Friends of Mannig held their breath. Ball and runner were both speeding for the same goal. It had seemed at first that Bob was certain of a home run, but the fielding had been extremely fast, and now it appeared that he was doomed to have his trouble for nothing. If someone had only had the sense to hold him at third base!
Simultaneously two things happened. The flying sphere settled with a thud against the catcher’s mitt, and Bob, sliding over the ground in a cloud of brown dust, touched the plate with the fingers of one eager hand. Then down came the catcher’s hand and the ball, like a sledge hammer, and Bob straightened out his legs, rolled over on to his back, and lay very still.
In an instant the plate, the catcher, the umpire, and the unconscious form of Bob formed the vortex of a pushing, shouting maelstrom of humanity. Dan, who had been one of the first to reach Bob’s side, strove to raise him from the ground for fear that the struggling crowd would trample upon him, but so close about him were the angry partisans of Mannig that he could only hold Bob in a sitting position, and beg for room and air. The catcher, white of face, hemmed in by the enemy, declared loudly that he had intended no harm, but he was no coward, and his tone was so defiant that it only added to the wrath of the crowd. The umpire strove mightily for peace. So far no blow had been struck, although many hands were clinched and several arms were raised. The catcher was being jostled back and forth as the throng swayed hither and thither. Dan, by dint of much tugging, at last lifted Bob in his arms, and, aided now by Burns and a stranger, fought a way through the dense throng. Once on the bench, with a sopping towel at his head, Bob soon regained consciousness and opened his eyes.
“What’s up?” he asked weakly.
“Oh, that blamed catcher took you in the side of the head with the ball,” answered Dan angrily.
“I know, but what”—he turned his head toward the shouting mass on the diamond—“what’s doing over there?”
“Free fight, I guess,” said Dan.
“That’s what,” said Burns, the light of battle in his eye. “Look after him and I’ll see if I can help.”
With that he sped away and was lost in the throng which was pouring on to the field from the stand.
“He didn’t mean anything,” cried Bob. “It’s all nonsense. Here, let me up, Dan!”