Page:Lefty o' the Bush.djvu/275

 *manding that the umpire should keep the game going. "You've got the wabbles; I don't believe you can see the rubber."

He wondered at the look in Tom's eyes. Locke moistened his dry lips.

"Yes, yes, Oulds," he said huskily; "I'm all right now."

"Well, you don't look it," retorted Hunchy. "Be you havin' a fit, or what? You've got to stop heavin' the ball as fast as you can git holt of it. Take your time, now. Don't let Lisotte bunt; prob'ly he'll try it. If they start scorin', they're li'ble to win the game right here."

"I tell you I'm all right now," declared Locke savagely. "Give me the ball."

"He's havin' a reg'ler fit," muttered the catcher, surrendering the sphere and backing toward his position behind the pan.

Lisotte squared himself again; the coachers talked excitedly, the Bancroft crowd rooted for runs; Kingsbridge was silent. Bernsteine took a long lead off second, and McGovern danced back and forth at third. Locke was taking time at last, apparently trying hard to throw off the feverish wildness that had put him into "a hole."

Swift, high, and close came the ball to Lisotte, difficult indeed to bunt safely. But the little Ca