The Lucky Seventh

by Ralph Henry Barbour

  CHAPTER VII

  THE BLUE RUNABOUT

  But although Jack Tappen drove out a two-bagger over shortstop's headand Pete Robey got safely to first on an error by the third baseman, thenext three players went out in order, Lanny on a foul that was pulleddown by third baseman, Fudge on strikes and Tom Haley on a weak effortto second baseman.

  Encouraged by the valiant cheers of its supporters, the Point went towork in its half of the seventh in a very business-like way. Townsendbeat out a bunt in front of base, Morris Brent hit safely into shortleft field, advancing Townsend, and Gil Chase sent a hot one through thepitcher's box which Tom couldn't handle. With the bases full, thingslooked bad for Clearfield. Tom knocked down House's drive, however, heldTownsend at third, and worked the first out. Then Leary, after spoilingthree good ones, fouled out to Lanny, and Clearfield breathed easier.But Pink Northrop, although a tail-ender on the batting list, camethrough with a hit that brought shrieks of delight from the Pointsympathizers and sent two runs across. Billy Houghton trickled a slowbunt toward first and the man on third tried for the plate. But Gordon,running in fast, got the ball to Lanny ahead of the runner and the sidewas out.

  "You're up, Harry," announced Dick. "There's a fine opening for a brightyoung man between third and short. See what you can do."

  "I'll try it, but I'm batting pretty punk," replied Harry doubtfully."What's the matter with a bunt, Dick?"

  "Nothing doing, Harry. Hit it out. Get to first and try a hit-and-runwith Will."

  But Harry's effort was a weak grounder that bounded nicely intoshortstop's hands and there was one out. Gordon, behind first, lookedworried as Will faced the pitcher. But, "Pick out a good one, Will," hecalled cheerfully. "He hasn't much on it."

  Will, profiting by the advice, sought to select one to his liking andPorter very soon found himself in a hole. The umpire didn't likePorter's offerings any better than Will and after six deliveries Willwalked to first.

  "That's the stuff!" cried Jack Tappen, relieving Gordon on the coachingline. "He's all in! Whale it out, Gordon! Here we go, fellows!"

  Gordon swung viciously at the first ball across and the third basemanstepped cautiously back. Then came a wide one that Gordon disdained. Thenext was likewise a ball by a narrow margin. At first Will was dancingback and forth and Jack was coaching at the top of his lungs, while frombehind third Lanny was offering his budget of advice and comment. Porterwound up again, Will started for second and Gordon swung his bat. Therewas a _crack_ as ball and bat met, and Will, nearing second, saw Lanny'sentreating gestures and never paused in his stride.

  Out in center field the ball was bounding along the turf and Gordon wasalready rounding first. Luck helped Clearfield then, for just as centerfielder slackened his pace to get the ball the latter struck against atuft of the coarse grass in front of him and bounded erratically aside.At third Lanny waved Will on to the plate. Gordon, pausing a few yardspast first, took up his running again while the center fielder turnedand raced back for the rolling ball. When he reached it Gordon wassliding to second in a cloud of dust and Will was halfway to the plate.The fielder, Jim House, made a beautiful throw, but Will beat it, andthe best the catcher could do was to hold Gordon on second.

  On the Clearfield bench the purple-hosed players cheered and cavorted,while on the shady side of the diamond a strange silence held. Waytapped the base impatiently with his favorite bat and Harry implored himto hit it out. Porter looked nervous for the first time.

  "He's up in the air!" shrieked Harry. "Wait for your base, Way. Youdon't have to hit it! He'll pass you! Here we go! Here we go! Here----"

  Harry paused only because Way had picked out the first ball offered himand had banged it across to shortstop. Gordon scurried to third and Wayraced toward first. Shortstop got the ball on a low bound, cast ahurried look toward third and pelted it across to first. But the throwwas poor and although first baseman got it he dropped it the nextinstant and the umpire spread his hands wide.

  "Watch home!" implored the catcher. But Gordon was taking no chanceswith only one out and contented himself with dancing up the base line afew yards to draw the throw. The ball went back to pitcher and pitcherand catcher met and held a conference. Gordon spoke to Lanny and Lannynodded.

  "Well, I guess we've got them guessing, Harry," he called across.

  "Here's where we break it up, fellows!" responded Harry. "On your toes,Way! Here we go!"

  Porter glanced over his infield, tugged at his cap, hitched histrousers, studied the catcher's signal and wound up. But the throw wasto first and Way was nearly caught napping. Twice more Porter tried toclear that base, and then, anticipating a steal, threw out to thecatcher. But Way hugged first and only grinned, while the umpireannounced "One ball!" Then a curve went over the corner of the plate andJack Tappen had a strike on him. The Point infield was playing close andJack knew that a bunt would not help any. He let the second strike goby, a deceptive drop, and then came the signal from Harry.

  "Make it be good, Jack!" called Harry. "Here we go! Here we go!"

  Porter wound up again and Way started for second. It was now or neverfor Jack and desperately he glued his eye to the oncoming sphere, swungand felt the pleasant tingle that announced that he had hit it! Then hewas racing for the base. Shortstop had the ball a dozen feet back of thebase line. Second baseman ran to cover that bag. Perhaps he thought athrow to the plate would fail to head off the speeding runner fromthird, or perhaps he had some idea of starting a double play. At allevents, Chase tossed the ball quickly toward second. It reached theresimultaneously with second baseman and Way. Second baseman made a grabfor it and got it, but at that instant Way, sliding into the bagfeet-foremost, collided with the defender of the sack and the balltrickled away in the dust. Gordon slid across the plate, Way was safe atsecond and Jack was grinning from first!

  That misadventure was the Point's undoing. Porter went to pieces thenand there. Pete hit a liner that sent in Way, put Jack on third andhimself on second; Lanny, enjoined to wait for his base, stood idlewhile the pitcher slammed four balls past him, and then, with the basesfull, and one out, Fudge, with the score two strikes and two balls,resisted the temptation to swing and was presented with his base. Jackwas forced across for the fourth tally.

  Tom, eager to add his mite to the slaughter, hit a beautiful drivetoward left field and the runners started around. But Caspar Billingsperformed the impossible. Although the ball was at least a yard over hishead, he knocked it down with his right, spoiling what was intended fora two-bagger, and sped it to the plate ten feet in front of Pete, who,with the possible exception of Caspar himself, was the most surprisedyouth on the field. Back flew the ball to third, but Lanny had luck withhim and somehow managed to slide into the bag ahead of Caspar'sdescending arm.

  Encouraged, Rutter's Point set about getting the third out, and Portersettled down to deceive Harry Bryan. But Harry, realizing that in allprobability this would be his last time at bat, and seeing what a fineopportunity was presented him to write his name on the annals of fame,was cautious and watchful. Porter worked a low ball over for a strike,followed it with a ball wide of the plate, coaxed him with a slow onethat failed to entice Harry or please the umpire and then tried to sneaka fast one across in the groove. But Harry saw it coming, laid all hisstrength along that slender piece of ash he held and swung! And when theexcitement was over three more runs had been piled on to Clearfield'sscore and Harry was seated, breathless but happy, on third, having linedout a two-base hit into deep center and taken third on the throw to theplate. That ended it, however, for Will Scott popped a foul into firstbaseman's hands.

  With the score ten to four against them the Rutter's Point team wasdiscouraged and beaten. It tried half-heartedly to get a man around inthe last of the eighth and managed to stop Clearfield in the first ofthe ninth, although some poor base-running on the part of the visitorsdid more than any efforts of the home team to save the plate in thatinning. And in the last half of the ninth the Point actually got
arunner as far as third. But there he stayed while the next two batsmenfell before Tom's slants and a third sent up a short fly that settledcomfortably into Pete Robey's hands and brought the game to an end.

  Clearfield cheered Rutter's Point, in the intoxication of the momentusing the regular High School slogan, and Rutter's Point cheeredClearfield and bats were gathered up and the two teams started off thefield. They came together at the corner of the hotel and Caspar calledto Dick: "We'd like to try you again, Lovering, some time." And Dickanswered: "Glad to play you, Billings. We'll talk it over soon."

  Morris Brent laid a hand on Gordon's arm and pulled him aside. "Say,Gordon, I've got my car here. Come on back with me, won't you? I'll getyou home quicker than the trolley will do it."

  "Why, much obliged," murmured Gordon, "but----"

  "Oh, come on! I want you to see how dandy it runs."

  "I'm not insured," laughed Gordon, trying to pull away from the other'sdetaining hand.

  "Oh, pshaw! I won't dump you out. I'll run as slow as you like. Comeon."

  "Well, all right," agreed Gordon without enthusiasm. "Oh, Dick! I'mgoing back with Morris. I'll see you this evening."

  Morris led the way toward the pier, where the Clearfield road joined theshore avenue, and Gordon saw the blue runabout standing at the side ofthe road. It was a very attractive little car, in spite of the layer ofgray dust which sullied the shining varnish.

  "Isn't she a peach?" demanded Morris. "And go! Say, I went nearly fortymiles an hour in her the other day!"

  "Yes," replied Gordon dryly, "Dick saw you, I guess. He said you wereracing with the trolley."

  "Oh, shucks, not that time! I was only doing about thirty then. I had toslow down for a team. You ought to have seen me the other morning on theSpringdale road. That was going some, I tell you!"

  "Well, if you try any thirty mile stunt to-day I'll fall out the back ofit," warned Gordon.

  "I won't. Wait till I start it. All right. In you get. Prettycomfortable seats, aren't they?"

  "Yes," agreed Gordon as the runabout swung around in the dusty road andheaded toward Clearfield at a moderate speed. "Does--does your fatherknow about it?"

  Morris chuckled. "No, not yet. I don't want him to, but I suppose somebusybody will tell him."

  "Bound to," said Gordon. "Especially if you do such spectacular stuntsas you did the other day. Folks on the trolley, Dick said, expected tosee you go off the road any minute."

  "Pooh! Folks who don't drive autos always think that. Why, you're justas safe in this thing as you are in the trolley. Safer, I guess.Remember when the car jumped the track year before last and killed sixor seven people?"

  "Yes, but I'll take my chances with the trolley," replied Gordon. "Thereit goes now. I wonder if the fellows caught it."

  "Sure. Anyway, we'll soon see. I can catch that trolley as though it wasstanding still!" Morris pulled down his throttle and the little carbounded forward with a deeper hum of its engine. Gordon grasped the armof the seat beside him.

  "Never mind!" he exclaimed. "I don't care whether they did or not,Morris! Pull her down!"

  Morris obeyed, laughing. "Shucks," he said, "that wasn't fast. We wereonly going twenty-five or six miles an hour."

  "How do you know?" grumbled Gordon, relaxing his grip.

  Morris indicated the speedometer with his foot. "That thing tells you,"he explained. "Watch the long hand. We're doing sixteen now. I'll hither up a bit. There, see the hand move around?Twenty--twenty-two--twenty-four----"

  "That'll do, thanks! And for the love of mud, Morris, keep her away fromthis fence!"

  "Why, there's five feet there," protested the driver.

  "Y-yes, but the old thing wabbles so it gives me heart failure!"

  "You just think it does," returned Morris. "I can keep her as straightas an arrow if I want to."

  "Want to, then, will you?" laughed Gordon uneasily. "And--and here'sanother car coming, Morris. Hadn't you better slow down a little?"

  "Say, you're an awful baby," commented the other. But he lowered thespeed of the car still further and, to Gordon's relief, hugged the fencepretty closely while a big gray touring car shot by them in a cloud ofdust. Morris turned a speculative, admiring gaze on it as it passed.

  "Thirty-five easily, she's making," he said. "Some day I'm going to haveone like that. These little cars are all right to knock about in, butthey're too light to get much speed out of."

  "How fast do you want to run, anyway?" grumbled Gordon. "Isn't twentymiles an hour fast enough?"

  "You wait till you run one and you'll see," laughed Morris. "Why, twentymiles will seem like standing still to you!"

  "It's fast enough for me," sighed Gordon. "Besides, this road is sorough that--_Morris!_"

  But Gordon's cry was too late. There was a bump, a crash, the sound ofsplintering wood, and----