Joyful pandemonium broke loose in the Blue Hill ranks.
"We've got a chance to beat 'em!" they yelled. And truly this was so, but it was a very slim chance.
"Never mind, Dick," consoled Beeby. "You can strike out Ed Mayfield."
"Don't let him get a look in, and we can easily pull one run out when we get to the bat," urged Paul Drew.
"All right," answered Dick, shortly. He had taken a chance on Lem not hitting that ball, but the unexpected had happened. Dick pulled himself together, and faced Ed Mayfield, the next batter up, who was nervously dancing about the plate, trying by means of grins and gibes to disconcert the pitcher.
But Dick was not built that way. Calmly he sized up his opponent and sent in a ball that fooled him. Then came something in the nature of a fizzle, when the umpire called a ball. It began to look a bit dubious when the next was a ball also.
"Careful, Dick," warned the captain. "We can't afford to go to pieces now."
Dick did not answer, but there was a grim tightening of his lips. Then he sent in a viciously swift ball.
"Strike two!" called the umpire, sharply.
"Ah!" came as a sort of chorus from the big crowd.