"You've got 'em started, boys; keep it up."
Harry was the next player to bat and as he came up Laura waved her flag at her brother.
Harry tried to keep cool, but his heart was thumping madly. He let the first ball pass him.
"One strike!"
Again the ball came in. It was not exactly what he wanted, but he landed on it almost desperately and sent it along the ground between first and second base. The first baseman ran for it, while Voup started to cover the bag. But before anything could be done Harry was safe and Frank had come in home.
"A run for Lakeport!"
"Why didn't you put the ball home?" cried the Excelsior catcher, angrily, for the sphere had been sent to Voup instead of to him.
"I couldn't get the man from third," growled the first baseman, yet he knew in his heart that he had made a wrong play.
Joe followed his brother, but as luck would have it was caught out on a pop fly to shortstop. Then Voup put in his swiftest ball, the catcher threw it to second, and Harry was caught just as he was trying to steal that bag. Link was at the bat and he went out an instant later on three strikes; and this finished the first half of the second inning.
"Never mind, we have evened up the score," said Joe. "Frank, that was a dandy hit and no mistake."