Swiftly, cleanly, and with the curve breaking at just the right moment, his next delivery went over the plate. The batsman struck at it and missed by a foot.
“Good work, old man!” called the catcher to him. “Let’s have another.”
But the next was a foul, and Joe began to worry.
“You’re finding him,” called the ’varsity captain to his man. “Line one out.”
But Joe was determined that this should not be, and it was not, for though the batter did not make a move to strike at the second ball after the foul, the umpire called sharply:
“Strike—batter’s out.”
There was a moment of silence, and then a yell of delight from the scrubs and their friends.
“What’s the matter with you?” angrily demanded Mr. Hasbrook of the batter. “Can’t you hit anything?”
The batsman shook his head sadly.