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 faced. But Kewpie seemed totally unworried. Laurie saw and marveled. His own heart was thumping inside him like a small sledge-hammer. He wondered if Kewpie was faking that unconcern and would presently go to pieces like the others, letting in an avalanche of runs!

But Kewpie was right. Laurie needn't have worried about him. Kewpie was magnificent, if a boy of Kewpie's size and proportions can ever be magnificent! He was as slow as cold molasses, yes, and his delivery elicited more amusement from the enemy, but he struck out with apparent ease the first batsman who faced him, caused the next man to foul out to Captain Dave, and fanned the third!

When that last of the enemy waved through empty air and then cast his bat from him venomously, Hillman's loved Kewpie Proudtree with a deep and fervid passion. Hillman's said so. Hillman's rose from stand and greensward and cheered his name to the blue afternoon sky and howled and yelled and went crazy generally. And Kewpie moved smilingly back to the bench to submit to the hugs of his companions.

There was no scoring for the Blue in the last