
Lefty knew the sphere would be relayed. Disappointed by the unexpected muff, it seemed to him as if the ball would never reach the diamond. In reality, Burley, trying to atone for his miserable error, made a swift throw which sent the horsehide straight into the baseman’s hands; and Daly, whirling, lined it to the waiting backstop.
“Slide! Slide!” shrieked the spectators.
The advice was unnecessary. Kenny had already launched himself, feet forward, at the plate, and so great was his speed that he almost overreached it. He managed to stop himself with one leg across the rubber just as the ball plunked into Fargo’s big mitt, and he was declared safe.
Amid the yell of delight which greeted this decision, Locke turned just in time to see Schaeffer streaking toward third. Apparently he hoped to steal the base in the general excitement.
Lefty shouted warningly to Fargo, but the big backstop, on the job, had already lined the sphere to Terry Daly. The latter caught it astride the base, but Schaeffer slid feet foremost straight for the sack, and spiked Daly, who dropped the ball.
A chorus of protest arose from the Hornets. Schaeffer got up, slapping the dust from his clothes and volubly voicing his regret at the incident.
“Too bad,” he said, as Daly limped off the field. “Accidents will happen, you know. He should have watched out for spikes, anyhow.”
As he spoke he caught Locke’s eye, and the latter brought his teeth together with a click. He felt sure that the thing had been done with deliberate intention, and, in the fleeting glance he exchanged with the Bronc twirler, a sudden determination filled him to repay the man in the way it would hurt the most.
As he walked slowly back to the slab and stood waiting for Brennan to send out a new man to take Daly’s place, a curious calm descended on him. The outfielder’s error, coming on the heels of all that went before, had brought Lefty to a state of nervousness which would have been fatal had it continued.