“Say, I didn’t strike at that,” objected the batter.
“I know you didn’t, but you had ought to,” replied the umpire. “It was right over the plate.”
“Of course it was,” declared the rival pitcher. “I can put ’em just where I want to.”
“Then put one here!” cried Teddy, holding out his bat about level with his belt, “and I’ll knock it over the barn!”
“I’d like to see you do it!” retorted the pitcher.
Well, Teddy did not exactly knock the ball over the barn, but he did send it quite a distance, and he managed to get to third base, because the right fielder muffed the ball.
“Now for a home run, and we win the game!” cried Tommy.
“You never can,” spoke Joie Grubb, despairingly.
There were two strikes called on Tommy, almost before he knew it, and he shut his teeth firmly together and made up his mind that he would hit the next ball. And he did.
