“Sit down! Sit down!” yelled a score of voices about him, though the unfortunate Ford was not standing. He knew, however, what was meant, and uttered no protest.
Though Randall did her best when her chance came in the ending of the fourth, nothing resulted. Backus flied to Sam Soden and Tom Parsons managed to get to first on a clean hit to right field, but Joe Jackson, who followed him, struck out, and, as though emulating his brother, the other Jersey twin did likewise, letting Tom die on second.
“Say, when is something going to happen?” asked Holly Cross of Tom, as the home team filed out in the field.
“It ought to, pretty soon now,” replied Tom, as he kicked a small stone out of the pitchers’ box.
Bean Perkins, with his crowd of “shouters” started the “Wallop ’em” song, in an endeavor to make things lively, and he very nearly succeeded, for John Allen, who came up first in the beginning of the fifth, rapped out a pretty one to left field. It looked as if Joe Jackson would miss it, but Joe wasn’t there for that purpose. He had a long run to the side to get within reaching distance of the horsehide, but, as though to make up for striking out, he made a sensational catch, and was roundly applauded, while Allen walked back disgustedly from first, which he had almost reached.
“Pretty catch! Lovely catch!” yelled Bean Perkins. “Now a couple more like that, and things will be all ready for us when our boys come in.”
Herbert Bower and Sam Soden, the next two Fairview players who followed Allen, were both struck out by Tom, who was doing some fine twirling, having given no player his base on balls yet.
“Now, boys, show ’em what you can do!” pleaded a score of Randall “fans,” as Tom and his men walked in to the bench for their share of the fifth inning.
Dutch Housenlager was up first, and he selected a bat with care.
“What are you going to do, me son,” asked Bricktop solicitously.