Page:Baseball Joe on the School Nine.djvu/124

 needed. But the scrub captain had been too sharp for them.

"Changed the batting order, eh?" asked Ward. "You can't do it now under the rules."

"Oh, well, we ain't playing strictly according to rules yet," said Luke weakly. "I'm going to bat, anyhow. You can change your batting order if you like."

"We don't have to," responded Ward. "But go ahead, we'll allow it."

"Thanks—for nothing!" exclaimed Hiram sarcastically, and Luke held his place at home plate.

The situation was now rather tense. There were two men out, a man was on third and the captain of the school team himself was at bat. It was up to Luke to bring in his man and save his side from a goose egg in the first inning. Luke fairly glared at Joe, as if daring our hero to strike him out, and Joe was no less determined to do that feat if possible.

He looked at Bob for a signal, and got one that meant to deliver a swift in. Then Joe knew that Luke, for all his boasting was a bit afraid—afraid of being hit by the ball, and, being timid would involuntarily step back if the horsehide seemed to be coming too close to him.